The Galapagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean around the equator, approximately 900 to 1000 kilometers (about 600 miles) west of the mainland of South America. They belong to Ecuador and lie both north and south of the equator, spanning the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The islands sit roughly at coordinates 0°30′S to 1°40′N latitude and 89°16′W to 92°01′W longitude. The nearest landmass is mainland Ecuador, situated about 926 kilometers (500 nautical miles) east of the islands. The archipelago consists of volcanic islands scattered over a large ocean area and covers about 7,880 square kilometers (3,040 square miles) of land within approximately 45,000 square kilometers (17,000 square miles) of ocean.