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Tenerife, a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Tenerife has an area of 2034.38 square kilometers, and 886,033 inhabitants, which make it the most populated island of the Canary Islands and Spain.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island and the head of the island government (cabildo insular). It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands after Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and is capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands alongside that city, sharing governmental institutions such as Presidency, Parliament and ministries.
The island is home to La Laguna University, which was founded in 1792.
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Encyclopedia
Tenerife, a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Tenerife has an area of 2034.38 square kilometers, and 886,033 inhabitants, which make it the most populated island of the Canary Islands and Spain.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island and the head of the island government (cabildo insular). It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands after Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and is capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands alongside that city, sharing governmental institutions such as Presidency, Parliament and ministries.
The island is home to La Laguna University, which was founded in 1792. La Laguna (World Heritage Site) is the second city of the island and the third one of the archipelago. El Teide is also a World Heritage Site.
Toponymy
There are a diversity of names that distinct cultures have attributed to Tenerife in its long history.
For example, the first inhabitants on the island, the guanches, referred to the island as Achinet or Chenet, although based on the bibliography that is consulted, the names can acquire different orthographic variations. According to Pliny the Younger, Roman Emperor Juba II sent an expedition to the Canary Islands and Madeira and had had given the Canary Islands its name because he found particularly ferocious dogs (canaria) on the island. Juba II and Ancient Romans referred to Tenerife as Nivaria, deriving from the Latin words nix, nivis, nieve, meaning snow, in clear reference to the snow that is present on the highest point of the island, the Teide volcano. On the other hand, maps dating to the 14th and 15th century, from authors like Bontier and Le Verrier refer to the island as Isla del Infierno, literally meaning Island of Inferno (hell), a reference to the rate of of volcanic activity and eruptions of Mt Teide in its history. Finally, Teide is also responsible for the name of the island widely used today, named by the benehaorits (natives of La Palma) derived from the words Tene (mountain) and ife (white). Later, after colonisation, the hispanisation of the name resulted in the adding of a letter "r" uniting both words to obtain the name Tenerife as a result.
Demonym
The formal demonym used to refer to the people of Tenerife is tinerfeño/a", also used colloquially is the term "Chicharrero/a". However, in modern society, this is generally only given to inhabitants of the capital, Santa Cruz. The term "chicharrero" was once a derogatory term used by the people of La Laguna, once the capital of the island, in reference to the poor inhabitants and fishermen of Santa Cruz. It was used in reference to the fishermen who would survive by catching poor quality mackerel and the citizens that ate potatoes of a low quality. However, as Santa Cruz grew in commerce and status, replacing La Laguna as capital of Tenerife in the 19th century during the reign of Fernando VII, the inhabitants of Santa Cruz ironically began using the insult to honor the new status of the city at La Laguna's expense.
History
The oldest mountain ranges in Tenerife rose from the Atlantic Ocean by volcanic eruption which gave birth to the island around twelve million years ago. (See origins below) The island as it is today was formed three million years ago by the fusion of three different islands, with the mountain ranges of Anaga, Teno and Valle de San Lorenzo. Volcanic activity from Teide was responsible for this movement and the islands became one, Tenerife. The volcano is visible from most parts of the island today, and the crater is 17 km long at some points. The earliest known settlement in the islands date to around 200 BC, by a tribe known as the Guanche. They were characteristically tall, powerfully built Scandinavian-looking people with blue eyes and long, fair hair. They were an uncivilised people, even by Stone Age comparison and dressed in animal hides and lived in caves on the island. According to legend, many islands in the chain, among them Tenerife, were believed to be the uppermost peaks of Atlantis, which catastrophically sank under the ocean leaving only the highest mountains above sea level.
Territorial organization before the conquest
About one hundred years before the conquest, the title of mencey was given to the monarch or king of the Guanches of Tenerife, who governed a menceyato or territory. This role was later referred to as a "captainship" by the conquerors. Tinerfe el Grande, son of the mencey Sunta governed the island from Adeje in the south. However, upon his death, his nine children rebelled and argued bitterly about how to divide the island. Two independent achimenceyatos were created on the island, and the island was divided into 9 menceyatos, with the menceyes within them forming what would be similar to municipalities today. The menceyatos and their menceyes (ordered by the descendants of Tinerfe who ruled them) were the following:
- Taoro: Menceyes: Bentinerfe, Inmobach, Bencomo and Bentor. Today this territory is made up of Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, La Victoria de Acentejo, La Matanza de Acentejo, Los Realejosand Santa Úrsula.
- Güímar: Menceyes: Acaymo, Añaterve y Guetón. Today this territory is made up of El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo and Güímar
- Abona: Menceyes: Atguaxoña and Adxoña (Adjona). Today this territory is made up of Fasnia, Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel de Abona and Arona.
- Anaga: Menceyes: Beneharo and Beneharo II. Today this territory is made up of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
- Tegueste:Menceyes: Tegueste, Tegueste II y Teguaco. Today this territory is made up of Tegueste, part of the coastal zone of La Laguna.
- Tacoronte: Menceyes: Rumén and Acaymo. Today this territory is made up of Tacoronte and El Sauzal
- Icode: Menceyes: Chincanayro and Pelicar. Today this territory is made up of San Juan de la Rambla, La Guancha, Garachico and Icod de los Vinos.
- Daute: Menceyes: Cocanaymo and Romén. Today this territory is made up of El Tanque, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte and Santiago del Teide.
- Adeje: Menceyes: Atbitocazpe, Pelinor, and Ichasagua. Today this territory is made up of Guía de Isora, Adeje and Vilaflor
There was also the achimenceyato of Punta del Hidalgo, governed by Aguahuco, a "poor noble" who was an illegitimate son of Tinerfe and Zebenzui.
Spanish conquest
Tenerife at the time of its conquest by Spain was composed of nine distinct menceyatos, as the small kingdoms of the Guanches were known. Though the Spanish forces under the Adelantado ("military governor") Alonso Fernández de Lugo, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Guanches in the First Battle of Acentejo in 1494, the Guanches, eventually overcome by superior technology and diseases to which they were not immune, surrendered to the Crown of Castile on December 25, 1495.
In December of 1493, Alonso Fernández de Lugo obtained from the king the confirmation of the right to lead a conquest of the island of Tenerife. In April of 1494, and coming from Gran Canaria, the conqueror landed on the coast of present day Santa Cruz de Tenerife and disembarked with troops which amounted to about 2,000 men on foot and 200 on horseback. After taking the fort, the army prepared to move towards the interior of the island, later capturing the native kings of Tenerife and presenting them to Ferdinand and Isabella.
It is important to show that the menceyes of Tenerife took diverse positions during the conquest. They divided themselves into the side of peace and the side of war , with the first including the menceyatos of Anaga, Güímar, Abona and Adeje, and the second group with the Tegueste, Tacoronte, Taoro, Icoden and Daute. The opposing group tenaciously fought the conquerors delaying the conquest of the island for two years. The Castilian troops were defeated by the guanches at the First Battle of Acentejo in 1494. The guanches nonetheless, were bested by technology and the new diseases to which they were not immune, and ultimately fell before the troops of the Crown of Castile at the Battle of Aguere and the Second Battle of Acentejo ending the conquest in September 1496.
As in the rest of the islands, many of the natives were turned into slaves, especially those belonging to the group of war, while a good part of the native population succumbed to imported diseases such as the flu and probably smallpox, infectious diseases which the primitive society, due to its isolation had not been immune to. After the conquest, and especially in the following century here was a mass movement of colonization and re-population with the arrival of immigrants from the diverse territories of the growing Spanish Empire, (Portugal, Flanders, Italy, Germany).
Tenerife's forests were gradually affected by population growth and the need to clear land for agriculture for local consumption and for export. This was the case with the introduction of sugar cane at the beginning of the 16th century while in the following centuries, the island's economy was centered on the use of other crops such as wine grapes and plantains.
Slavery and plantations
As on the other islands of the same group, much of the native population of Tenerife was enslaved or succumbed to diseases at the same time as immigrants from various places in Europe associated with the Spanish Empire (Portugal, Flanders, Italy, Germany) settled on the island. Native pine forests on the island were cleared to make way for the cultivation of sugarcane in the 1520s; in succeeding centuries, the island’s economy was centered around the cultivation of other commodities such as wine and cochineal for making dyes, as well as bananas.
