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Gran Canaria

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria-Ortofoto.png
Satellite photograph of Gran Canaria
Spain Canary Islands location map Gran Canaria.svg
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates27°58′N 15°36′W / 27.967°N 15.600°W / 27.967; -15.600Coordinates: 27°58′N 15°36′W / 27.967°N 15.600°W / 27.967; -15.600
Area1,560.11 km2 (602.36 sq mi)
Highest elevation1,956 m (6417 ft)
Highest pointMorro de la Agujereada
Spain
RegionMacaronesia
Autonomous CommunityCanary Islands
ProvinceLas Palmas
Largest settlementLas Palmas de Gran Canaria (pop. 379,925)
Demographics
Population870,595[1] (2020)
Pop. density545.6/km2 (1413.1/sq mi)
"Grand Canary" redirects here. For the novel by A. J. Cronin, see Grand Canary (novel). For the film adaptation of the novel, see Grand Canary (film).
Flag of Gran Canaria.
Flag of Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria (UK: /ˌɡræn kəˈnɛəriə, -ˈnɑːr-/, US: /ˌɡrɑːn kəˈnɑːriə, -ˈnɛər-/;[2][3] Spanish pronunciation: [ɡɾaŋ kaˈnaɾja]), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands,[4] an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. As of 2019 the island had a population of 851,231 that constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital of the island, is the biggest city of the Canary Islands and the ninth of Spain.

Gran Canaria is located in the Atlantic Ocean in a region known as Macaronesia about 150 kilometres (93 mi) off the northwestern coast of Africa and about 1,350 km (840 mi) from Europe.[5] With an area of 1,560 km2 (602 sq. mi)[6] and an altitude of 1,956 m (6,417 ft) at Morro de la Agujereada, Gran Canaria is the third largest island of the archipelago in both area and altitude. Gran Canaria is also the third most populated island in Spain.[7]

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British English

British English

British English is, according to Oxford Dictionaries, "English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to the collective dialects of English throughout the British Isles taken as a single umbrella variety, for instance additionally incorporating Scottish English, Welsh English, and Northern Irish English. Tom McArthur in the Oxford Guide to World English acknowledges that British English shares "all the ambiguities and tensions [with] the word 'British' and as a result can be used and interpreted in two ways, more broadly or more narrowly, within a range of blurring and ambiguity".

American English

American English

American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances is the de facto common language used in government, education and commerce. Since the 20th century, American English has become the most influential form of English worldwide.

Canary Islands

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.

Archipelago

Archipelago

An archipelago, sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.

Macaronesia

Macaronesia

Macaronesia is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of Atlantic oceanic islands, which are formed by seamounts on the ocean floor whose peaks have risen above the ocean's surface. Some of the Macaronesian islands belong to Portugal, some belong to Spain, and the rest belong to Cape Verde. Politically, the islands belonging to Portugal and Spain are part of the European Union. Geologically, Macaronesia is part of the African tectonic plate. Some of its islands – the Azores – are situated along the edge of that plate at the point where it abuts the Eurasian and North American plates.

Morro de la Agujereada

Morro de la Agujereada

Morro de la Agujereada is the highest altitude of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Located in Pico de las Nieves, it reaches a height of 1,956 meters above sea level, being the highest altitude in the province of Las Palmas. Gran Canaria is the third highest island in the Canary Islands, after Tenerife and La Palma.

History

In antiquity, Gran Canaria was populated by the North African Canarii, who may have arrived as early as 500 BC.[8] In the medieval period, after over a century of European incursions and attempts at conquest, the island was conquered on April 29, 1483, by the Crown of Castile, under Queen Isabella I. The conquest succeeded after a campaign 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 June 24, 1478, under the name "Real de Las Palmas", by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army. In 1492, Christopher Columbus anchored in the Port of Las Palmas (and spent some time on the island) on his first trip to the Americas. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is, jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands.

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Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome known as the Greco-Roman world. It is the period in which both Greek and Roman societies flourished and wielded huge influence throughout much of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

Guanches

Guanches

The Guanches were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean some 100 kilometres (60 mi) west of Africa.

Middle Ages

Middle Ages

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

Crown of Castile

Crown of Castile

The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then Castilian king, Ferdinand III, to the vacant Leonese throne. It continued to exist as a separate entity after the personal union in 1469 of the crowns of Castile and Aragon with the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs up to the promulgation of the Nueva Planta decrees by Philip V in 1715.

Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I, also called Isabella the Catholic, was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as Queen consort of Aragon from 1479 until 1504 by virtue of her marriage to King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Reigning together over a dynastically unified Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand are known as the Catholic Monarchs.

