Largest Islands of Spain

Geography

Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the archipelago. Gran Canaria, with 865,070 inhabitants, is both the Canary Islands' second most populous island, and the third most populous one in Spain after Tenerife (966,354 inhabitants) and Mallorca (896,038 inhabitants). The island of Fuerteventura is the second largest in the archipelago and located 100 km (62 mi) from the African coast.

The islands form the Macaronesia ecoregion with the Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira, and the Savage Isles. The Canary Islands constitute the largest and most populated archipelago of the Macaronesia region. The archipelago has seven large and several smaller islands, all of which are volcanic in origin.

History

Before the arrival of humans, the Canaries were inhabited by prehistoric animals including the giant lizard (Gallotia goliath), the Tenerife and Gran Canaria giant rats, and giant tortoises, Geochelone burchardi and Geochelone vulcanica.

Although the original settlement of what are now called the Canary Islands is not entirely clear, linguistic, genetic, and archaeological analyses indicate that indigenous peoples were living on the Canary Islands at least 2,000 years ago, possibly 3,000, and that they shared a common origin with the Amazighs on the nearby North African coast. Reaching the islands may have taken place using several small boats, landing on the easternmost islands Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Demographics

As of 2024, the Canary Islands have a population of 2,238,754, making them the 7th-most populous of Spain's autonomous communities. The total area of the archipelago is 7,445.58 km2 (2,874.75 sq mi), resulting in a population density of 303.9 inhabitants per square kilometre.

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 (66,593) or Cuba (41,807). Since the 1990s, many illegal migrants have reached the Canary Islands, Melilla and Ceuta, using them as entry points to the EU.

Economy and environment

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.

Geography

The autonomous community's main islands are Mallorca/Majorca (Mallorca), Menorca/Minorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa/Ibiza), and Formentera, all popular tourist destinations. Among the minor islands is Cabrera, the location of the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park. The Balearic Islands are bordered by Algeria to the south, Spain's Catalonia and Valencian Community to the west, France to the north, and Corsica and Sardinia to the east. The province has the longest coastline of any in Spain, at 1,428 kilometres.

The Balearic Islands are on a raised undersea platform called the Balearic Promontory, and were formed by uplift. They are cut by a network of northwest-southeast faults.

History

The earliest known evidence of habitation of the Balearic Islands dates to the 3rd millennium BC (around 2500–2300 BC) from the Iberian Peninsula or southern France, by people associated with the Bell Beaker culture.

Little is recorded about the inhabitants of the islands during classical antiquity, though many legends exist. The story, preserved by Lycophron, that certain shipwrecked Greek Boeotians were cast nude on the islands, was evidently invented to account for the name Gymnesiae (Ancient Greek: Γυμνήσιαι). In addition, Diodorus Siculus writes that the Greeks called the islands Gymnesiae because the inhabitants were naked (γυμνοί) during summer. Also, a tradition holds that the islands were colonized by Rhodes after the Trojan War.

Demographics

Roman Catholicism is by far the largest religion in the Balearic Islands. In 2012, the proportion of Balearic residents who identify as Roman Catholic was 68.7%. Xueta Christianity is a syncretic religion on the island of Mallorca, Spain, followed by the Xueta people, who are supposedly descendants of persecuted Jews who were converts to Christianity.

Economy

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the autonomous community was 32.5 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 2.7% of Spanish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 29,700 euros or 98% of the EU27 average in the same year.

The real estate market in Mallorca, which accounts for the majority of property transactions in the Balearic Islands, has shown long-term resilience through major global economic shocks. This stability is driven largely by sustained international demand, cash-rich buyers, and limited housing supply.

Geography

Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands are geologically an extension of the fold mountains of the Betic Cordillera of Andalusia. They consist primarily of sediments deposited in the Tethys Sea during the Mesozoic era. These marine deposits have given rise to calcareous rocks which are often fossiliferous. The folding of the Betic Cordillera and Mallorcan ranges resulted from subduction of the African Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate with eventual collision. Tectonic movements led to different elevation and lowering zones in the late Tertiary, which is why the connection to the mainland has been severed at the current sea level.

The limestones, which predominate throughout Mallorca, are readily water-soluble, and have given rise to extensive areas of karst.

History

The Phoenicians, a seafaring people from the Levant, arrived around the eighth century BC and established numerous colonies. The island eventually came under the control of Carthage in North Africa, which had become the principal Phoenician city. After the Second Punic War, Carthage lost all of its overseas possessions and the Romans took over.