Emigration to the Americas
Tenerife, as is with the other islands, has maintained a close relationship with South America. From the start of the colonization of the New World, many expeditions stopped at the island on their way to the Americas, and added to their crews with many tinerfeños which formed an integral part of the conquest expeditions or simply left in search of future betterment. It is also important to note the exchange in plant and animal species that made those voyages.
After a century and a half of relative growth, around the year 1670 the complex foreign commerce of the grape growing sector, there is an extended emigration of families especially towards Venezuela and Cuba. Also by these times there was a new interest on the part of the Crown of populating those empty zones in the Americas to preempt the occupation by foreign forces as it had happened with the English in Jamaica or the French in the Guianas or the western Hispaniola, so many groups of canary islanders including many tinerfeños left for the New World. The growing new crops of the Americas, such as cacao in Venezuela and tobacco in Cuba, by the end of the 17th Century, contributed to the population exodus from towns such as Buenavista del Norte, Vilaflor or El Sauzal. Witness to the emigration history of the island is the foundation in the outskirts of Santo Domingo of the village of San Carlos de Tenerife in 1684. This village founded by tinerfeños was created with a clear strategic purpose as it permitted the protection of the town from the French established in the western side of Hispaniola. Between 1720 and 1730 the Crown moved 176 canary families, including many tinerfeños to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. In 1726, about 25 island families migrated to the Americas to collaborate on the foundation of Montevideo. Four years later, in 1730, another group left which would found the following year the city of San Antonio in Texas. Later, between 1777 and 1783, the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife sent a new group to ultimately help in the foundation of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and also some groups went to Florida.
Emigration to the Americas continued during the 19th and beginnings of the 20th century due to economic problems, lack of raw materials, and the long distance to Europe. Migration in these times went primarily to Cuba and Venezuela. In the last few decades, with newer island protectionist economic laws and the resurgence of the tourism industry, the migration flows have reversed, and today Tenerife receives an influx of people, including the return of many descendants of the islanders, many of whom had left five centuries earlier.
British invasion
Throughout its history, Tenerife has been attacked by many pirates of various nationalities (French, English, Dutch and Barbarians) and at various times as been subject to attacks and wars with Spain.
The First Fleet, led by British Captain Arthur Phillip, stopped at Tenerife on June 3, 1787 for fresh water, vegetables and meat. It would then continue on to Botany Bay, where it would create the first European settlement in Australia on January 26, 1788. Amongst the most notable however, is the British invasion of Tenerife in 1797.
On July 25 1797, Admiral Horatio Nelson launched an attack at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island. After a ferocious fight which led to many casualties, a defense was organised by General Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero to repel the invaders. Nelson lost his right arm from canon fire, widely believed in legend to have been the cannon Tiger as he was trying to disembark on the Paso Alto coast.
On September 5, another attempt was made in the Puerto Santiago region and was repelled by the inhabitants of Santiago del Teide, who threw rocks at the British from the heights of the Cliffs of the Giants .
The island was also attacked by numerous other men, mostly English including Robert Blake, Walter Raleigh, John Hawkins, Woodes Rogers, amongst others.
Modern history
Less hostile visitors arrived at the island in succeeding centuries. The naturalist Alexander von Humboldt ascended the peak of Mount Teide and remarked on the beauty of the island. Tourists began visiting Tenerife in large numbers in the 1890s, especially the northern towns of Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. y Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Before his rise to power, Francisco Franco was posted to Tenerife in March 1936 by a Republican government wary of his influence and political leanings. However, Franco received information and in Grand Canary agreed to collaborate in the military coup that would result in the Spanish Civil War; the Canaries fell to the Nationalists in July 1936 and its population was subject to the mass executions of opponents to the new regime. In the 1950s, the misery of the post-war years caused thousands of the island’s inhabitants to emigrate to Cuba and other parts of Latin America.
The Tenerife disaster, the airliner collision that took place on March 27, 1977 at Los Rodeos airport in the north of the island, was the deadliest aircraft disaster.
Volcanic history
The volcanic eruptions in Tenerife which are recounted in history are limited to the last four. The first occurred in 1704, when the Arafo, Fasnia and Siete Fuentes volcanoes erupted simultaneously. Two years later, in 1706, the greatest eruption known in the island happen at Trevejo. This volcano produced great quantities of lava which buried the city and port of Garachico, in those days one of the most important cities in the island. The last eruption of the 18th century happened in 1798 at Cañadas de Teide, in Chahorra. Finally, in 1909 the Chinyero volcano, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, erupted. There have not been any eruptions since. Interestingly, even though the island is volcanic by nature, the four known episodes did not produce any fatalities.
Geography
Tenerife is a rugged and volcanic island sculpted by successive eruptions throughout its history (the most recent was at Chinyero in 1909).
The island is located between the 28º and 29º N parallel and the 16º and 17º meridian. It is situated slightly to the north of the Tropic of Cancer, occupying a central position between the other Canary Islands of Gran Canaria, La Gomera and La Palma. The island is located a little more than from the African continent, and approximately from the Iberian Peninsula. Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary Islands archipelago, with a surface area of and the longest coastline amounting to .
In addition, the highest point, Mount Teide, with an elevation of above sea level is the highest point in all of Spain. It comprises about 200 small barren islands or large rocks including Roques de Anaga, Roque de Garachico, and Fasnia adding a further to the total area.
Origins and geological formation
Tenerife is an island created volcanically, whose formation started to develop itself in the ocean bottom 20-50 million years ago.
According to the most current accepted theory by the scientific community (known as the Theory of Plate Tectonics), the ascent of magma originating from the terrestrial mantle is produced from the effects of tectonic activity from faults or fractures that exist at the oceanic plate. These fractures lie along the structural axes of the island itself, forming themselves from the Alpine orogeny during the Tertiary Period due to the movements of the African plate.
Underwater fissural eruptions originated from the pillow lava, which are produced by the rapid cooling of the magma when it comes in contact with water, obtaining their peculiar shape. This pillow-lava accumulated, constructing the base of the island underneath the sea. As this accumulation approached the surface of the water, gases erupted from the magma due to the reduction of the surrounding pressure. The volcanic eruptions became more violent and had a more explosive character, and resulted in the forming of peculiar geological fragments.
After long-term accumulation of these fragments, the birth of the island occurred at the end of the Miocene Epoch. The zones on Tenerife known as Macizo de Teno, Macizo de Anaga and Macizo de Adeje were formed 7,000,000 years ago; these formations are called the Ancient Basaltic Series (Serie Basáltica Antigua) or Series I (Serie I). These zones were actually three separate islands lying in what is now the extreme west, east, and south of Tenerife.
A second volcanic cycle began 3,000,000 years ago called the Post-Miocene Formations or Latest Series II, III, IV (Formaciones Postmiocenas o Series Recientes II, III y IV). This was a much more intense volcanic cycle, which united the Macizo de Teno, Macizo de Anaga and Macizo de Adeje into one island. This new structure, called the Pre-Cañadas Structure (Edificio pre-Cañadas), would be the foundation for what is called the Cañadas Structure I (Edificio Cañadas I). The Cañadas Structure I experienced various collapses and emitted a great variety of explosive material that gave rise to the area known as Bandas del sur (in the present-day south-southeast of Tenerife).
Subsequently, upon the ruins of Cañadas Structure I emerged Cañadas Structure II (Edificio Cañadas II), which was 2,500 meters above sea level, and emerged with intense explosive activity.
About 1,000,000 years ago, the Dorsal Range (Cordillera Dorsal) emerged by means of fissural volcanic activity occurring amidst the remains of the Ancient Basaltic Series (Serie Basáltica Antigua) or Series I (Serie I). This Dorsal Range emerged as the highest and the longest volcanic structure in the Canary Islands; it was 1,600 meters high and 25 kilometers long.
About 800,000 years ago, two gravitational landslides occurred, giving rise to the present day valleys of La Orotava and Güímar.
