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Canary Islands: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Canary Islands
The name Canary Islands does not come from the small yellow birds that now bear their name, but from the Latin word for dog, canis. Ancient Roman historians, including Pliny the Elder, described the islands as the Islands of the Dogs because they were home to vast multitudes of large dogs, and possibly monk seals which were also called sea dogs. This ancient designation, Canaria, was likely applied to the island now known as Gran Canaria before being generalized to the entire archipelago. The connection to canines is so deeply embedded in the islands' identity that it remains on their coat of arms to this day. Before the arrival of humans, the islands were a prehistoric paradise inhabited by giant lizards, giant tortoises, and giant rats that have since gone extinct. These creatures thrived in isolation, creating an ecosystem unlike any other in the world. The islands were once considered the Fortunate Isles, a place of myth and wonder, but the reality of their history is far more complex and often brutal. The indigenous people, known collectively as the Guanches, lived in natural caves near the coast, forming settlements and burial sites that have been uncovered by modern archaeology. Their culture was rich with ceramics, cave paintings, and a social structure based on matrilineal descent, where inheritance passed through the female line. The Guanches were not a monolithic group but shared a common origin with the Amazigh people of North Africa, arriving on the islands thousands of years ago. The islands were a crossroads of civilizations, visited by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians, but it was the Romans who first established a lasting contact, discovering a small temple of stone and traces of buildings. The islands were a strategic link between Africa, Europe, and the Americas, a fact that would shape their destiny for centuries to come.
The Conquest and The Genocide
The Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands began in 1402 with the expedition of Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de la Salle, nobles and vassals of Henry III of Castile. This was not a simple military enterprise but a brutal cultural and military clash that lasted over a century due to the formidable resistance of the indigenous population. The conquest was divided into two periods: the Aristocratic conquest, carried out by nobility for their own benefit, and the Royal conquest, carried out directly by the Crown of Castile between 1478 and 1496. The final subjugation of Tenerife and La Palma in 1496 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo brought the entire archipelago under the control of the Crown of Castile. The native pre-Hispanic population declined quickly due to war, epidemics, and slavery, leading some historians to brand the conquest of the islands as a genocide of the Guanches. The Castilians imposed a new economic model based on single-crop cultivation, first sugarcane and then wine, which required a much larger labor force. This was attained through a practice of enslavement, not only of indigenous Canarians but also large numbers of Africans taken from North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The first slave plantations in the Atlantic region were across Madeira, Cape Verde, and the Canary Islands, but it was only the Canary Islands which had an indigenous population and were therefore invaded rather than newly occupied. The cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria became a stopping point for Spanish traders, conquistadors, and missionaries on their way to the New World. As wealth increased, enslaved Africans were also forced into more domestic roles for the richer Castilians on the islands. Research on the skeletons of some of the enslaved from the burial site of Finca Clavijo on Gran Canaria has shown that all of the adults buried there undertook extensive physical activity that involved significant stress on the spine and appendicular skeleton, a result of relentless hard labor. The Canaries' wealth invited attacks by pirates and privateers, including Ottoman Turkish admiral Kemal Reis in 1501 and Murat Reis the Elder who captured Lanzarote in 1585. The most severe attack took place in 1599, when a Dutch fleet of 74 ships and 12,000 men, commanded by Pieter van der Does, attacked the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Dutch attacked the Castillo de la Luz, which guarded the harbor, and the Canarians evacuated