Juan Rejón

Juan Rejón

Juan Rejón was an Aragonese captain in the service of the Castilian navy, who was appointed by the Catholic Monarchs to participate in the conquest of the Canary Islands. Rejón founded the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and European colonization of the Americas. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Port of Las Palmas

Port of Las Palmas

Port of Las Palmas is port for fishing, commercial, passenger and sports boats in the city of Las Palmas in the north-east of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. For five centuries, the Port of Las Palmas has been the traditional base for scale and supplying ships on their way through the Middle Atlantic.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and capital of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 (2013) within its administrative limits. The urban zone of Santa Cruz extends beyond the city limits with a population of 507,306 and 538,000 within urban area. It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands and the main city on the island of Tenerife, with nearly half of the island's population living in or around it.

Autonomous communities of Spain

Autonomous communities of Spain

In Spain, an autonomous community is the first-level political and administrative division, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy of the nationalities and regions that make up Spain.

Etymology

Pliny claimed that the island was called this way for the dogs on the island, of which two were presented as a gift to Juba, King of Mauretania.[9] This opinion is disputed as when the Europeans arrived on the island, no dogs were found.[9] Another source suggested the way the natives ate fish was doglike and this was the reason for its name.[9] A more plausible assumption is that the islands name derives from the people Canario or Canarii living near the Atlas mountain range.[10] Jean de Béthencourt named the island Gran Canaria as the people on the island were valorous opponents to his conquest.[10]

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Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder

Gaius Plinius Secundus, called Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia, which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. He spent most of his spare time studying, writing, and investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field.

Juba II

Juba II

Juba II or Juba of Mauretania was the son of Juba I and client king of Numidia and Mauretania. Aside from his very successful reign, he was a highly respected scholar and author. His first wife was Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Queen Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.

Mauretania

Mauretania

Mauretania is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants of Berber ancestry, were known to the Romans as the Mauri and the Masaesyli.

Atlas Mountains

Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The range's highest peak is Toubkal, which is in central Morocco, with an elevation of 4,167 metres (13,671 ft). The Atlas mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations.

Jean de Béthencourt

Jean de Béthencourt

Jean de Béthencourt (1362–1425) was a French explorer who in 1402 led an expedition to the Canary Islands, landing first on the north side of Lanzarote. From there he conquered for Castile the islands of Fuerteventura (1405) and El Hierro, ousting their local chieftains. Béthencourt received the title King of the Canary Islands but he recognized King Henry III of Castile, who had provided aid during the conquest, as his overlord.

Geography

Topography of Gran Canaria
Topography of Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria 3D
Gran Canaria 3D

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.

Geology

About 80% of the volume of the island was formed during the Miocene period eruptions, between 14 and 9 million years ago.[11] 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. This cycle continued with the emission of trachytes, phonolites and peralkaline rocks.[12] This period was followed by one of erosion, which lasted some 4 million years.[13]

A second cycle of volcanic eruptions, known as the "Roque Nublo cycle", took place between 4.5 and 3.4 million years ago. This shorter cycle emitted about 100 km3 (24 cu mi). Most of the inland peaks were formed by erosion from these materials. This period also started with fissural basalts, but ended with violent eruptions of pyroclastic flows. Some phonolitic features, like the Risco Blanco, were also formed in its last stages.[13]

The third or recent cycle is held to have started some 2.8 million years ago and is considered to be still active. The last eruptions are held to have occurred some 2000 years ago.[14]

The changes in volume and, therefore, weight of the island have also caused the island to rise above the previous sea level during erosive periods and to sink during eruptive periods. Some of these "fossil beaches" can be seen in the cliff faces of the more eroded northern coast.[15]

  • Nature of Gran Canaria along the eastern shore in 2016

    Nature of Gran Canaria along the eastern shore in 2016

  • Nature of Gran Canaria along the southeastern shore in 2016

    Nature of Gran Canaria along the southeastern shore in 2016

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Canary Islands

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.

Tenerife

Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of 2,034 square kilometres (785 sq mi) and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of January 2022, it is also the most populous island of Spain and of Macaronesia.

Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the North Africa region, and politically part of Spain. It is located 97 km (60 mi) away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009.

Volcano

Volcano

A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.

Fissure vent

Fissure vent

A fissure vent, also known as a volcanic fissure, eruption fissure or simply a fissure, is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts, usually without any explosive activity. The vent is often a few metres wide and may be many kilometres long. Fissure vents can cause large flood basalts which run first in lava channels and later in lava tubes. After some time, the eruption tends to become focused at one or more spatter cones. Small fissure vents may not be easily discernible from the air, but the crater rows or the canyons built up by some of them are.