Finally, in more recent times (approx. 200,000 years), eruptions started that raised the Pico Viejo-Teide area in the centre of the island, over the Las Cañadas caldera.
Orography and landscape
The uneven and steep orography of the island and its variety of climates has resulted in a diversity of landscapes and geographical and geological formations, from the Parque Nacional del Teide with its extensive pine forests, juxtaposed against the volcanic landscape at the summit of Teide and Malpaís de Güímar, to the Acantilados de Los Gigantes (Cliffs of the Giants) with its vertical precipices. Semidesert areas exist in the south with plants resistant to the dryness and Tenerife counts many natural beaches such as the one at El Médano. Other areas range from those protected and enclosed in mountains such as Montaña Roja and Montaña Pelada, the valleys and forests with a tropical and subtropical vegetation and climate, to those with deep gorges and precipices such as at Anaga and Teno.
Central heights
The principal structures in Tenerife, make the central highlands, with the Teide-Pico Viejo complex and the Las Cañadas areas as most prominent. It comprises a semi-caldera of about in area, originated by several geological processes explained under the Origin and formation section. The area is partially occupied by the Teide-Pico Viejo strato-volcano and completed by the materials emitted in the different eruptions that took place. A known formation called Los Azulejos, composed by green-tinted rocks were created by hydrothermal processes.
South of La Caldera is Guajara Mountain, which has an elevation of 2718 meters, rising above Las Cañadas del Teide. At the bottom, is an endorheic basin flanked with very fine sedimentary material which has been deposited from its volcanic processes, and is known as Llano de Ucanca.
The peak of Teide, at 3718 meters above sea level and more than 7,000 metres above the ocean floor, is the highest point of the island, Spanish territory and in the Atlantic Ocean. The volcano is the third largest on the planet, and its central location, substantial size, looming silhouette in the distance and its snowy landscape give it a unique personality. The original settlers considered Teide a god and Teide was a place of worship.
In 1954, the Teide and the whole area around it, although there was later a further expansion of its territory, was declared a national park. In addition, since June 2007 it is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage sites as a natural asset. To the west lies the volcano Pico Viejo (Old Peak). On one side of it, is the volcano Chahorra o Narices del Teide, where the last eruption occurred in the vicinity of Mount Teide in 1798.
The Teide is one of the 16 Decade Volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.
The Anaga massif (Macizo de Anaga), at the northeastern end of the island, has an irregular and rugged topographical profile where, despite its generally modest elevations, the Cruz de Taborno reaches a height of 1,024 meters. Due to the age of its material (5.7 million years), its deep erosive processes, and the dense network of dikes piercing the massif, its surface exposes numerous outcroppings of both phonolitic and trachytic origin. A large number of steep-walled gorges are present, penetrating deeply into the terrain. Vertical cuts dominate the Anagan coast, with infrequent beaches of rocks or black sand between them; the few that exist generally coincide with the mouths of gorges.
The Teno massif (Macizo de Teno) is located on the northwestern edge of the island. Like Anaga, it includes an area of outcroppings and deep gorges formed by erosion. However, the materials here are older (about 7.4 million years old). Mount Gala represents its highest elevation at 1342 meters. The most unusual landscape of this massif is found on its southern coast, where the Acantilados de Los Gigantes ("Cliffs of the Giants") present vertical walls reaching heights of 500 meters in some places.
The Adeje massif (Macizo de Adeje) is situated on the southern tip of the island. Its main landmark is the Roque del Conde ("Count's Rock"), with an elevation of 1001 meters. This massif is not as impressive as the others due to its diminished initial structure, since in addition to with the site's greater geologic age it has experienced severe erosion of its material, thereby losing its original appearance and extent.
Dorsales
The Dorsal mountain range or Dorsal of Pedro Gil covers the area from the start at Mount La Esperanza, at a height of about , to the center of the island, near the Caldera de Las Cañadas, with Izaña, as its highest point at (MSLP). These mountains have been created due to basaltic fisural volcanism through one of the axis that gave birth to the vulcanism of this area.
The Abeque dorsal was formed by a chain of volcanoes that join the Teno with the central insular peak of Teide-Pico Viejo starting from another of the three axis of Tenerife's geological structures. On this dorsal we find the historic volcano of Chinyero whose last eruption happened in 1909.
The South dorsal or Dorsal of Adeje is part of the last of the structural axis. The remains of this massive rock show the primordial land, also showing the alignment of small volcanic cones and rocks around this are in Tenerife's South.
Valleys
Valleys are another of the island's features. The most important are Valle de La Orotava and Valle de Güímar, both formed by the mass sliding of great quantities of material towards the sea, creating a depression of the land.
There are other valleys distributed along the geography of Tenerife, but of a different nature. They tend to be valleys in between hills formed by deposits of more quantities of geological material on the side hills, or simply wide ravines which in their evolution have become typical valleys.
Ravines
Tenerife, mainly due to its high altitude, has a large number of ravines and are one of the most characteristic elements of the landscape, caused by erosion from surface runoff throughout the islands history. Notable ravines include Ruiz, Fasnia and Güímar, Infierno, and Erques, all of which have been designated protected natural areas by Canarian institutions..
Coastline
The coasts of Tenerife are typically rugged and steep, particularly on the north of the island than in the south. However, the island has 67.14 kilometers of beaches, surpassed only in this respect by the island of Fuerteventura.On the northern coast are frequent pebble beaches with black sand, while on the south and south-west coast of the island, the beaches are typically much finer and clearer with lighter tones and quality of sand.
Climate
Tenerife is known internationally as the "Island of Eternal Spring" (Isla de la Eterna Primavera).
The island, being on a latitude of the Sahara Desert, enjoys a warm, all year round climate with an average of 22° - 24°C in the winter and 26° - 28°C in the summer and sunshine all year round. On Tenerife, there are no periods annually even during the winter months of cold, but neither are there periods during the summer of unbearable heat as there are in some of the Greek islands of the Mediterranean. The moderate climate of Tenerife is controlled to a great extent by the tradewinds, whose humidity, principally, is condensed over the north and northeast of the island, creating cloud banks that range between 600 and 1,800 meters in height. The cold sea currents of the Canary Islands, also have a cooling effect on the coasts and its beaches and the topography of the landscape plays a role in climatic differences on the island with its many valleys.
The average temperatures, however, can fluctuate between 17-18ºC and 24-25ºC in the winter season. Evidently there are climatic contrasts which do occur on the island, particularly during the winter months when it is possible to enjoy the warm sunshine on the coast and experience snow within just miles, 3000 metres above sea level on Teide.
There is also a contrast in climate between different parts of the island at a lower altitude, even in close proximity, notably between the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Santa Cruz generally experiences a warm climate throughout the year with temperatures noticeably greater than at the bordering La Laguna, where frequently it is colder with a greater chance of rainfall.
The north and the south of Tenerife similarly have different climatic characteristics. The windward side of the island receives 73% of all precipitation on the island, and the the relative humidity of the air is superior and the insolation inferior. The pluviometric maximums are registered on the windward side at an average altitude of between 1.000-1.200 ms, almost exclusively in the La Orotava mountain range.However, although climatic differences in rainfall and sunshine on the island exist, overall annual precipitation is very low with some of the summer months often not receiving any days of rainfall. In June and July in particular it is rare to receive any. The wettest season is during the winter, but in December, for instance, an average of five days of rainfall can be expected, and even this is partly attributed to snowfall on Teide.
As an anecdote, it is interesting to note that doctors from northern Europe, mainly English and Dutch, have over the last few centuries, praised the climate of the northern Tenerife, and have even recommended patients to temporarily move there from the south to alleviate ailments and to improve circulation.
Water
The volcanic ground of Tenerife, which is of a porous and permeable character is generally the reason why the soil is able to maximise the absorption of water on an island of low rainfall. Also with condensation in forested areas and defrosting on the summit of the island water infiltrates into the subsoil.
Given the irregularity of precipitation and geological conditions on the island, the usual popular methods of water extraction such as the construction of dams have been advised against on the island. As a result, most of the water (90%) comes from wells and from water galleries (Horizontal tunnels bored into the volcano) of which there are thousands on the island, important systems that serve to extract its hydrological resources. These tunnels are very hazardous, with pockets of volcanic gas or CO2, causing rapid death. .
