Isla Nublar

Isla Nublar is the fictional island on which dinosaurs were held in Jurassic Park. It was said to be 120 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. John Hammond says that Isla Nublar is the 'showroom' for Jurassic Park (that is, significant bio-engineering did not take place there; rather, it is simply the place where the animals are displayed for visitors).

Name
Isla Nublar is intended to mean "Island of Clouds" in Spanish. Nublar is not a Spanish adjective. Proper Spanish would have Isla de Nubes, Isla Nublada or Isla Nubosa.

 Isla Nublar was not considered a true island; rather, it was described as a seamount, a volcanic upthrusting of rock from the ocean floor; however, that description does not quite fit. The island of Hawaii was formed the same way. The heat that is still produced from the old volcano provides geothermal power to the park's electricity generating systems; because of this the island is still hot in some areas and often even hot under foot. The island lies covered in fog due to this heat and the prevailing currents.

The climate is tropical, with dense jungles and two rivers running across the island to the East & Northern Coasts. The island is described in the novels as being tear drop shaped, thicker at the north than at the south.

The island measures 8 miles long and 3 miles wide at the widest point, making about a total area size of about 22 square miles. There also is a man-made lake and massive aviary toward the center of the island. The highest peak of the island is roughly about 2000ft. The island is close to, but not a part of, The Five Deaths island chain, of which Isla Sorna is a member.

On Isla Nublar is the Jurassic Park theme park, a zoo-like attraction filled with genetically engineered dinosaur clones created by John Hammond and the InGen corporation. Hammond intended the island to be visited by millions from around the world, bringing delight to children in addition to impressive profits. However, while showing the island to people he intended to endorse it, the dinosaurs got loose and terrorized the park. According to the novel, the island was then bombed by the fictional Costa Rican Air Force; in the movie, its fate is unknown. However, the determination to acquire dinosaurs from Site B rather than the park in the second movie probably indicates the dinosaurs died from the lysine contingency, which was a failsafe measure put into place in the event of dinosaurs ever escaping the island (due to an intentional faulty gene they cannot manufacture the amino acid lysine, and so die within twenty-four hours if not given lysine in a tablet form by the Jurassic Park vets). Otherwise, the Nublar animals may well have been similarly exterminated in the movie storyline.

Reference
Isla Nublar