civilians from the city. The Dutch moved inland, but Canarian cavalry drove them back to Tamaraceite, near the city. The Dutch then laid siege to the city, demanding the surrender of all its wealth. They received 12 sheep and 3 calves. Furious, the Dutch sent 4,000 soldiers to attack the Council of the Canaries, who were sheltering in the village of Santa Brígida. Three hundred Canarian soldiers ambushed the Dutch in the village of Monte Lentiscal, killing 150 and forcing the rest to retreat. The Dutch concentrated on Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, attempting to burn it down. The Dutch pillaged Maspalomas, on the southern coast of Gran Canaria, San Sebastián on La Gomera, and Santa Cruz on La Palma, but eventually gave up the siege of Las Palmas and withdrew. Barbary pirates captured almost 2,000 Canarians during four invasions between 1569 and 1618. In 1618 the Barbary pirates from North Africa attacked Lanzarote and La Gomera taking 1000 captives to be sold as slaves. Another noteworthy attack occurred in 1797, when Santa Cruz de Tenerife was attacked by a British fleet under Horatio Nelson on the 25th of July. The British were repulsed, losing almost 400 men. It was during this battle that Nelson lost his right arm. The sugar-based economy of the islands faced stiff competition from Spain's Caribbean colonies. Low sugar prices in the 19th century caused severe recessions on the islands. A new cash crop, cochineal, came into cultivation during this time, reinvigorating the islands' economy. During this time the Canarian-American trade was developed, in which Canarian products such as cochineal, sugarcane and rum were sold in American ports such as Veracruz, Campeche, La Guaira and Havana, among others. By the end of the 18th century, Canary Islanders had already emigrated to Spanish American territories, such as Havana, Veracruz, and Santo Domingo, San Antonio, Texas and St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. These economic difficulties spurred mass emigration during the 19th and first half of the 20th century, primarily to the Americas. Between 1840 and 1890 as many as 40,000 Canary Islanders emigrated to Venezuela. Also, thousands of Canarians moved to Puerto Rico where the Spanish monarchy felt that Canarians would adapt to island life better than other immigrants from the mainland of Spain. Deeply entrenched traditions, such as the Mascaras Festival in the town of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, are an example of Canarian culture still preserved in Puerto Rico. Similarly, many thousands of Canarians emigrated to the shores of Cuba. During the Spanish, American War of 1898, the Spanish fortified the islands against a possible American attack, but no such event took place.
The name Canary Islands comes from the Latin word canis, meaning dog, not from the small yellow birds that now bear their name. Ancient Roman historians described the islands as the Islands of the Dogs because they were home to vast multitudes of large dogs and possibly monk seals called sea dogs.
When did the Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands begin and end?
The Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands began in 1402 with the expedition of Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de la Salle. The final subjugation of Tenerife and La Palma occurred in 1496 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo, bringing the entire archipelago under the control of the Crown of Castile.
What is the highest mountain in the Canary Islands and when did the most recent eruption occur?
Mount Teide on Tenerife is the highest mountain in Spain and the third tallest volcano on Earth on a volcanic ocean island. The island chain's most recent eruption occurred at Cumbre Vieja on La Palma on the 19th of September 2021.
How many tourists visit the Canary Islands each year and which island receives the most visitors?
The Canary Islands are visited each year by about 12 million people. Tenerife has the largest number of tourists received annually, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.
When was the Tenerife airport disaster and how many people died?
The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on the 27th of March 1977, when two Boeing 747s collided. This event killed 583 people and remains the worst air disaster in the history of aviation.
What is the current population of El Hierro and when was it declared a Biosphere Reserve?
El Hierro has 10,798 inhabitants and covers 268.71 square kilometers. The whole island was declared a Reserve of the Biosphere in 2000.