Pollution and air quality
The Canary Islands have low levels of air pollution thanks to the lack of factories and industry and the tradewinds which naturally move away contaminated air from the islands. According to official data offered by the Health and Industry Ministry in Spain, Tenerife is one of cleanest places in the country with an air pollution index that is below the national average. Despite this, there are still agents which affect pollution levels in the island, the main polluting agents being the refinery at Santa Cruz, the thermal power plants at Las Caletillas and Granadilla, and road traffic, increased by the high level of tourism in the island. In addition the island of Tenerife like at La Palma light pollution must be also controlled, to help the astrophysical observatories located in the island's summits.
Water is generally of a very high quality, and all the beaches of the island of Tenerife have been catalogued by the Ministry of Health and Consumption as waters suitable for bathing.
Flora and Fauna
The island of Tenerife has a remarkable ecological diversity in spite of its small surface area, which is a consequence of the special environmental conditions on the island, where its distinct orography modifies the general climatic conditions at a local level, producing a significant variety of microclimates. This vast existence of natural microclimates and, therefore, habitats, means that a rich and diverse flora (1400 species of plants) exists on the island, with well over a hundred entirely endemic to Tenerife.Endemic species include Vipers bugloss, Teide white broom, Teide violet etc. The fauna of the island has many endemic invertebrates and unique reptile, bird and mammal species. The fauna of Tenerife includes some 400 species of fish, 56 birds, 5 reptiles, 2 amphibians, 13 land mammals and several thousand invertebrates, along with several species of marine turtles, whales and dolphins.
The vegetation of Tenerife can be divided into 6 major zones that are directly related to altitude and the direction in which they face.
Lower Xerophylic Zone: 0 - 700m. Xerophylic shrubs that are well adapted to long dry spells, intense sun-shine and strong winds. Many endemic species. Spurges, cactus spurge, wax plants, etc.
Thermophile forest: 200 - 600 m. Transition zone. Moderate temperatures and rainfall. Area deteriorated by human activity. Many endemic species: Juniper, dragon trees, palm trees, etc.
Laurel Forest: 500 - 1000 m. Dense forest of large trees, descendants of the Tertiary Age flora, situated in a zone of frequent rainfall and mists. A wide variety of species with abundant undergrowth of bushes herbaceous plants and ferns. Laurels, holly, ebony, mahogany, etc.
Wax Myrtle: 1000 - 1500 m. A dryer vegetation, poorer in species. It replaces the degraded laurel forest. Of great forestry importance. Wax myrtles, tree heath, holly, etc.
Pine Forest: 800 - 2000 m. Open pine forest, with thin and unvaried undergrowth. Canary Island pine, broom, rock rose, etc.
High mountain: over 2000 m. Dry climate, intense solar radiation and extreme temperatures. Flora well adapted to the conditions.
Protected natural areas
Nearly half of the island territory (48.6%), is under protection from the Red Canaria de Espacios Naturales Protegidos (Canary Islands Network for Naturally Protected Areas). Of the 146 protected sites under control of network in the Canary Islands archipelago, a total of 43 are located in Tenerife, the most protected island in the group. The network has criteria which places areas under its observation under eight different categories of protection, all of them are represented in Tenerife. Aside from Parque Nacional del Teide, it counts the Parque Natural de Canarias (Crown Forest), two rural parks (Anaga and Teno), four integral natural reserves, six special natural reserves, a total of fourteen natural monuments, nine protected landscapes and up to six sites of scientific interest.
Administration
Law and Order
Tenerife island's government resides with the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife located at the Plaza de España at the island's capital city. The political Canary organization does not have a provincial government body but instead each island has its own government at their own Cabildo. Since its creation in March 1913 it has a series of capabilities and duties, stated in the Canary Autonomy Statutes and regulated by Law 14/1990, of 26 July 1990, of the Régimen Jurídico de las Administraciones Públicas de Canarias.
The Cabildo is composed of the following administrative offices; Presidency, Legislative Body, Government Council, Informative Commissions, Spokeman's office.
Municipalities
The island, itself a Spanish province named Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is divided administratively into 31 municipalities.
Only three municipalities are landlocked: Tegueste, El Tanque and Vilaflor. Vilaflor is the municipality with the highest altitude in the Canaries (its capital is 1,400 meters high).
The largest municipality with an area of 207.31 sq km is La Orotava, which covers much of the Teide National Park. The smallest town on the island and of the archipelago is Puerto de la Cruz, with an area smaller than 9 sq. km.
It is also common to find internal division, in that some cities make up a metropolitan area within a municipality, notably the cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna.
Below is an alphabetical list of all the municipalities on the island:
Flags and Heraldry
The Flag of Tenerife was originally adopted in 1845 by the navy at its base in the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Later, and at present, this flag represents all the island of Tenerife. It was approved by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and the Order of the Government of the Canary Islands on the 9th of May of 1989 and published on the 22nd of May in the government report of the Canary Islands and made official.
The coat-of-arms of Tenerife was granted by royal decree on March 23, 1510 by Ferdinand the Catholic at Madrid in the name of Joan I, Queen of Castile. The coat-of-arms has a field of gold, with an image of Saint Michael (the island was conquered on the saint’s feast day) above a mountain depicted in brownish, natural colors. Flames erupt from the mountain, symbolizing El Teide. Below this mountain is depicted the island itself in vert on top of blue and silver waves. To the right there is a castle in gules, and to the left, a lion rampant in gules. The shield that the Cabildo Insular, or Island Government, uses is slightly different from that used by the city government of La Laguna, which utilizes a motto in the arms’ border and also includes some palm branches. The official symbols from nature associated with Tenerife are the bird Blue Chaffinch (Fringilla teydea) and the Canary Islands Dragon Tree tree.
Demographics
According to INE data of 1 January 2007, Tenerife has the largest population of the seven Canary islands with 865,070 registered inhabitants, of whom about 25% (220,902) live in the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and nearly 50% (424,200) in the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz – La Laguna.
After the city of Santa Cruz the major towns and municipalituies are San Cristóbal de La Laguna (144,347), Arona (72,328), La Orotava (40,644), Adeje (38,245), Los Realejos (37,224), Granadilla de Abona (36,224) and Puerto de la Cruz (31,131). All other municipalities have fewer than 30,000 inhabitants, the smallest municipality being Vilaflor with a population of 1,900. In addition to the registered population, there are numerous non-registered residents, primarily tourists.
Recently Tenerife has experienced population growth significantly higher than the national average.In 1990 there were 663,306 registered inhabitants, which increased to 709,365 in 2000, an increase of 46,059 or an annual growth of 0.69%. However, between 2000 and 2007, the population rose by 155,705 to 865,070, an annual increase of 3.14%.
These results reflect the general trend in Spain, where since 2000, immigration has reversed the general slow down in population growth, following the collapse in the birth rate from 1976. However, since 2001 the overall growth rate in Spain has around 1.7% per year, compared with 3.14% on Tenerife, one of the largest increases in the country.
Economy
Even though Tenerife's economy is highly specialized in the service sector, which makes 78% of its total production capacity, the importance of the rest of the economic sectors is key to its production development. In this sense, the primary sector, which only represents 1.98% of the total product, groups activities that are important to the sustainable development of the island's economy. The energy sector which contributes 2.85% has a primary role in the development of renewable energy sources. The industrial sector which shares in 5.80% is a growing activity in the island, vis-a-vis the new posibilities created by technological advances. Finally, the construction sector with 11.29% of the total production has a strategic priority, because it is a sector with relative stability which permits multiple posibilities of development and employment opportunities.
Tourism
Tourism is the most prominent industry in the Canaries, and it is one of the major tourist destinations in the World.
In 2005, 9,276,963 tourists (excluding those from other parts of Spain) came to the Canary Islands. Tenerife had 3,442,787 arrivals that year, excluding the numbers for Spanish tourists which make up an additional 30% of total arrivals. According to last year's Canarian Statistics Centre's (ISTAC) Report on Tourism the greatest number of tourists from any one country come from the United Kingdom, with more than 1,600,000 tourists in 2005. In second place comes Germany followed by Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, France, Austria, Ireland and Switzerland.
