The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, in the northwestern side from Africa, about 100 Km. far from this continent, and in the southwestern from the Iberian Peninsula, at about 1,150 Km. It is located between latitude 27 degrees 37' north and 29 degrees 25' western, under the influence of the Tropic of Cancer.
The surface of this group of islads is 7,492.36 square kilometres, 301,335.1 hectares of which are Protected Natural Areas. The population of the Canary Islands is about 2 million inhabitants. This group of islands consists of seven islands such as El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura y Lanzarote, apart from the islets Lobos, La Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Alegranza, Roque del Oeste and Roque del Este.
The maximum altitude of the Canary Islands and Spain is found in the island of Tenerife, in the peak Teide, at 3,718 metres of height. These islands take part in the geographical part known as Macaronesia which embraces a small strip of the western African coast, the islands of Azores, Madeira, Savage Island, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. There are many climate similarities among these, as well as common features regarding the flora and the fauna. There are traces of a very old vegetation developed in the south of Europe and extinguished due to glaciations.
Despite the many stories and legends on the origin of these islands, the most accepted theory is the "Hot Point", explaining its volcanic origin. Volcanoes have made up this group of islands, which started over 35 million years ago. There are many witnesses to defend this theory, such as volcanoes, craters, lava fields, rocks, etc. Erosion has subsequently shaped its landscape and given rise to ravines, erosion craters, big cliffs, etc.
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Gran Canaria, the island where the main tourist area "Maspalomas Costa Canaria" is located, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, covers a surface of 1,532 square metres. Its shape is a truncated pyramid whose highest point is the peak Pico de las Nieves, 1,949 metres above the sea level, and Los Pechos, as part of a central mountain range which separates the island into two areas with different climates and landscapes. The central and northern part is bathed by the trade wind, whereas, the south part of the island, due to the cloud retention in its northern part, has a drier landscape. |