The Romantic period, spanning from 1770 to 1830, saw a surge in scientific expeditions to the Canary Islands, driven by the spirit of Illustration and progress. These voyages were divided into two types: those financed by the States, closely related with official scientific Institutions, and those that took place starting from more or less private initiatives. J. Edens, whose 1715 ascent and observations of Mount Teide influenced many subsequent expeditions, was one of the key figures in the state-sponsored expeditions. Louis Feuillée was sent to measure the meridian of El Hierro and to map the islands in 1724. Jean-Charles de Borda measured the longitudes of the islands and the height of Mount Teide more accurately in 1771 and 1776. The Baudin-Ledru expedition of 1796 aimed to recover a valuable collection of natural history objects. Among the private initiatives, Alexander von Humboldt and Buch and Smith were key exponents. The period 1770, 1830 was one in which Germany entered with strength and brio, and its presence in the islands would increase. The islands were a haven for naturalists, with many plant species like the Canary Island pine and the dragon tree, Dracaena draco, being endemic. The islands were once considered as a distinct physiographic section of the Atlas Mountains province, which is part of the larger African Alpine System division, but are now recognized as being related to a magmatic hot spot. The island chain's most recent eruption occurred at Cumbre Vieja, a volcanic ridge on La Palma, in 2021. The Teide volcano on Tenerife is the highest mountain in Spain, and the third tallest volcano on Earth on a volcanic ocean island. All the islands except La Gomera have been active in the last million years. Four of them, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro, have historical records of eruptions since European discovery. The islands rise from Jurassic oceanic crust associated with the opening of the Atlantic. Underwater magmatism began during the Cretaceous, and has continued to the present day. In the summer of 2011, a series of low-magnitude earthquakes occurred beneath El Hierro. These had a linear trend of northeast, southwest. In October a submarine eruption occurred about south of Restinga. This eruption produced gases and pumice, but no explosive activity was reported. The islands have great natural attractions, climate and beaches make the islands a major tourist destination, being visited each year by about 12 million people. The archipelago's principal tourist attraction is the Teide National Park in Tenerife, where the highest mountain in Spain and third largest volcano in the world, Mount Teide, receives over 2.8 million visitors annually. The combination of high mountains, proximity to Europe, and clean air has made the Roque de los Muchachos peak on La Palma island a leading location for telescopes like the Grantecan. The islands, as an autonomous region of Spain, are in the European Union and the Schengen Area. They are in the European Union Customs Union but outside the VAT area. Instead of VAT there is a local Sales Tax which has a general rate of 7%, an increased tax rate of 13.5%, a reduced tax rate of 3% and a zero tax rate for certain basic need products and services. Consequently, some products are subject to additional VAT if being exported from the islands into mainland Spain or the rest of the EU. The transportation costs are even higher outside of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Canarian time is Western European Time, or GMT. In summer, one hour ahead of GMT. Canarian time is one hour behind mainland Spain, and the same time as the UK, Ireland and mainland Portugal all year round.
The Banana Boom and The Dark Years
At the beginning of the 20th century, the British introduced a new cash-crop, the banana, the export of which was controlled by companies such as Fyffes. The economy is based primarily on tourism, which makes up 32% of the GDP. The Canaries receive about 12 million tourists per year. Construction makes up nearly 20% of the GDP and tropical agriculture, primarily bananas and tobacco, are grown for export to Europe and the Americas. Ecologists are concerned that the resources, especially in the more arid islands, are being overexploited but there are still many agricultural resources like tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cochineal, sugarcane, grapes, vines, dates, oranges, lemons, figs, wheat, barley, maize, apricots, peaches and almonds. Water resources are also being overexploited, due to the high water usage by tourists. Also, some islands such as Gran Canaria and Tenerife overexploit the ground water. This is done in such degree that, according to European and Spanish legal regulations, the current situation is not acceptable. To address the problems, good governance and a change in the water use paradigm have been proposed. These solutions depend largely on controlling water use and on demand management. As this is administratively difficult and politically unpalatable, most action is currently directed at increasing the public offer of water through import from outside; a decision which is economically, politically and environmentally questionable. To bring in revenue for environmental protection, innovation, training and water sanitation a tourist tax was considered in 2018, along with a doubling of the ecotax and restrictions on holiday rents in the zones with the greatest pressure of demand. The economy is € 25 billion, based