Tourism is more prevalent in the south of the island, which is hotter and drier and has many well developed resorts such as Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos. More recently coastal development has spread northwards from Playa de las Americas and now encompasses the former small enclave of La Caleta. After the Moratoria act passed by the Canarian Parliament in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, no more hotels should be built on the island unless they are classified as 5 star-quality and comprise different services such as Golf Courses or Congress facilities. This act was passed with the goal of improving the standard of tourism service and promoting environmentally conscious development.
The area known as Costa Adeje (Las Américas-Los Cristianos) has many world-class facilities and leisure opportunities besides sea and sand, such as quality shopping centres, golf courses, restaurants, waterparks, animal parks, and a theatre suitable for musicals or a Congress Hall.
In the more lush and green north of the island the main development for tourism has been in the town of Puerto de la Cruz. The town itself has kept some of its old-harbour town charm mixed with northern European influences. Still, the tourist boom in the 60's changed the outlook of the town, making it cosy and cosmopolitan at the same time, and a favourite for the more mature traveller (notably the German and Spanish tourist).
As indicated in the previous paragraphs, the economy of Tenerife, like the other Canary Isles, is based on tourism. In the 19th and most of the 20th century large numbers of foreign tourists came, especially british, showing interest in the agriculta of the islands.
Much later, with the world wars, this sector weakened, but the start of the second half of the century brought new forms of tourism. At first emphasis was on Puerto de la Cruz, for the kindness of the climate, and for all the attractions that the Valle de la Orotava concentrated, but following the attraction of the sun and beaches, around 1980 was born the tourist boom of south Tenerife, where emphasis was on cities like Arona or Adeje, shifting to tourist centres like Los Cristianos o Playa de Las Americas, that today house 65% of the hotels that were on the island. Tenerife receives more than 5,000,000 tourists every year, of the canary islands Tenerife is the most popular. However, this data also reflects the large quality of resources that tourism consumes (space, energy, water etc.)
The Torres de Santa Cruz, are at high ,the tallest sky-scrapers in the archipelago, and residentially are the tallest towers in Spain.
Agriculture and fishing
Since tourism dominates the Tenerifian economy, the service sector is the largest, but industry and commerce contribute 40% of the non tourist economy. The primary sector has lost its traditional importance in the island, to the industrial and service sectors. Agriculture contributes less than 10% of the island’s GDP, but its contribution is vital, as it also generates indirect benefits, by maintaining the rural appearance, and supporting Tenerefian cultural values.
Agriculture is centred on the northern slopes, and is also determined by the altitude as well as orientation: in the coastal zone, tomatoes and bananas are cultivated, usually in plastic enclosures, these high yield products are for export to mainland Spain and the rest of Europe; in the drier intermediate zone, potatoes, tobacco and maize are grown, whilst in the South, onions are important.
Bananas are a particularly important crop, as Tenerife grows more bananas than the other Canary Islands, with a current annual production of about 150,000 tons, down from the peak production of 200,000 tons in 1986. More of 90% of the total is destined for the international market, and banana growing occupies about 4200 hectares. In order of importance; after the banana, come tomatoes, grapes, potatoes and flowers. Fishing is also a major contributor to the Tenerifian economy, as the Canaries are Spain’s second most important fishing grounds.
Industry and commerce
Commerce in Tenerife plays a significant role in the economy which is enhanced by tourism, representing almost 20% of the GDP, with the commercial center Santa Cruz de Tenerife generating most of the earnings. Although there are a diversity of industrial estates that exist on the island, the most important industrial activity is petroleum, representing 10% of the island's GDP, again largely due to the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife with its refinery. It provides petroliferous products not only to the Canaries archipelago but is also an active in the markets of the Iberian Peninsula, Africa and South America.
Culture and the Arts
Literature
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Antonio de Viana, a native of La Laguna, composed an epic poem called Antigüedades de las Islas Afortunadas (Antiquities of the Fortunate Isles), a work of value to anthropologists, since it sheds light on Canarian life of the time. The Enlightenment reached Tenerife, and literary and artistic figures of this era include José Viera y Clavijo, Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa, Ángel Guimerá y Jorge, Mercedes Pinto and Domingo Pérez Minik, among others.
Painting
La Laguna was the first center of painting on Tenerife, and during the course of the 16th century, several painters flourished in the town, as well as in other places on the island, including Garachico, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz. Cristóbal Hernández de Quintana and Gaspar de Quevedo, considered the best Canarian painters of the 17th century, were natives of La Orotava, and their art can be found in various churches on Tenerife.
The work of Luis de la Cruz y Ríos can be found in the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, in Puerto de la Cruz. Born in 1775, he became court painter to Ferdinand VII of Spain and was also a miniaturist, and achieved a favorable position in the royal court. He was known there by the nickname of “El Canario.”
The landscape painter Valentín Sanz (b. 1849) was a native of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Municipal Museum of Fine Art in Santa Cruz (Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Santa Cruz) displays many of his works. This museum also contains the works of Juan Rodríguez Botas (1880-1917), considered the first Canarian impressionist.
Frescoes by the expressionist Mariano de Cossío can be found in the church of Santo Domingo, in La Laguna. The watercolorist Francisco Bonnín Guerín (b. 1874) was a native of Santa Cruz, and founded a school to encourage the arts.
Óscar Domínguez was born in La Laguna in 1906; he is considered the most universal of Canarian painters. He belonged to the surrealist school, and invented the technique known as decalcomania, and received international recognition for his art.
Sculpture
The practice of sculpture on Tenerife is considered to have had its start at the beginning of the 17th century, which is when Martín de Andújar Cantos, an architect and sculptor, arrived on the island from Seville. He had been trained by the master sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés. With Martín de Andújar Cantos arrived new sculpting techniques of the Seville school, which were passed down to his students, including Blas García Ravelo, a native of Garachico.
Other notable sculptors from the 17th and 18th centuries include Sebastián Fernández Méndez, Lázaro González de Ocampo, José Rodríguez de la Oliva, and most importantly, Fernando Estévez, a native of La Orotava and a student of Luján Pérez. Estévez contributed an extensive collection of religious images and woodcarvings, found in numerous churches of Tenerife, such as the Principal Parish of Saint James the Great (Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago), in Los Realejos; in the Cathedral of La Laguna; the Church of the Conception (Iglesia de la Concepción) in La Laguna; the basilica of Candelaria, and various places of worship in La Orotava.
Contemporary sculptors on Tenerife include José Abad, Fernando Garcíarramos and José Luis Fajardo.
Music
An important musician from Tenerife is Teobaldo Power y Lugo Viña, a native of Santa Cruz and a pianist and composer, and author of the Cantos Canarios. The Hymn of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands takes its melody from the Arrorró, or Lullaby, from Power y Lugo Viña's Cantos Canarios.
Folkloric music has also flourished on the island, and, as in the rest of the islands, is characterized by the use of the Canarian Timple, the guitar, bandurria, laúd, and various percussion instruments. Various folkloric groups operate in the island, including Los Sabandeños, who worked to save Teneriffan musical forms in the face of increasing cultural pressure from the mainland.
In regards to singing, Tenerife is the home to the types of songs called the isa, folía, tajaraste, and malagueña, which are a cross of ancient Guanche songs and those of Andalusia and South America.
Architecture
Similar to the other Canary Islands, Tenerife is characterized by an architecture whose best representatives are the local manor houses and also the most humble and common dwellings. This type of architecture, while influenced by Andalusian and Portuguese architectural styles, nevertheless had a very particular and native character.
Of the manor houses, the best examples can be found in La Orotava and in La Laguna, characterized by their balconies and by the existence of interior patios and the widespread use of the wood known as pino tea (“pitch pine”). These houses are characterized by simple façades with little ornamentation.
The architecture is characterized by large wooden balconies and the use of lattices. There are sash windows and it is customary for the chairs inside the house to rest back-to-back to the windows. The interior patios function like real gardens that serve to give extra light to the rooms, which are connected via the patio by galleries frequently crowned by wood and stone.
Gadgets like the distillers, water pumps, benches and counters, are elements that frequently form part of the interior patios.
