View source for Canary Islands

{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Canary Islands
| anthem                          = ''[[Himno de Canarias]]''<br /> {{smaller|"Anthem of the Canaries"}}<br /><center>[[File:Himno de las Canarias (Instrumental).ogg]]</center>
| official_make                   = 
| native_name                     = {{native name|es|Canarias}}
| settlement_type                 = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Autonomous community]]
| imagesize                       = 275px
| image_caption                   = I
| image_flag                      = Flag of the Canary Islands (simple).svg
| flag_size                       = 125px
| flag_alt                        = Flag of the Canary Islands
| image_shield                    = File:Escudo de Canarias.svg
| shield_size                     = 100x100px
| shield_alt                      = Canary Islands
| image_map                       = Islas Canarias (real location) in Spain.svg
| mapsize                         = 275px
| map_caption                     = Location of the Canary Islands relative to the Spanish mainland
| coordinates                     = {{coord|28|N|16|W|region:ES|format=dec|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{ESP}}
| subdivision_type1               = Largest city
| subdivision_name1               = [[Las Palmas|Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]]
| seat_type                       = [[Capital city|Capital]]
| seat                            = [[Las Palmas|Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]] and [[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]]<ref name=estatuto2018>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2018/11/05/1 |title=Ley Orgánica 1/2018, de 5 de noviembre, de reforma del Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias. |language=es |website=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado|BOE]] |date=6 November 2018 |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923070315/https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2018/11/05/1 |url-status=live }}</ref> | parts_type = [[Provinces of Spain|Provinces]]            | parts_style = para | parts =                            | p1 = [[Province of Las Palmas|Las Palmas]]            | p2 = and [[Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife|Santa Cruz de Tenerife]]
| leader_party                    = [[Socialist Party of the Canaries|PSC–PSOE]]
| leader_title                    = [[President of the Canary Islands|President]]
| leader_name                     = [[Ángel Víctor Torres]]
| area_total_km2                  = 7493
| area_rank                       = 1.88% of Spain; [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by area|ranked 13th]]
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="BOE_pop_2019">{{cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/2019/12/20/743 |title=Real Decreto 743/2019, de 20 de diciembre, por el que se declaran oficiales las cifras de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal referidas al 1 de enero de 2019. |website=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado|BOE]] |date=27 December 2019 |language=es |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220111850/https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/2019/12/20/743 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_total                = 2,153,389
| population_as_of                = 2019
| population_rank                 = [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by population|8th]]
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_blank1_title         = Percentage
| population_blank1               = 4.58% of Spain
| population_demonyms             = [[Canarian people|Canarian]]<br />{{lang|es|canario/-a}} ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
| timezone                        = [[Western European Time|WET]]
| utc_offset                      = ±00:00{{!}}UTC
| timezone_DST                    = [[Western European Summer Time|WEST]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = +1
| postal_code                     = 
| iso_code                        = {{hlist|IC|[[ISO 3166-2:ES|ES-CN]]}}
| blank_name_sec1                 = Most populated island
| blank_info_sec1                 = [[Tenerife]]<ref name="BOE_pop_2019"/>
| blank1_name_sec1                = [[Official language]]
| blank1_info_sec1                = [[Canarian Spanish|Spanish]]
| blank3_name_sec1                = Statute of Autonomy
| blank3_info_sec1                = 7 November 2018
| blank_name_sec2                 = Parliament
| blank_info_sec2                 = [[Canarian Parliament]]
| blank1_name_sec2                = [[Congress of Deputies (Spain)|Congress seats]]
| blank1_info_sec2                = 15 (of 350)
| blank2_name_sec2                = [[Spanish Senate|Senate seats]]
| blank2_info_sec2                = 14 (of 265)
| blank3_name_sec2                = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2018)
| blank3_info_sec2                = 0.861<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=13 September 2018|archive-date=23 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|url-status=live}}</ref><br/>{{color|green|very high}} · [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by Human Development Index|15th]]
| website                         = {{URL|www.gobcan.es/}}
| official_name                   = 
}}
[[File:Canarias NASA2.jpg|thumb|left|Map of the islands from NASA]]
The '''Canary Islands''' are an [[autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community of Spain]] located off the coast of [[Africa]]. Consisting of seven main islands and over 50 smaller islands and islets, this region has a volcanic origin which can be appreciated in every one of them, specially in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where we can find El Teide. The autonomous community has two capital cities, of equal status: [[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]] and [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]].

The seven islands are: [[La Palma]], [[La Gomera]], [[El Hierro]], [[Tenerife]], [[Gran Canaria]], [[Lanzarote]], and [[Fuerteventura]]. People from La Gomera have a whistle language that children there learn at school. Tenerife has the highest mountain in the Canary Islands and Spain too, the Teide. The Teide is actually a volcano, but it has not been active in more than 300 years. 

The islands are popular with tourists because of their warm climate and nice beaches. The local farmers grow lots of exotic fruits including [[papaya]]s and [[banana]]s.

It is believed that the first group of people who inhabited the islands were a group of Berber people named Guanches, original from North Africa, settling in the islands at some point in the first millennium BCE, with estimates ranging from around 1000 BCE to 200 BCE. 

The islands were later conquered by the Castilians in the 15th century, bringing significant changes to the islands, including language, religion or customs. When the Castilians arrived in the Canary Islands in the 15th century, they encountered fierce resistance from the Guanches who sought to defend their land. However, the Guanches were ultimately overwhelmed by the superior military technology and tactics of the Spanish forces. The conquest led to the subjugation and displacement of the Guanches on the islands. The Guanches were gradually assimilated into Castilian society, resulting in the decline of their population and cultural heritage over time.

Castilian colonization led to economic growth as the Canary Islands became a hub for trade routes to America, which facilitated trade and commerce. New technologies and agricultural practices were also introduced, improving productivity and efficiency in farming, fishing, and other industries.

Spaniards brought with them architectural styles and construction techniques that influenced the built environment of the Canary Islands. This includes the construction of fortifications, churches, and colonial buildings that still stand today as part of the islands' cultural heritage. They also introduced new systems of governance and administration to the Canary Islands, integrating them into the Spanish Empire. This included the establishment of colonial institutions, legal systems, and administrative structures.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Other websites==
* {{commonscat-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}

[[Category:Archipelagos]]
[[Category:Canary Islands| ]]
[[Category:North Africa]]


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{{Administrative divisions of Spain}}
{{africa}}
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