The first Europeans to attempt to conquer the Guanches were Normans
from France in 1402, and the final campaigns ended around 1495 under a
Galician soldier of fortune. The century saw massacres, warfare and
Guanches sold into slavery; less than a century later, their language
had all but disappeared. Survivors married the invaders, converting to
Christianity and taking Spanish names.The Third Wave The Romans and others knew of the Canaries for centuries,
but European settlement of the islands didn't begin
until the 14th century, when Italian explorer Lanzarote
Malocello and his expedition arrived on his now-namesake
island, Lanzarote. After living on the island for years,
Lanzarote was killed by Guanches, who within a century
would be killed off as well, replaced by Spaniards looking
for new fortune. /Continued at the bottom....,
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Canary Islands or Canaries (Spanish Islas Canarias), group of islands and autonomous region, Spain,
in the Atlantic Ocean, off the northwestern coast of Africa, comprising
the provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Their capitals
are, respectively, Las Palmas on Grand Canary and Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tenerife Island;
the cities also serve as dual and alternative capital of the region.
The chief islands of the group, in descending order of size, are
Tenerife; Fuerteventura, the nearest to the African mainland; Grand
Canary (Gran Canaria); Lanzarote; La Palma; Gomera; and Hierro. In
addition, several barren islets are included in the group.
The
islands are of volcanic origin. Of the volcanic peaks, the highest is
the dormant Pico de Teide, or Pico de Tenerife (3,715 m/12,188 ft). The
Canaries are noted for their scenery and mild, dry climate.
Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter season. In areas below
about 400 m (about 1310 ft) elevation, the vegetation is typically
northern African; characteristic varieties are the date palm, dragon
tree, and cactus. Growing at higher levels are laurels, holly, myrtle,
eucalyptus, pine, and a variety of flowering plants.
Farming
and fishing are the principal industries. The volcanic soil of the
Canaries is extremely fertile. The islands have no rivers, however, and
severe droughts are common; artificial irrigation is therefore a
necessity in most cultivable areas. Among important crops are bananas,
citrus fruits, sugarcane, peaches, figs, wine grapes, grain, tomatoes,
onions, and potatoes. Manufactured products include textiles and fine
embroideries. Tourism is also important, and the islands are a popular
winter-resort area.
In
the view of some authorities, the Canaries are the Fortunatae Insulae
of antiquity. The islands were probably known to the Phoenicians and
Carthaginians. As described by the Roman scholar Pliny, large numbers of wild dogs (Latin canes),
roamed the islands, which he therefore named Canaria. Arab mariners
reached the group in the 12th century, and it was visited in 1334 by
French navigators. Pope Clement VI awarded the islands to Castile in
1344. The French mariner Jean de Bethéncourt began the conquest of the
islands in 1402 and was made king of the Canaries in 1404 by the
Castilian ruler Henry III. Claimed by Portugal, the islands were
recognized as Spanish possessions by a treaty negotiated in 1479.
Spanish conquest of the islands was completed by the late 1490s. The
indigenous population, the Guanche, a Berber people, eventually became extinct.
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