The traditional houses are not very tall, with rough walls of variegated colors. Sometimes the continuity of these walls is interrupted by the presence of stone blocks that are used for ornamental purposes. There are many examples of this type of architecture throughout the island.
The government buildings and religious structures were built according to the changing styles of each century. The urban nuclei of La Orotava and La Laguna have been declared national historical-artistic monuments.
In recent years, various governments have spearheaded the concept of building vast architectural projects, sometimes ostentatious ones, designed by renowned architects –for example, the remodeling of the Plaza de España in Santa Cruz de Tenerife by the Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron. Other examples include the Playa de Las Teresitas project by the Frenchman Dominique Perrault; the center known as Magma Arte & Congresos; the Torres de Santa Cruz; and the Auditorio de Tenerife ("Auditorium of Tenerife"). The latter, by the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, lies to the east of the Parque Marítimo (“Maritime Park”), in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and is characterized by its sail-like structure, which evokes a boat, and has become a symbol for the island.
Crafts
The best representatives of craftsmanship on the island are Tenerife Lace (calado canario), which is drawn work embroidery, and the intricate doilies known as rosetas, or rosette embroidery. Patient and precise embroidery produces the Tenerife Lace; the lace is produced by embroidering a stretched piece of cloth, which is rigidly attached to a frame that is usually made of wood. This technique is applied towards the production of table linen and other decorative elements. The center for the production of the roseta is Vilaflor, and consists of creating illustrations or patterns with threads that are crossed over and wound around the fijadores, or pins stuck in a small support made of cloth.
These decorated, small pieces are afterward joined with one another, thus producing distinct designs and pieces of cloth.
These two products, created with great labor, are usually sold in rural areas or the oldest parts of the cities of Tenerife. However, they can also be found sold on the city streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and other tourist spots. These locations sell what they call “Canarian table linen”, though this product tends to be inferior as it produced by machines rather than artisans.
Another Tenerife-based industry is the cabinetwork (ebanistería). The north of the island produced various master craftsman who created distinctive balconies, celosias, doors, and windows, as well as furniture consisting of pieces made in fine wood. Basketmaking (cestería) was also an important industry; on Tenerife palm-leaves were utilized in the product of baskets, as well as other materials, such as chestnut tree branches stripped of their leaves and banana tree fiber (known locally as la badana).
Pottery is also important on Tenerife, as in all of the Canary Islands, and the use of mud began with the production of ceramics by the Guanches. The Guanches were unfamiliar with the potter’s wheel, and used their hands to work the clay, which gave their pottery a distinctive look. Pottery was used to produce domestic objects such as pots and grills, or ornamental pieces such as bead collars or the objects known as pintaderas, which were pieces of pottery used to decorate vessels and apparel.
All of these crafts are sold at fairs that are celebrated in various the villages, towns, and cities of the island.
Traditional celebrations
Pilgrimages (Romerías)
The most traditional and widespread religious festivals on the islands are the pilgrimages or romerías.
These events, which incorporate Christian and non-Christian elements, are celebrated by various means: with wagons and floats, plowing teams and livestock, in honor of the patron saint of a particular place. The processions are accompanied by local dances, local dishes, folkloric activities, local arts and crafts, local sports, and the wearing of traditional dress of Tenerife (trajes de mago).
The origins of these events can be attributed to the parties and celebrations held by the richest classes of the island, who would gather to venerate their patron saints, to which they attributed good harvests, fertile lands, plentiful rainfall, the curing of sicknesses and ending of epidemics, etc. They would thus give homage to these saints by consuming and sharing the fruits of their harvest, which included the locally cultivated wines. Little by little these festivals became increasingly popular. The most important processions include the festivals dedicated to Saint Mark in Tegueste, where the wagons are decorated with the fruits of the earth (seeds, cereals, flowers, etc.); to Saint Isidore the Laborer in Los Realejos; to Saint Isidore the Laborer and Maria Torribia (Saint Mary of the Head) in La Orotava; Saint Benedict in La Laguna; Saint Roch in Garachico; and Saint Augustine in Arafo.
Carnival of Santa Cruz
Perhaps the most important festival of Tenerife, popular both on a national and international level, is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest (Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional). The carnival is celebrated in many locations in the north and south of the island, but is largest in scope in the city of Santa Cruz. Contests are celebrated, and the carnival includes bands of street musicians (murgas), groups of minstrels (rondallas de Tenerife), masquerades (comparsas), and various associations (agrupaciones). Once the Queen of the festival is elected, the first part of the carnival ends, and thereafter begins the actual street carnival, in which large numbers of people gather in the center of Santa Cruz, with the carnival lasting 10 days.
Corpus Christi
The religious festival of Corpus Christi is particularly important, and is traditionally celebrated with floral carpets laid in the streets. Particularly noteworthy are the celebrations in La Orotava where a very large carpet, or tapestry, of different coloured volcanic soils, covers the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (town square). These soils are taken from the Parque Nacional del Teide, and after the celebration, are returned, to preserve the National Park. The celebration of Corpus Christi in Orotava has been declared of Important Cultural Interest among the official Traditional Activities of the Island.
Easter
Among the numerous other celebrations that define Tenerifian culture, Easter remains the most important. This is celebrated across the island, but is particularly notable in the municipalities of La Laguna, La Orotava and Los Realejos, where elaborate processions take place on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day, or “Resurrection Sunday”.
Religion
As with the rest of Spain, Tenerife considers itself largely Roman Catholic. However, the practice of other religions and denominations has increasingly expanded on the island due to tourism and immigration. An important Roman Catholic festival is the celebration of the feast day associated with the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, who represents the union of the Guanche and Spanish cultures. The Guanches became devoted to a Black Madonna that Christian missionaries from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura left on a beach near the present-day Villa Mariana de Candelaria, which gave rise to the legends and stories associated with the Virgin. These legends fueled the cult of the Virgin and the pilgrimages to Candelaria that have existed to this day on the island. Another cult to the Virgin Mary exists in the form of Our Lady of Remedies (la Virgen de Los Remedios), who is co-patron of the Roman Catholic diocese of Tenerife (Diócesis Nivariense).
Principal Roman Catholic places of worship on the island include:
The Basilica of Candelaria: The place where the image of the Virgin of Candelaria can be found, this sanctuary is built in neoclassical style, and is visited daily by the parishioners, who visit the Villa Mariana out of devotion to the Virgin. The Cathedral of La Laguna: The seat of the Diocese of Tenerife (known as the Diócesis Nivariense, or Nivarian Diocese), the cathedral is a place of devotion for Our Lady of Remedies (la Virgen de Los Remedios). A combination of neo-Gothic and neoclassical architectural elements, it is now being restored and rebuilt.Principal Parish of Saint James the Great (Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago): Situated in Villa de Los Realejos, this parish church was the first Christian church built on the island after its conquest by Castilian forces, and is dedicated to Saint James the Great, due to the fact that the conquest was completed on the saint’s feast day, that is, July 25, in the year 1496. It was, along with the Parish of the Conception of La Laguna, one of the first parishes of the island. The Church of the Conception of La Laguna (Iglesia de la Concepción de La Laguna): One of the most ancient buildings on Tenerife, its construction was ordered by Alonso Fernández de Lugo. It has been declared a National Historic Monument. Around this church were established the dwellings and framework that formed the nucleus of the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
Other important churches include the Church of the Conception in La Orotava (Iglesia de la Concepción); the churches of San Agustín and Santo Domingo in La Orotava; the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia in Puerto de la Cruz; the church of San Marcos in Icod de los Vinos; the church of Santa Ana in Garachico; and the Church of the Conception (Iglesia de la Concepción) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Education
Formal education in Tenerife began with the religious orders. In 1530, the Dominican Order established a chair of philosophy at the convent of La Concepción de La Laguna. Still, until well into the 18th century Tenerife was largely without institutions of education.