on 2001 GDP figures. The islands experienced continuous growth during a 20-year period, up until 2001, at a rate of approximately 5% annually. This growth was fueled mainly by huge amounts of foreign direct investment, mostly to develop tourism real estate, and European Funds, near €11 billion in the period from 2000 to 2007, since the Canary Islands are labelled Region Objective 1, eligible for euro structural funds. Additionally, the EU allows the Canary Islands Government to offer special tax concessions for investors who incorporate under the Zona Especial Canaria regime and create more than five jobs. Spain gave permission in August 2014 for Repsol and its partners to explore oil and natural gas prospects off the Canary Islands, involving an investment of €7.5 billion over four years, to commence at the end of 2016. Repsol at the time said the area could ultimately produce 100,000 barrels of oil a day, which would meet 10 percent of Spain's energy needs. However, the analysis of samples obtained did not show the necessary volume nor quality to consider future extraction, and the project was scrapped. Despite currently having very high dependence on fossil fuels, research on the renewable energy potential concluded that a high potential for renewable energy technologies exists on the archipelago. This, in such extent even that a scenario pathway to 100% renewable energy supply by 2050 has been put forward. The islands have eight airports altogether, two of the main ports of Spain, and an extensive network of highways and other roads. Traffic congestion is sometimes a problem in Tenerife and on Gran Canaria. Large ferry boats and fast ferries link most of the islands. Both types can transport large numbers of passengers, cargo, and vehicles. Fast ferries are made of aluminium and powered by modern and efficient diesel engines, while conventional ferries have a steel hull and are powered by heavy oil. Fast ferries travel in excess of 30 knots, conventional ferries travel in excess of 20 knots, but are slower than fast ferries. A typical ferry ride between La Palma and Tenerife may take up to eight hours or more while a fast ferry takes about two and a half hours and between Tenerife and Gran Canaria can be about one hour. The largest airport is the Gran Canaria Airport. Tenerife has two airports, Tenerife North Airport and Tenerife South Airport. The island of Tenerife gathers the highest passenger movement of all the Canary Islands through its two airports. The two main islands, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, receive the greatest number of passengers. Tenerife 6,204,499 passengers and Gran Canaria 5,011,176 passengers. The port of Las Palmas is first in freight traffic in the islands, while the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the first fishing port with approximately 7,500 tons of fish caught, according to the Spanish government publication Statistical Yearbook of State Ports. Similarly, it is the second port in Spain as regards ship traffic, only surpassed by the Port of Algeciras Bay. The port's facilities include a border inspection post approved by the European Union, which is responsible for inspecting all types of imports from third countries or exports to countries outside the European Economic Area. The port of Los Cristianos has the greatest number of passengers recorded in the Canary Islands, followed by the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Port of Las Palmas is the third port in the islands in passengers and first in number of vehicles transported. The SS America was beached at the Canary islands on the 18th of January 1994. However, the ocean liner broke apart after the course of several years and eventually sank beneath the surface. The Tenerife Tram opened in 2007 and is currently the only one in the Canary Islands, travelling between the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Three more railway lines are being planned for the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands have great natural attractions, climate and beaches make the islands a major tourist destination, being visited each year by about 12 million people. Among the islands, Tenerife has the largest number of tourists received annually, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The archipelago's principal tourist attraction is the Teide National Park in Tenerife, where the highest mountain in Spain and third largest volcano in the world, Mount Teide, receives over 2.8 million visitors annually. The combination of high mountains, proximity to Europe, and clean air has made the Roque de los Muchachos peak on La Palma island a leading location for telescopes like the Grantecan. The islands, as an autonomous region of Spain, are in the European Union and the Schengen Area. They are in the European Union Customs Union but outside the VAT area. Instead of VAT there is a local Sales Tax which has a general rate of 7%, an increased tax rate of 13.5%, a reduced tax rate of 3% and a zero tax rate for certain basic need products and services. Consequently, some products are subject to additional VAT if being exported from the islands into mainland Spain or the rest of the EU. The transportation costs are even higher outside of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Canarian time is Western European Time, or GMT. In summer, one hour ahead of GMT. Canarian time is one hour behind mainland Spain, and the same time as the UK, Ireland and mainland Portugal all year round.
