The Canary Islands were not named for a bird called a canary. They were named after a breed of large dogs. The Latin name was Canariae insulae - "Island of Dogs."
The bird we call a canary was in fact named after the islands, not the other way round. The Atlantic canary is native to the Canary Islands and is a small yellowish bird belonging to the finch family.
The aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands were called Guanches.
The bird we call a canary was in fact named after the islands, not the other way round. The Atlantic canary is native to the Canary Islands and is a small yellowish bird belonging to the finch family.
The aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands were called Guanches.
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| Reconstruction of a Guanche settlement of Tenerife.By Wouter Hagens |
Pope Eugene IV promulgated the papal bull Sicut dudum on January 13, 1435, forbidding the enslavement of the native Guanche by the Spanish.
Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile in 1483, in what was considered a very important step in the expansion of Spain.
Christopher Columbus often stayed at Las Palmas in the Canaries on the way to and from America, whilst his ships were refitted. The house where he stayed is now a museum.
The Northern Hemisphere Astronomical Observatory on the island of La Palma has some of the major telescopes of the world, including the 13 ft William Herschel telescope. Observation conditions are exceptionally good here because there is little moisture, no artificial-light pollution, and little natural airglow.
The Teide volcano on Tenerife is the third tallest volcano on Earth on a volcanic ocean island. At 3,781 metres, it is also the highest point in Spain.
The economy is based primarily on tourism, which accounts for around 38% of the GDP.
The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the seven.
Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile in 1483, in what was considered a very important step in the expansion of Spain.
Christopher Columbus often stayed at Las Palmas in the Canaries on the way to and from America, whilst his ships were refitted. The house where he stayed is now a museum.
The Northern Hemisphere Astronomical Observatory on the island of La Palma has some of the major telescopes of the world, including the 13 ft William Herschel telescope. Observation conditions are exceptionally good here because there is little moisture, no artificial-light pollution, and little natural airglow.
The Teide volcano on Tenerife is the third tallest volcano on Earth on a volcanic ocean island. At 3,781 metres, it is also the highest point in Spain.
The economy is based primarily on tourism, which accounts for around 38% of the GDP.
The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the seven.
The islands have two capital cities: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This unusual arrangement reflects a long-standing rivalry between the two largest islands, and was formalised in 1927.
La Gomera has a unique whistled language called Silbo Gomero, which has been used for centuries to communicate across the island's wide, deep valleys. UNESCO recognised it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, and it is taught in local schools.
The Canary Islands are home to four of Spain's national parks, including Teide National Park on Tenerife, which is one of the most visited national parks in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The banana grown in the Canary Islands is smaller and sweeter than most commercial varieties. The islands' subtropical climate makes them one of Spain's most important banana-producing regions, and the Canary banana has protected geographical status in the European Union.
Source Hutchinson Encyclopedia © RM 2013. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.
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