Canary Islands
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AI overview
The Canary Islands are an archipelago of Spanish islands located in the Atlantic Ocean that form an autonomous community of Spain. They matter as an important part of Spanish territory and serve as a significant geographic and cultural bridge between Europe and Africa.
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Key dates
- Inception
- 10 August 1982
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- cultural region (from 1982)
- Official name
- Islas Canarias
- Demonym
- Canárach
- Country
- Spain
- Located in
- Spain
- Contains
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province
- Capital
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Official language
- Spanish
Article
The Canary Islands (/kəˈnɛəri/ ; Spanish: Canarias [kaˈnaɾjas] ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain, located about 100 kilometres (60 mi) off the northwest coast of Africa. The archipelago has a population of approximately 2.27 million inhabitants, making it the most populous overseas special territory of the European Union.
The seven main islands, listed from largest to smallest by area, are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The only other inhabited island is La Graciosa, which is administratively dependent on Lanzarote. The archipelago also includes numerous smaller islands and islets, such as Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste, and Roque del Este, as well as various rocks, including Garachico and Anaga. Historically, the island chain was referred to as "the Fortunate Isles". The Canary Islands are the southernmost and westernmost region of Spain as well as the largest and most populous archipelago of Macaronesia. They are also the largest and most populated archipelago in Spain. Owing to their strategic location, the Canary Islands have long been considered a link between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.