The Franco Regime and The Struggle for Autonomy
In 1936, Francisco Franco was appointed General Commandant of the Canaries. He joined the military revolt of the 17th of July which began the Spanish Civil War. Franco quickly took control of the archipelago, except for a few points of resistance on La Palma and in the town of Vallehermoso, on La Gomera. Though there was never a war in the islands, the post-war suppression of political dissent on the Canaries was most severe. During the Second World War, Winston Churchill prepared plans for the British seizure of the Canary Islands as a naval base, in the event of Gibraltar being invaded from the Spanish mainland. The planned operation was known as Operation Pilgrim. Opposition to Franco's regime did not begin to organize until the late 1950s, which experienced an upheaval of parties such as the Communist Party of Spain and the formation of various nationalist, leftist parties. During the Ifni War, the Franco regime set up concentration camps on the islands to extrajudicially imprison those in Western Sahara suspected of disloyalty to Spain, many of whom were colonial troops recruited on the spot but were later deemed to be potential fifth columnists and deported to the Canary Islands. These camps were characterized by the use of forced labor for infrastructure projects and highly unsanitary conditions resulting in the widespread occurrence of tuberculosis. After the death of Franco, there was a pro-independence armed movement based in Algeria, the Movement for the Independence and Self-determination of the Canaries Archipelago. In 1968, the Organisation of African Unity recognized the MAIAC as a legitimate African independence movement, and declared the Canary Islands as an African territory still under foreign rule. After the establishment of a democratic constitutional monarchy in Spain, autonomy was granted to the Canaries via a law passed in 1982, with a newly established autonomous devolved government and parliament. In 1983, the first autonomous elections were held. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party won. The regional executive body, the Parliament of the Canary Islands, is presided over by Fernando Clavijo Batlle, the current President of the Canary Islands. The members of the regional legislature, the Parliament of the Canary Islands, has 70 elected legislators. The last regional election took place in May 2023. The islands have 14 seats in the Spanish Senate. Of these, 11 seats are directly elected, 3 for Gran Canaria, 3 for Tenerife, and 1 each for Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The other 3 are appointed by the regional legislature. The Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands has two provinces, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, whose capitals, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, are capitals of the autonomous community. Each of the seven major islands are ruled by an island council named a Cabildo Insular. Each island is subdivided into smaller municipalities. Las Palmas is divided into 34 municipalities, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife is divided into 54 municipalities. The international boundary of the Canaries is disputed in Morocco, Spain relations. In 2022 the UN declared the Canary Island's territorial waters as being Moroccan coast and Morocco has authorized gas and oil exploration in what the Canary Islands states to be Canarian territorial waters and Western Sahara waters. Morocco's official position is that international laws regarding territorial limits do not authorize Spain to claim seabed boundaries based on the territory of the Canaries, since the Canary Islands enjoy a large degree of autonomy. In fact, the islands do not enjoy any special degree of autonomy, as each one of the Spanish regions is considered an autonomous community, with equal status to the European ones. Under the Law of the Sea, the only islands not granted territorial waters or an exclusive economic zone are those that are not fit for human habitation, or do not have an economic life of their own, which is not the case of the Canary Islands. There are some pro-independence political parties, like the National Congress of the Canaries and the Popular Front of the Canary Islands. Their popular support is almost insignificant, with no presence in either the autonomous parliament or the cabildos insulares. In a 2012 study by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, when asked about national identity, the majority of respondents from the Canary Islands considered themselves Spanish and Canarian in equal measures, followed by 24% who consider themselves more Canarian than Spanish. 