CANARY ISLANDS

Spanish Islas Canarias, comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) of Spain, consisting of an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the nearest island being 67 miles (108 km) off the northwest African mainland. The Canaries constitute the Spanish provincias of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, as well as the insular councils of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, and Ferro (Hierro). The autonomous community was established by the statute of autonomy of Aug. 16, 1982. The original inhabitants of the Canaries were the Guanches (see Guanche and Canario), now extinct, a Berber people who were conquered by the Spanish in the 15th century. The Romans learned of the Canaries through Juba II, king of Mauritania, whose account of an expedition (c. 40 BC) to the islands was preserved by the writers Plutarch and Pliny the Elder. The latter mentions Canaria, so called from the multitude of dogs of great size. In 999 the Arabs landed and traded on Gran Canaria. During the 13th and 14th centuries Genoese, Majorcan, Portuguese, and French navigators visited the islands. Jean de Bthencourt, who became king of the islands by order of Henry III of Castile in 1404, completed the conquest of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Ferro, and in December 1406 he returned to Europe, leaving his nephew Maciot in charge. Between 1420 and 1479 a Portuguese force subdued Gomera. In 1479 the Treaty of Alcovas recognized Spanish sovereignty over the Canaries, and the conquest of the remaining islands was completed in 1496. Christopher Columbus replenished all four of his westbound fleets in the Canaries, which became an indispensable Spanish base on sea routes to the Americas. In 1936 General Francisco Franco used the islands as the first base of the Nationalist revolt, going from there to Spanish Morocco. Physically, the Canaries fall into two groups. The western group, made up of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Gomera, and Ferro islands, consists of mountain peaks that rise directly from a deep ocean floor. The eastern group comprises Lanzarote, Fuerteventura Island, and six islets surmounting a single submarine plateau, the Canary Ridge, that rises about 4,500 feet (1,400 m) from the ocean floor. The Canary Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. All the western islands exceed 4,000 feet (1,200 m) at their highest points, with Teide Peak on Tenerife rising to 12,198 feet (3,718 m; the highest point on Spanish soil). The Canary Islands have a subtropical climate. Temperatures are warm and show little seasonal variation. At Las Palmas, for example, the average afternoon temperature in August is 79 F (26 C), while in January it drops to only 70 F (21 C). Annual precipitation, which is concentrated in November and December, is low, rarely exceeding 10 inches (250 mm) anywhere except on the windward northeastern sides of the islands, where it may reach 30 inches (750 mm). The islands' rich volcanic soils and mild temperatures support a wide variety of vegetation that generally follows a zonal arrangement based on elevation. From sea level to about 1,300 feet (400 m) plants characteristic of hot, arid tracts can be found, and better-watered or irrigated tracts yield crops of bananas, oranges, coffee, dates, sugarcane, and tobacco. From about 1,300 to 2,400 feet (400 to 700 m) the climate is more Mediterranean, with cereals, potatoes, and grapes the main crops. Elevations above 2,400 feet have an appreciably cooler climate that supports stands of holly, myrtle, laurel, and other trees. The populations of Tenerife and Gran Canaria grew rapidly relative to those of the other islands in the 20th century. Castilian Spanish is spoken in the Canaries with a slight Andalusian accent, and certain archaic words peculiar to the archipelago show Portuguese influences. The Canary Islands formed a single Spanish metropolitan provincia until 1927, when rivalry between the islands' two largest ports, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, caused a division into two provincias. To Las Palmas provincia were allocated Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote, together with several islets, three of which are inhabited. Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincia comprises the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, and Ferro. Agriculture has long been the economic mainstay of the Canaries. Wine from vines grown on unirrigated slopes formed the staple product until 1853. In that year a grape disease caused by phylloxera (a plant louse) attacked the vineyards, and viticulture was soon largely replaced by cochineal production. The cochineal industry declined (owing to competition from synthetic dyes) in the late 19th century and was replaced by the cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables and fruits. Bananas, which are still the Canaries' leading crop, are protected in the Spanish market against foreign competition. Tomatoes are grown between November and April for export, and the cultivation of flowers and plants is a new industry. Cereal grains must largely be imported. Dry farming predominates on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, while irrigation is widespread on Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The prevalence of minifundios, or small landholdings, has hindered the mechanization of agriculture on some of the islands. The tourist industry in the Canaries grew rapidly after 1950, with an accompanying increase in the number of hotels and government-run inns. Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are the main ports of call during the peak tourist season, which falls between December and March. The Canary Islands' manufacturing industries are small-scale outside Santa Cruz de Tenerife, whose petroleum refinery processes large quantities of crude oil. The Spanish government has encouraged investment in food-processing plants. Pop. (1994 est.) 1,534,897.