The island was occupied by the Romans in 123 BC under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus. It flourished under Roman rule, during which time the towns of Pollentia (Alcúdia), and Palmaria (Palma) were founded. In addition, the northern town of Bocchoris, dating back to pre-Roman times, was a federated city to Rome. The local economy was largely driven by olive cultivation, viticulture, and salt mining.

Climate

Mallorca has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), with mild and relatively wet winters and hot, bright, dry summers. Precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana is markedly higher. Summers are hot in the plains, and winters are mild, getting colder and wetter in the Tramuntana range, where brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual, especially in the Puig Major. The two wettest months in Mallorca are October and November. Storms and heavy rain are not uncommon during the autumn.

Economy

Since the 1950s, Mallorca has become a major tourist destination, and the tourism business has become the main source of revenue for the island.

The island's popularity as a tourist destination has steadily grown since the 1950s, with many artists and academics choosing to visit and live on the island. The number of visitors to Mallorca continued to increase with holiday makers in the 1970s approaching 3 million a year. In 2010 over 6 million visitors came to Mallorca. In 2013, Mallorca was visited by nearly 9.5 million tourists, and the Balearic Islands as a whole reached 13 million tourists. In 2017, ten million tourists visited the island. The rapid growth of the tourism industry has led to some locals protesting the effects of mass tourism on the island.

Geography

The oldest mountain ranges in Tenerife rose from the Atlantic Ocean through volcanic eruptions, which gave birth to the island around 12 million years ago. The island as it is today was formed three million years ago by the fusion of three islands made up of the mountain ranges of Anaga, Teno and Valle de San Lorenzo, due to volcanic activity from Teide. The volcano is visible from most parts of the island today, and the crater is 17 kilometres (11 miles) long at some points. Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary Islands and the Macaronesia region.

Tenerife has a generally warm, dry climate shaped by the Atlantic Ocean, trade winds, and the island's mountainous landscape.

History

Tenerife was the last of the Canary Islands to be incorporated into the Crown of Castile and the one that took the longest to conquer. Castilian efforts to gain control of the island began in 1464, when Diego García de Herrera, Lord of the Canary Islands, claimed Tenerife for the Crown and reached agreements with several Guanche leaders, although relations later broke down.

In December 1493, the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, granted Alonso Fernández de Lugo the right to conquer the island. He landed in 1494 and fought a campaign against the Guanche kingdoms that included a Guanche victory at the First Battle of Acentejo and a Castilian victory at the Second Battle of Acentejo.

Geology

Tenerife is a rugged volcanic island, sculpted by successive eruptions throughout its history. There are four historically recorded volcanic eruptions, none of which have resulted in casualties. The first occurred in 1704, when the Arafo, Fasnia, and Siete Fuentes volcanoes erupted simultaneously. Two years later, in 1706, the greatest eruption occurred at Trevejo. This volcano produced great quantities of lava, which buried the city and port of Garachico. The last eruption of the 18th century happened in 1798 at Cañadas de Teide, in Chahorra. The most recent eruption – in 1909 – formed the Chinyero cinder cone in the municipality of Santiago del Teide.

The island is located between 28° and 29° N and the 16° and 17° W meridian.

Demographics

According to INE data, Tenerife had an officially estimated population of 974,003 inhabitants as of 1 January 2026, making it the most populous of the Canary Islands and the most populous island of Spain. Approximately 22.0 percent of the population lived in the island capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, while about 40 percent lived in the metropolitan area centred on Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Together with the neighbouring municipalities of Tegueste and El Rosario, these communities formed a continuous urban area with 581,947 inhabitants, representing about 60 percent of the island's residents.

Geography

The elongated island is 100 km (62 mi) long and 31 km (19 mi) wide. It has an area of 1,660 km2 (641 sq mi).

Located just 100 km (62 mi) off the coast of North Africa, it is the second biggest of the islands, after Tenerife, and has the longest white sand beaches in the archipelago. The island is a destination for sun, beach and watersports enthusiasts. It lies at the same latitude as Florida and Mexico and temperatures rarely fall below 18 °C (64 °F) or rise above 32 °C (90 °F). It counts 152 separate beaches along its seaboard, approximately 77 km (48 mi)— 50 km (31 mi) of which are white sand and 25 km (16 mi) of which are black volcanic shingle.