6.1% of the respondents considered themselves only Canarian, and 7% considered themselves only Spanish. The Canary Islands have become home to many European residents, mainly coming from Italy, Germany and the UK. Because of the vast immigration to Venezuela and Cuba during the second half of the 20th century and the later return to the Canary Islands of these people along with their families, there are many residents whose country of origin was Venezuela or Cuba. Since the 1990s, many illegal migrants have reached the Canary Islands, Melilla and Ceuta, using them as entry points to the EU. A record number of 46,843 migrants, mostly from Senegal, Mali and Morocco, arrived illegally in the Canary Islands in 2024, up from 39,910 in 2023. The overwhelming majority of native Canarians are Roman Catholic, with various smaller foreign-born populations of other Christian beliefs such as Protestants. The appearance of the Virgin of Candelaria, Patron of Canary Islands, was credited with moving the Canary Islands toward Christianity. Two Catholic saints were born in the Canary Islands: Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur and José de Anchieta. Both born on the island of Tenerife, they were respectively missionaries in Guatemala and Brazil. The Canary Islands are divided into two Catholic dioceses, each governed by a bishop. The Diócesis Canariense includes the islands of the Eastern Province: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Its capital was San Marcial El Rubicón and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. There was a previous bishopric which was based in Telde, but it was later abolished. The Diócesis Nivariense includes the islands of the western province: Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. Its capital is San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Separate from the overwhelming Catholic majority are a minority of Muslims. Among the followers of Islam, the Islamic Federation of the Canary Islands exists to represent the Islamic community in the Canary Islands as well as to provide practical support to members of the Islamic community. For its part, there is also the Evangelical Council of the Canary Islands in the archipelago. Other religions represented include Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as Hinduism. Minority religions are also present such as the Church of the Guanche People which is classified as a neo-pagan native religion. Also present are Buddhism, Judaism, Bahá'í, African religion, and Chinese religions. The distribution of beliefs in 2012 according to the CIS Barometer Autonomy was as follows: Catholic 84.9%, Atheist/Agnostic/Unbeliever 12.3%, Other religions 1.7%. The native inhabitants of the Canary Islands hold a gene pool that is predominantly European and native Guanche. It was found that Guanche males contributed less to the gene pool of modern Canary Islanders than Guanche females. Haplogroups typical among the Guanche have been found at high frequencies in Latin America, suggesting that descendants of the Guanche played an active role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In 2017, the first genome-wide data from the Guanches confirmed a North African origin and that they were genetically most similar to ancient North African Berber peoples of the nearby North African mainland. It also showed that modern inhabitants of Gran Canaria carry an estimated 16%, 31% Guanche autosomal ancestry. A 2018 genetic study found that the Canarian population is, on average at an autosomal level, 75, 83% European, 17, 23% North African and 3% Sub-saharan.
The Seven Islands and Their Secrets
El Hierro, the westernmost island, covers 268.71 square kilometers. It is the second smallest of the major islands, and the least populous with 10,798 inhabitants. The whole island was declared a Reserve of the Biosphere in 2000. Its capital is Valverde. Also known as Ferro, it was once the westernmost known land in the world. Ancient European geographers such as Ptolemy recognized the island as the prime meridian of longitude with the Ferro meridian. That remained so until the 19th century, when it was displaced by the one passing through Greenwich. Fuerteventura, with a surface of 1,660 square kilometers, is the second largest island of the archipelago. It has been declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. It is the oldest of the islands being more eroded. Its highest point is the Pico de la Zarza, at a height of 807 meters. Its capital is Puerto del Rosario. Gran Canaria has 846,717 inhabitants. The capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with 377,203 inhabitants, is the most populous city and shares the status of capital of the Canaries with Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Gran Canaria's surface area is 1,560.18 square kilometers. Roque Nublo and Pico de las Nieves are located in the center of the island. On the south of the island are the Maspalomas Dunes. La Gomera has an area of 369.76 square kilometers and is the second least populous with 21,136 inhabitants. It has been declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. Geologically it is one of the oldest of the archipelago. The insular capital is San Sebastian de La Gomera. Garajonay National Park is located on the island. Lanzarote is the easternmost and one of the oldest of the archipelago, and it has shown evidence of recent volcanic activity. It has a surface of 845.94 square kilometers, and a population of 149,183 inhabitants, including the adjacent islets of the Chinijo Archipelago. The capital is Arrecife, with 56,834 inhabitants. The Chinijo Archipelago includes the islands La Graciosa, Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste. It has a surface of 29.05 square kilometers, and only La Graciosa is populated, with 658 inhabitants. With 29.05 square kilometers, La Graciosa is the largest island of the Chinijo Archipelago and the smallest inhabited island of the Canaries. In 2018, La Graciosa was declared as the eighth Canary Island by the Spanish Senate, though it is not recognized as such by the Canarian administration. It is administratively dependent on the island of Lanzarote. It is the