Diagram

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

SHOWING HEIGHT OF LOCKS AND PROPORTIONS OF CONDUITS OF GATUN PANAMA CANAL LOCKS, CANARY ISLANDS, a group of isthe Atlantic lands belonging to Spain in of Africa, Ocean, off the N. W. coast group forming a Spanish province. The and several small consists of seven large 2,850 islets, with a joint area of about population of about square miles, and a , proceed- 500,000. The principal islands Lanzarote, Fuering from E. to W., are Teneriffe, Goteventura, Gran Canaria, or Ferro. The mera, Palma, and Hierro to the Afridistance from Fuerteventura can coast is about 62½ geographical rocky, miles. The coasts are steep and with high and the surface is diversified deep valmountains, narrow gorges, and volcanic, and leys. All the islands are marks of their everywhere show plain craters, beds origin, in the shape of cones, streams of lava; of tuff and pumice, and within but eruptions have taken place only in Teneriffe, the historical period are no Palma, and Lanzarote. There the islands rivers, and on several of springs on water is very scarce. The by long those better supplied are diverted artificial channels for the purpose of irrigation. TENERIFFE, the largest island of the group, has an area of 782 square miles, . The chief with a population of 185,000 de Santiago town and port is Santa Cruz , is the seat of the on the S. E. coast. It The officials of the general government. miles other towns are Laguna, a few plain 1,800 feet from Santa Cruz, on a , on the above the sea; Puerto Orotava , 1,060 feet N. coast; Villa Orotava Vinos, near higher; and Icod de los dragon-tree which the largest existing of Teneriffe grows. The famous Peak is in the N. W. of the island. GRAN CANARIA, which is next in im- 531 square portance, has an area of 135,000. Its miles, with a population of , with a culminating peak is El Cumbre The capital, Las height of 6,648 feet. is the largest Palmas, on the E. coast, The surface of town of the archipelago. only a small this island is so broken that . At Artinara, part is under cultivation , there is a vilat a height of 3,850 feet of 1,100 lage of caves, with a population Palmas persons. A few miles from Las feet high is the cone of Vandama, 1,800 , with an extinct crater, circular and perfect, 800 feet deep. PALMA, a classic spot for geologists, has an area of 280 square miles, and a population of 60,000. Its highest peak, Pico de los Muchachos, has an elevation of more than 7,600 feet. The ancient crater of the Caldera is of enormous size, though open to the sea on one side. Capital, Santa Cruz de las Palmas, on the E. coast. The area and population of the other islands are as follows: LANZAROTE is 323 square miles, pop. 30,000; FUERTE VENTURA, 665 square miles, pop. 25,000; GOMERA, 144 square miles, pop. 20,000; HIERRO, 107 square miles, pop. 8,000. In former times the first meridian of longitude was commonly drawn through Hierro. Most of the towns of these islands are small. The Canaries are supposed to have been the Fortunate Islands of the ancients. The geographers of Greece and Rome were po- Kuainted with their the has been preserved by the elder Pliny. For many centuries they were lost sight of, and not rediscovered until 1334, when a French vessel was driven among them by a storm. In 1402 the Norman Jean de Bethencourt fitted out an expedition for the purpose of subduing the islands, and in 1404, having obtained assistance from Spain, he succeeded in mastering four of them. His successor having sold his rights in Spain, they were afterward acquired by the King, who sent a large force in 1477 to conquer the Guanches, a brave and intelligent race of large stature, and comparatively fair. Their origin is unknown, but they are assumed by many to have been of Berber or of Libyan stock. Their resistance was so stubborn that it was not until 1495 that the last of the islands was mastered, They have been ever since the property of Spain. The Guanches suffered terribly from their conquerors, and have long ceased to exist as a separate people; but in the local museums may be seen specimens of their mummies, skeletons, weapons, and pottery works. On Teneriffe is a wireless station for communication with Spain.