The highest point in Fuerteventura is Pico de la Zarza, standing at 2,648 feet (807 m) in the southwestern part of the island.

History

The first settlers of Fuerteventura are believed to have come from North Africa. The word Mahorero (Majorero) or Maho is still used today to describe the people of Fuerteventura and is derived from the Guanche word maho, a type of goatskin shoe worn by these original inhabitants. They lived in caves and semi-subterranean dwellings, some of which have been excavated, revealing remnants of early tools and pottery.

Phoenician settlers may have landed in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote; however, there is no unambiguous evidence for this.

At the time of the Iberian conquest, the island was divided into two Guanche kingdoms, one ruled by King Guize and the other by King Ayoze. The territories of these kingdoms were called Maxorata (in the north) and Jandía (in the south) respectively.

Demographics

The island had a population of 118,574 in 2018, 124,152 at the start of 2023, 127,043 in 2024, 129,451 in 2025 and 130,977 in 2026. It is the third most populated island in its province and the fourth in the archipelago, after Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

Throughout its long history, Fuerteventura has suffered from a population decline due to the economic situation and the climate, which have made it into a desert island. However, the development of tourism during the 1980s has caused the population to grow year on year since then, doubling it in a little less than a decade.

Comparing this data with the 2001 census shows that the number of permanent residents born on the island has increased by just 3,000.

Economy

During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were the main exporters of wheat and cereals to the central islands of the archipelago: Tenerife and Gran Canaria. However, this trade was of little benefit to the inhabitants of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, because the landowners of the islands profited from this activity. As such, periods of famine lead to some of the population of the islands moving to Tenerife and Gran Canaria to try to improve their lives.

Geography

Gran Canaria is located in the Canary Islands archipelago southeast of Tenerife and west of Fuerteventura. The island is of volcanic origin, mostly made of fissure vents. It has a round shape, with a diameter of approximately 50 km (31 mi) and a surface area of 1,560 km2 (600 sq mi). Gran Canaria's maximum elevation is 1,956 metres (6,417 ft) at Morro de la Agujereada, although the nearby Pico de las Nieves has traditionally been considered the island's tallest peak. The coastline measures 236 km.

About 80% of the volume of the island was formed during the Miocene period eruptions, between 14 and 9 million years ago. This is called the "Old Cycle" and is estimated to have lasted some 200,000 years and have emitted about 1,000 km3 (240 cu mi), mostly of fissural alkali basalt.

History

In antiquity, Gran Canaria was populated by the North African Canarii, who may have arrived as early as 500 BC.

In the medieval period, after over a century of European incursions and attempts at conquest, the island was conquered on 29 April 1483, by the Crown of Castile, under Queen Isabella I. The Canarian queen Abenchara was captured and imprisoned by the Spanish during the conquest. The conquest succeeded after a war that lasted five years, and it was an important step towards the expansion of the unified Spain.

The capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was founded on 24 June 1478, under the name "Real de Las Palmas", by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army.

Tourism

This island is called a "miniature continent" due to the different climates and variety of landscapes found, with long beaches and dunes of white sand, contrasting with green ravines and picturesque villages. A third of the island is under protection as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

The number of annual visitors was 3.6 million in 2014 (of which 450.000 Spaniards). It is the second island in the archipelago in number of annual tourists, after Tenerife. Most of the tourists visit the southern part of the island. The north tends to be cooler, while the south is warmer and sunny. The east coast of the island is flat, dotted with beaches, while the western coast is rockier and mountainous.

Geography

Lanzarote is located 125 kilometres (80 miles) north-west of Africa, 11 km (7 mi) north-east of Fuerteventura and just over 1 km (5⁄8 mi) from La Graciosa. The dimensions of the island are 60 km (37 mi) from north to south and 25 km (16 mi) from west to east. Lanzarote has 213 kilometres (132 miles) of coastline, of which 10 km (6 mi) are sand, 16.5 km (10+1⁄4 mi) are beach, and the remainder is rocky. Its landscape includes the mountain ranges of Famara (671 metres or 2,201 feet) in the north and Ajaches (608 metres or 1,995 feet) to the south. South of the Famara massif is the El Jable desert, which separates Famara and Montañas del Fuego. The highest peak is Peñas del Chache, rising to 670 metres (2,200 feet) above sea level.