smallest and least populated of the main islands, with about 700 people. La Palma, with 81,863 inhabitants covering an area of 708.32 square kilometers, is in its entirety a biosphere reserve. For long it showed no signs of volcanic activity, even though the volcano Teneguía entered into eruption last in 1971. On the 19th of September 2021, the volcanic Cumbre Vieja on the island erupted. It is the second-highest island of the Canaries, with the Roque de los Muchachos at 2,426 meters as its highest point. Santa Cruz de La Palma, known to those on the island as simply Santa Cruz, is its capital. Tenerife is, with its area of 2,034.38 square kilometers, the most extensive island of the Canary Islands. With 904,713 inhabitants, it is the most populated island of the archipelago and Spain. Two of the islands' principal cities are located on it: the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a World Heritage Site. San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the second city of the island, is home to the oldest university in the Canary Islands, the University of La Laguna. Teide, with its 3,718 meters, is the highest peak of Spain and a World Heritage Site. Tenerife is the site of the worst air disaster in the history of aviation, in which 583 people were killed in the collision of two Boeing 747s on the 27th of March 1977. The Canary Islands have eight airports altogether, two of the main ports of Spain, and an extensive network of highways and other roads. Traffic congestion is sometimes a problem in Tenerife and on Gran Canaria. Large ferry boats and fast ferries link most of the islands. Both types can transport large numbers of passengers, cargo, and vehicles. Fast ferries are made of aluminium and powered by modern and efficient diesel engines, while conventional ferries have a steel hull and are powered by heavy oil. Fast ferries travel in excess of 30 knots, conventional ferries travel in excess of 20 knots, but are slower than fast ferries. A typical ferry ride between La Palma and Tenerife may take up to eight hours or more while a fast ferry takes about two and a half hours and between Tenerife and Gran Canaria can be about one hour. The largest airport is the Gran Canaria Airport. Tenerife has two airports, Tenerife North Airport and Tenerife South Airport. The island of Tenerife gathers the highest passenger movement of all the Canary Islands through its two airports. The two main islands, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, receive the greatest number of passengers. Tenerife 6,204,499 passengers and Gran Canaria 5,011,176 passengers. The port of Las Palmas is first in freight traffic in the islands, while the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the first fishing port with approximately 7,500 tons of fish caught, according to the Spanish government publication Statistical Yearbook of State Ports. Similarly, it is the second port in Spain as regards ship traffic, only surpassed by the Port of Algeciras Bay. The port's facilities include a border inspection post approved by the European Union, which is responsible for inspecting all types of imports from third countries or exports to countries outside the European Economic Area. The port of Los Cristianos has the greatest number of passengers recorded in the Canary Islands, followed by the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Port of Las Palmas is the third port in the islands in passengers and first in number of vehicles transported. The SS America was beached at the Canary islands on the 18th of January 1994. However, the ocean liner broke apart after the course of several years and eventually sank beneath the surface. The Tenerife Tram opened in 2007 and is currently the only one in the Canary Islands, travelling between the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Three more railway lines are being planned for the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands have great natural attractions, climate and beaches make the islands a major tourist destination, being visited each year by about 12 million people. Among the islands, Tenerife has the largest number of tourists received annually, followed by Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The archipelago's principal tourist attraction is the Teide National Park in Tenerife, where the highest mountain in Spain and third largest volcano in the world, Mount Teide, receives over 2.8 million visitors annually. The combination of high mountains, proximity to Europe, and clean air has made the Roque de los Muchachos peak on La Palma island a leading location for telescopes like the Grantecan. The islands, as an autonomous region of Spain, are in the European Union and the Schengen Area. They are in the European Union Customs Union but outside the VAT area. Instead of VAT there is a local Sales Tax which has a general rate of 7%, an increased tax rate of 13.5%, a reduced tax rate of 3% and a zero tax rate for certain basic need products and services. Consequently, some products are subject to additional VAT if being exported from the islands into mainland Spain or the rest of the EU. The transportation costs are even higher outside of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Canarian time is Western European Time, or GMT. In summer, one hour ahead of GMT. Canarian time is one hour behind mainland Spain, and the same time as the UK, Ireland and mainland Portugal all year round.