Such institutions finally began to develop thanks to the work of the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País ("Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country"), which established several schools in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The first of these was an institute of secondary education established in 1846 to fill the gap left by the closure of the Universidad de San Fernando (see University of La Laguna). An 1850 annex to this building was the Escuela Normal Elemental, the archipelago's first teachers' college or normal school, which became the Escuela Normal Superior de Magisterio from 1866 onward. These were the only institutions of higher education until the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera created several institutions. A turning point came around the time of the rise of the Second Spanish Republic. From 1929 to 1933 the number of schools nearly doubled.
Shortly after this, though, the start of the Spanish Civil War and the following dictatorship of Francisco Franco constituted a considerable reversal. Education in the hands of religious orders had a certain importance on the island until the 1970 Ley General de Educación ("General Law of Education") shifted the balance from religiously-based education to public education. Public schools continued their advance during and after the post-Franco Spanish transition to democracy. Tenerife today has 301 centers of childhood education (preschools), 297 primary schools, 140 secondary schools and 86 post-secondary schools. There are also five universities or post-graduate schools, the University of La Laguna, the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (National University of Distance Learning), the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (Menéndez Pelayo International University), the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (University of Alfonso X the Wise) and the Universidad de Vic (Escuela Universitaria de Turismo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, "University School of Tourism of Santa Cruz de Tenerife"). The largest of these is the University of La Laguna.
Science and research
While Tenerife is not prominent in the history of scientific and academic research, it is the home of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries). There is also an Instituto de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (Antonio González Bio-Organic Institute) at the University of La Laguna. Also at that university are the Instituto de Lingüística Andrés Bello (Andrés Bello Institute of Linguistics), the Centro de Estudios Medievales y Renacentistas (Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies), the Instituto Universitario de la Empresa (University Institute of Business), the Instituto de Derecho Regional (Regional Institute of Law), the Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales (University Institute of Political and Social Sciences) and the Instituto de Enfermedades Tropicales (Institute of Tropical Diseases). This last is one of the seven institutions of the Red de Investigación de Centros de Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET, "Network of Research of Centers of Tropical Diseases"), located in various parts of Spain.
Puerto de la Cruz has the Instituto de Estudos Hispánicos de Canarias (Institute of Hispanic Studies of the Canaries), attached to Madrid's Instituto de Cultura Hispánica. In La Laguna is the Canarian delegation of hte Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, Superior Council of Scientific Investigations), the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (Canarian Institute of Agrarian Investigation), the Instituto de Estudios Canarios (Canarian Institute of Studies) and the Centro Internacional para la Conservación del Patrimonio (the International Center of the Conservation of Patrimony).
Other research facilities in Tenerife are the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, the Instituto Vulcanológico de Canarias, the Asociación Industrial de Canarias, the Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables (Technological Institute of Renewable Energy) and the Instituto Oceanográfico de Canarias in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Museums
The island boasts a variety of museums of different natures, under dominion of a variety of institutions. Perhaps the most developed are those belonging to the Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros, which include the following:
- Museum of Nature and Man: located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, this museum exhibits the natural riches of the Canary Islands and of the pre-Hispanic people who inhabited these. The complex is composed of three museums:
- The Museum of Natural Sciences
- The Architectural Museum of Tenerife
- The Canarian Institute of Bioanthropology
- Museum of the History of Tenerife: located in the city of La Laguna, the history of museum presents an overview of the institutional, social, economic and cultural development of the Island in from the 15th to 20th centuries.
- The Museum of Science and the Cosmos, also located in La Laguna adjacent to the property of the Instituto de Astrofísica as a museum about the laws and principles of nature, from those of the cosmos to those of the human body.
- The Museum of Anthropology of Tenerife, in La Laguna as well, more specifically in Valle de Guerra is a public institution for the investigation, conservation and spread of popular culture
- The Centro de Documentación Canario-Americano (CEDOCAM, Center for Canarian-American Documentation, located in La Laguna has a mission of strengthening cultural relations and elements of common identity between the Canaries and the Americas, through such means as conservation, information and diffusion of their shared documentary patrimony.
- The Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife ("Island of Tenerife Photographic Center") located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife offers an annual program of expositions that allows contact with tendencies and works of various renowned and emergent photographers of the Canaries. In the future, this center will share a headquarters with the Instituto Óscar Domínguez de Arte y Cultura Contemporánea (Óscar Domínguez Institute of Art and Culture).
- The Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA, "Tenerife Arts Space") also in Santa Cruz de Tenerife was founded to promote knowledge of the many contemporary tendencies in art and culture among the local population and visitors, by organizing cultural, scientific, educational and technical activities.
Independent of the Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros are:
- The Municipal Museum of Fine Arts in the Tenerifan capital has a permanentexhibit of the paintings and sculptures of José de Ribera, Federico Madrazo, Joaquín Sorolla and such Canarian artists as Manolo Millares and Óscar Domínguez.
- The Casa del Vino-La Baranda ("House of Wine-La Baranda"), a member of the Asociación de Museos del Vino de España (Association of Wine Museums of Spain, is located in the municipality of El Sauzal. Its facilities include a rustic, historic
hacienda, a museum of the history of viticulture in Tenerife, a restaurant serving typical Tenerifan food, a wine store, an audiovisual hall, and a tasting room. The Casa de la Miel ("House of Honey") is an annex to the Casa del Vino-La Baranda, and was established by the Cabildo Insular to support and develop the apicultural (bee-keeping) sector on Tenerife. The visitor's center of the Casa de la Miel offers exhibits about the history of this industry on the island and how apiculture is conducted, as well as information services and opportunities to taste Tenerifan denominación de origen honeys. The Museum of Iberoamerican Artisanship is located in the old convent of San Benito Abad, in La Orotava. El centro se encuadra dentro del programa de divulgación que ejecuta el Center for Documentation of Artisanship in Spain and America, The Foundation is financed by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism; the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation), the Comisión Nacional "Quinto Centeneario" ("Fifth Centenary" National Commission), the Consejería de Industria y Comercio del Gobierno de Canarias (Council of Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canaries), and the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife. It has five galleries, specialized in popular musical instruments, textiles / new designs in artisanship, ceramics, fibers, and popular art. The Archaeological Museum of Puerto de La Cruz in the city of the same name is located in a traditional casona (a type of house dating from the 18th–19th century), offers an archival collection comprising more than 2,600 specimens of items from the Guanche culture, and a document collection named after researcher Luis Diego Cuscoy. The Regional Military Museum of the Canaries, is located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, more spefically in the Fuerte de Almeyda district. Its galleries present all of the military history of the de Canaries, including the repelling of the attack by British Admiral Horatio Nelson, as well as other events and battles waged in the islands. Separate from the Regional Military Museum are files providing the Intermediate Military Archive of the Canaries and the Military Library of the Canaries.
Transport and communications
The island of Tenerife is served by Tenerife North - Los Rodeos Airport (GCXO) and Reina Sofía Airport (GCTS).
Los Rodeos Airport, the smaller of the two, is located near the metropolitan area Santa Cruz-La Laguna (423,000 inhabitants). It serves inter-insular flights as well as national and European flights, and for the last two years, a weekly service to Venezuela. Reina Sofía Airport (south) is the busiest Airport in Tenerife, ranking 7th in Spain. It typically serves the mass of regular and vacation charter flights constantly arriving from most of Europe.
As it is an island, the only other way to arrive on Tenerife is by ferry, either to Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Los Cristianos, near Playa de Las Américas.
A network consisting of two fast, toll-free motorways (TF1 and TF5) encircles nearly the entire island, linking all the main towns and resorts with the metropolitan area. The exception is in the West, from Adeje to Icod de los Vinos, which is traversed by a smaller winding mountain road. However, plans are in progress to complete the motorway, which caused a heavy debate between the environmentalists and the local businessmen.
Away from the major motorways, there is a network of secondary and communal roads, varying from wide to steep, winding narrow roads, mainly unlit and often with drops on either side of the main carriageway surface.
Public transport on the island is provided by an extensive network of buses and run by TITSA, who operates a fleet of modern, air-conditioned buses. Plans for a light-rail network linking the capital with the South have been approved by both the Tenerife Council and the Canary Islands Government, for Grand Canary and Tenerife, though the discussion with the central Spanish Government hinges now on budget.
A rental car is sometimes the best option for discovering the remote wilderness regions. TITSA buses cover most of the island and they are fairly frequent.