History

Lanzarote is believed to have been the first Canary Island to be settled. The Phoenicians may have visited or settled there, though no material evidence survives. The first known record came from Roman author Pliny the Elder in the encyclopaedia Naturalis Historia on an expedition to the Canary Islands. The names of the islands (then called Insulae Fortunatae or the "Fortunate Isles") were recorded as Junonia (Fuerteventura), Canaria (Gran Canaria), Ninguaria (Tenerife), Junonia Major (La Palma), Pluvialia (El Hierro), and Capraria (La Gomera). Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the two easternmost Canary Islands, were only mentioned as the archipelago of the "purple islands". The Roman poet Lucan and the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy gave their precise locations.

Geology

Lanzarote is the northernmost and easternmost island of the main Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as product of the Canary hotspot. The island, along with others, emerged after the breakup of the African and the American continental plates. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736. The eruption period started outside the Timanfaya National Park area, at Caldera de Los Cuervos volcano on 1 September 1730 and ended with the eruption of Montaña Colorada volcano, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) north-east of El Cuervo, which has ceased the activity on 16 April 1736.

Demographics

As of 2024, 163230 people live on Lanzarote, an increase of 4.6% from the previous year (156112). The seat of the island government (Cabildo insular) is in the capital, Arrecife, which has a population of 68025 in 2024. According to the 2024 census, the majority of the inhabitants are Spanish (76.1%) with a sizeable number of residents of other nationalities, notably Colombians (4.4%), Britons (3.8%), Italians (2.6%), Moroccans (2.4%) and Germans (1.4%).

History

At the time of European colonization, the Canary Islands were inhabited by native Canarians, referred to collectively as Guanches, although the natives of La Palma are more correctly known as Auaritas (See Canary Islands in pre-colonial times). The origin of these natives is unclear but they are believed to share common ancestry with the Berbers of North Africa. The Guanches had a Neolithic culture divided into several clans led by chiefs. Their name for La Palma was Benahoare. The main remnants of this culture are their cave dwellings, enigmatic petroglyphs and paved stone paths through the mountains. After the Spanish occupation of La Palma, the native Canarians vanished by either being killed, sold into slavery or by assimilating into the Spanish population.

Origins and geology

La Palma, like the other islands of the Canary Islands archipelago, is a volcanic ocean island. The volcano rises almost 7 km (4 mi) above the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. There is road access from sea level to the summit at 2,426 m (7,959 ft), which is marked by an outcrop of rocks called Roque de Los Muchachos ("Rock of the Young Men"). This is the site of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, one of the world's premier astronomical observatories.

La Palma's geography is a result of the volcanic formation of the island. The highest peaks reach over 2,400 m (7,874 ft) above sea level, and the base of the island is located almost 4,000 m (13,123 ft) below sea level.

Climate

La Palma is characterized by two main climate types: the warm/hot summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb/Csa), characterized by dry summers and humid winters, is prevalent in the northern coast and in the mid to high altitudes of the island. At lower altitudes, particularly at the south and southwest coasts, the climate becomes semi-arid (Köppen: BSh). Average temperatures at the coast vary from 18 °C (64 °F) in January and February to 24 °C (75 °F) in August and September. For a Canary island, the weather is quite cloudy, as La Palma is far more exposed to marine air systems than easterly islands, caused by the Canary Current.

Economy

The local economy is primarily based on agriculture and tourism. Bananas are grown throughout the island with many banana farms on the western side of the island in Los Llanos de Aridane. Following the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption, studies have shown the volcanic activity did not significantly contaminate banana crops on the island. Other crops include bird of paradise flowers, oranges, avocados and grapes. Local ranchers raise cattle, sheep and goats. Fishermen operating from Santa Cruz de La Palma, Tazacorte, and Puerto Naos catch fish for the local markets.

History

The island is known for its collection of megalithic stone monuments: navetes, taules and talaiots, which indicate very early prehistoric human activity. Some of the earliest culture on Menorca was influenced by other Mediterranean cultures, including the Greek Minoans of ancient Crete (see also Gymnesian Islands). For example, the use of inverted plastered timber columns at Knossos is thought to have influenced early peoples of Menorca in imitating this practice.

The end of the Punic Wars saw an increase in piracy in the western Mediterranean. The Roman occupation of Hispania had meant a growth of maritime trade between the Iberian and Italian peninsulas.