The metropolitan Area formed by Santa Cruz and La Laguna is served by the Tranvía de Tenerife working in early 2007, after 3 years of intensive works.
Roads
The main means of transportation in Tenerife is by highways. The most important of these are the Autopista del Sur and the Autopista del Norte (the North and South Motorways), which run from the metropolitan zone to the south and north, respectively. These two motorways are connected by means of the Autovía de Interconexión Norte-Sur in the outskirts of the metropolitan zone. Within the network of roads on the island of Tenerife there are other minor roads that used to include the highway from San Andres and Santa Cruz(Holy Cross in English).
Also planned is the construction of a bypass road north of the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna. This aims to provide dual cores to Guamasa y Acorán, by way of Los Baldíos, Centenero, Llano del Moro, El Sobradillo, El Tablero, and El Chorrillo, among other neighborhoods. The route will be approximately long and will cost an estimated 190 million euros(270 million in American dollars).
Airports
The main means to reach Tenerife is by plane. There are two airports on the island: the airport in the South (also known as Reina Sofia) and the Tenerife North Airport (also called Los Rodeos airport). Los Rodeos airport is the site of the deadliest aviation accident excluding the events of 9/11. The Tenerife airport disaster occurred in 1977, two aircraft collided on the runway killing 583 people. Although the Tenerife Sur airport is receiving increased number of passengers, both have regular flights to the capitals of other islands, with many mainland cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Malaga, Bilbao, etc.), and with European cities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy, among others, and also with American and African cities. Taking into account the two airports, Tenerife is the Canary island which annually receives more passengers and carried out more operations. Due to tourism, it is easy to find cheaper direct flights with major German cities or British with the mainland.
Ports
Besides air transport, Tenerife has two principal maritime ports: the Port of Santa Cruz (Puerto de Santa Cruz), which serves the various capitals of the Canary Islands, especially those in the west; and the Port of Los Cristianos (Puerto de Los Cristianos), which serves the various island capitals of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The first port also has passenger services, which connect with the mainland port of Cádiz (and vice versa). There are plans to build a new port in the south of the island, in Granadilla de Abona, and in another in the west, at Fonsalía.
Buses (Guaguas)
Tenerife has an extensive system of buses, which are called guaguas in the Canary Islands. The bus system is used both within the cities and also connects most of the towns and cities of the island. There are bus stations in all of the major towns, such as the Intercambiador de Transportes de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Tramway
In 2007 Metropolitano de Tenerife founded Tranvía de Tenerife, a tramway that connects the cities of Santa Cruz and La Laguna with the suburb of Taco. There are 20 stops and it covers a distance of 12.5 km (7.67 m) in 37 minutes. It calls at some points of interest including Tenerife's two major hospitals, the university complex of Guajara, and a number of museums and theatres. Concerning its power supply, it will support development of further wind farms to provide it with 100% clean energy.
Future expansions
This entity intends to introduce two railway systems that would serve the northern and southern sides of the island connecting these with the capital.
Sports
Healthcare
The main hospitals on the island are the Hospital Universitario de Canarias and the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. Both are third-level hospitals, with specialist facilities that serve all of the Canary Islands. They are both affiliated with the education and research network of the Universidad de La Laguna. However, they belong to different bodies, since first one is under the directives of the Consorcio sanitario de Tenerife and the second is operated by the Servicio canario de salud (Canarian Health Service).
In addition, two new peripheral hospitals in the North and South areas of the island are being constructed, located in the municipalities of Icod de los Vinos and Arona respectively. These centers will function, according to their classification, as second level hospitals, with services of hospitalization, advanced diagnosis, ambulances and emergencies, and rehabilitation, etc. There are also a total of 39 centers of primary care and specialized clinics which complete the sanitary infrastructure of Tenerife.
Gastronomy
Fish
Due to the geographic situation of Tenerife, the island enjoys an abundance of fish of various kinds. The species that are consumed the most are the Combtooth blennies (viejas), as well as sea bream (sama), red porgy (bocinegro), gold lined bream (salema), grouper (mero), and various and abundant types of Thunnus. The Atlantic mackerel (caballa), sardine (sardine), and Jack mackerels (chicharros) are also consumed frequently. Moray eels (morenas) are also eaten, usually fried. Most seafood is cooked simply, usually boiled, or prepared “a la espalda” (cut into two equally-shaped pieces along the spine) or “a la sal” (baked in salt). These dishes are usually accompanied by mojo (a local sauce) and wrinkly potatoes.
Meat
The typical festive meat dish of marinated porc tacos is a very popular dish prepared for town festivities in ventorrillos, bars and private homes. Rabbit in salmorejo, goat, and of course beef, pork and poultry are also regularly consumed.
Canarian wrinkly potatoes
The fish dishes along with the meats are often accompanied by wrinkly potatoes (papas arrugadas). This is a typical Canarian dish which simply refers to the way the cooked potatoes look. They are boiled in their skins, in water with lots of salt, and the water is allowed to evaporate, leaving a salty crust.
Mojos
Mojo, a word probably of Portuguese origin, describes a typical Canarian sauce, served as an accompaniment to food. The sauces come in a variety of colours, flavours and textures, and are usually served cold, often in separate dishes, for the diner to choose how much to apply. Green mojo usually includes coriander, parsley, and garlic; whilst red mojo is piquant, and made from a mix of hot and sweet peppers. A wide variety of other ingredients are also used, including; almonds, cheese, saffron and fried bread. Mojos are served with most meat, and some fish, dishes, and are often used on potatoes, or bread is dipped into them.
Cheeses
One of the latest studies has revealed that Tenerife exports about 3,400 tons of cheese per year, representing about 50% of the output of the island, and about 25% of the entire Canary Islands.
After the conquest of the Canary Islands, one of the first commercial activities to be started was cheese production. The sale of cheese provided the inhabitants with an income and cheese was even used as a form of currency for exchange and sale, becoming a crucial product in agricultural areas of the island.
Cheese grew to become one of the most commonly produced and consumed products on the island and is regularly served as part of a starter course or as a snack. Farms at Arico, La Orotava and Teno produced a variety of cheeses, including soft cheeses, cured, smoked and were mostly handmade. Today the main product is goats cheese, although certain amounts are made from sheeps or cows milk and according to the Registro General Sanitario de Alimentos, the general health registry, around 75 different cottage cheeses are produced. The cheeses of the Canaries have generally received good international reviews, noted for their sweetness which differentiates them from certain other European cheeses. In particular, Tenerifan cured goats cheese was awarded best cheese in the world final of the 2008 World Cheese Awards held in Dublin, Ireland.
Cheeses from Tenerife now have a quality mark promoted by the Fundación Tenerife Rural, to standardize their quality in an attempt to publicize the qualities of the cheese and improve its marketing.
Gofio
Gofio is one of the more traditional elements of cooking on the island, It is made with cereal grains that are roasted and then ground. Increasingly used to make a gofio on the island is wheat although there are other types, and they are often made with chick peas. Relatively common is a mixed-type with wheat. It is served as main food to the guanches even before the Spanish conquest. In later times of scarcity or famine it was a staple of the popular Canarian diet. Today it is used as main dish (gofio escaldado) or accompaniment to different dishes, meats, fishes, soups, desserts. Even some famous cooks have made gofio ice cream receiving good comments from the critics.
Confectionery
Confectionery in Tenerife is represented and strongly influenced by La Palma, with confections like bienmesabe, leche asada, Príncipe Alberto, frangollo, huevos moles, quesillo, etc.
Wines
Viniculture in the archipelago, and especially in Tenerife dates back to the conquest, when the settlers brought a variety of vines to plant. In the 16th and 17th centuries, wine production played an important role in the economy, and many families were dedicated to the culture and business. Of special mention is malvasía canary, considered the best wine of Tenerife and at the time one of the most desired wines in the world, saw it shipped across to the major warehouses of Europe and America. Writers as William Shakespeare and Walter Scott make reference to the wine in some of their works. Tenerife has 5 main wine growing regions. These include Abona, Valle de Güímar, Valle de La Orotava, Tacoronte-Acentejo and Ycoden-Daute-Isora.
See also
External links
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