Climate

As the major part of Balearic Islands, Menorca has a mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), with mild winters and hot summers. Menorca is generally wetter than Mallorca, with rainfall peaking in late autumn. Average annual highs range between 14 °C (57 °F) in winter to 29 °C (84 °F) in summer. Due to its offshore position and the small size of the island, temperatures are generally quite stable.

Geography

Ibiza is a rock island covering an area of 572.56 square kilometres (221.07 sq mi), almost one-sixth the size of Mallorca, but over five times larger than Mykonos in the Greek Isles, or 10 times larger than Manhattan in New York City.

Ibiza is the larger of a group of the western Balearic archipelago called the Pityusic Islands (Pitiusas) or "Pine Islands" composed of itself and Formentera. The Balearic island chain includes over 50 islands, many of which are uninhabited. The highest point of the island is Sa Talaiassa, also known as Sa Talaia or Sa Talaia de Sant Josep at 475 metres (1,558 ft).

History

In 654 BC, Phoenician settlers founded a port on Ibiza. With the decline of Phoenicia after the Assyrian invasions, Ibiza came under the control of Carthage, also a former Phoenician colony. The island produced dye, salt, fish sauce (garum) and wool.

A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Cuieram, and the rest of the Balearic Islands entered Eivissa's commercial orbit after 400 BC. Ibiza was a major trading post along the Mediterranean routes. Ibiza began establishing its own trading stations along the nearby Balearic island of Mallorca (Majorca), such as Na Guardis, and Na Galera where numerous Balearic mercenaries were hired on, no doubt as slingers, to fight for Carthage.

Climate

Ibiza has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh). The average annual temperature of Ibiza is 18.3 °C (65 °F), being warm and mild throughout the whole year. Ibiza lies at the same latitude as Atlantic City, yet it is much warmer for its location in the Mediterranean Basin. The climate of Ibiza is typically warm, sunny and dry, with low variation between highs and lows. The sunshine hours of Ibiza are 2700–2800 per year, while the yearly rain amount ranges from 400 to 450 millimetres (16 to 18 in). The average high temperature is 22.3 °C (72 °F), while the average low is 14.2 °C (58 °F). Winters are slightly rainy and mild, from November to April normally the whole island turns green for the seasonal rains.

Demographics

Demographically, Ibiza displays a very peculiar configuration, as census agencies diverge on exact figures. According to the 2001 national census, Ibiza had 88,076 inhabitants (against 76,000 in 1991, 64,000 in 1981, 45,000 in 1971, and 38,000 in 1961). However, by the 2011 national census, this had grown to 133,594, and at the Census of 2021 had reached 154,186. This rapid growth stems from the amnesty which incorporated a number of unregistered foreign migrants.

Geography, flora and fauna

El Hierro's size and geography supports entirely endemic species including the critically endangered El Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi), for which there is a captive breeding programme, allowing its reintroduction.

The non-barren parts of the interior rely on relief precipitation, not much more than the average of 19 rainfall days per year, high relative humidity and geothermal springs. These non-arid parts have thermophilous (geothermal heat-liking) juniper clumps and a pine forest with other evergreens.

In 2000, El Hierro was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, with 60% of its territory protected to preserve its natural and cultural diversity. Among cetaceans in these waters, it is notable that several species of lesser known beaked whales inhabit around the island.

History

The ancient natives of the island, called Bimbaches, were subjected to Spanish rule by Jean de Béthencourt (d.1425) – more by the process of negotiation than by military action. Béthencourt had as his ally and negotiator Augeron, brother of the island's native monarch. Augeron had been captured years before by the Europeans and now served as mediator between the Europeans and the Guanches. In return for control over the island, Béthencourt promised to respect the liberty of the natives, but his son eventually broke his promise, selling many of the bimbaches into slavery. Many Frenchmen and Galicians subsequently settled on the island. There was a revolt of the natives against the harsh treatment of the governor Lázaro Vizcaíno, but it was suppressed.

Tourism and transportation

Like all of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a tourist destination. It is served by a small airport—El Hierro Airport at Valverde—and a ferry terminal at Puerto de la Estaca, both of which connect to Tenerife. Though El Hierro has a Parador, hotel accommodations are generally in small family enterprises; as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, El Hierro has limited construction to less than half of its total surface and buildings to two floors, maintaining its traditional look and social structure more than the other six major Canary Islands.