Morro de la Agujereada

Morro de la Agujereada

Morro de la Agujereada is the highest altitude of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Located in Pico de las Nieves, it reaches a height of 1,956 meters above sea level, being the highest altitude in the province of Las Palmas. Gran Canaria is the third highest island in the Canary Islands, after Tenerife and La Palma.

Pico de las Nieves

Pico de las Nieves

Pico de las Nieves is the second highest peak on the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Its height is 1,949 metres (6,394 ft) above sea level. It is of volcanic origin (stratovolcano). On its slopes, Canary Islands Pine was reintroduced in the 1950s.

Miocene

Miocene

The Miocene is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about 23.03 to 5.333 million years ago (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words μείων and καινός and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene is preceded by the Oligocene and is followed by the Pliocene.

Alkali basalt

Alkali basalt

Alkali basalt or alkali olivine basalt is a dark-colored, porphyritic volcanic rock usually found in oceanic and continental areas associated with volcanic activity, such as oceanic islands, continental rifts and volcanic fields. Alkali basalt is characterized by relatively high alkali (Na2O and K2O) content relative to other basalts and by the presence of olivine and titanium-rich augite in its groundmass and phenocrysts, and nepheline in its CIPW norm.

Trachyte

Trachyte

Trachyte is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and alkali metals. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite.

Phonolite

Phonolite

Phonolite is an uncommon shallow intrusive or extrusive rock, of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic, with texture ranging from aphanitic (fine-grained) to porphyritic. Phonolite is a variation of the igneous rock trachyte that contains nepheline or leucite rather than quartz. It has an unusually high Na2O + K2O content, defining its position in the TAS classification of igneous rocks. Its coarse grained (phaneritic) intrusive equivalent is nepheline syenite. Phonolite is typically fine grained and compact. The name phonolite comes from the Ancient Greek meaning "sounding stone" due to the metallic sound it produces if an unfractured plate is hit; hence, the English name clinkstone is given as a synonym.

Vegetation

Until the conquest, Gran Canaria had extensive forests, but then suffered extensive deforestation[16] as a result of continuous logging, land divisions and other intensive uses. This reduced the forest cover to just 56,000 hectares (140,000 acres),[16] making the island the most deforested of the Canary Islands.[17] However, in the twentieth century reforestation of the ridge of the island was begun, recovering some of the lost forest mass. Much of the summit of the island is forested mostly due to reforestation.[16]

Governance

Municipalities of Gran Canaria
Municipalities of Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands (Islas Canarias). It lies within the Province of Las Palmas, a Spanish province which consists of the eastern part of the Canary Islands community. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the provincial capital, one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands along with Santa Cruz de Tenerife.[18]

The island of Gran Canaria is governed by the Cabildo insular de Gran Canaria.[19] Gran Canaria Island itself is divided into twenty-one smaller municipalities:[18]

Name Area
(km2) 		Population
(2001)[20] 		Population
(2011)[21] 		Population
(2019)[22]
Agaete 45.50 5,202 5,735 5,586
Agüimes 79.28 20,124 29,641 31,619
Artenara 66.70 1,319 1,252 1,069
Arucas 33.01 32,466 36,771 38,138
Firgas 15.77 6,865 7,606 7,455
Gáldar 61.59 22,154 24,358 24,242
Ingenio 38.15 24,439 30,022 31,321
Mogán 172.44 12,444 22,847 20,072
Moya 31.87 8,137 8,043 7,696
La Aldea de San Nicolás 123.58 7,668 8,522 7,504
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 100.55 354,863 381,271 379,925
San Bartolomé de Tirajana 333.13 34,515 53,440 53,443
Santa Brígida 23.81 17,598 18,878 18,263
Santa Lucía de Tirajana 61.56 47,652 66,725 73,328
Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria 42.59 13,893 14,149 13,850
Tejeda 103.30 2,400 2,136 1,909
Telde 102.43 87,949 101,080 102,647
Teror 25.70 12,042 12,857 12,519
Valleseco 22.11 3,949 3,896 3,749
Valsequillo de Gran Canaria 39.15 7,964 9,118 9,340
Vega de San Mateo 37.89 6,979 7,737 7,556
Totals 1,560.11 730,622 846,084 851,231

The island has a population at the start of 2019 of 851,231 with 379,925 of those in the capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife.[23]

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Autonomous communities of Spain

Autonomous communities of Spain

In Spain, an autonomous community is the first-level political and administrative division, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy of the nationalities and regions that make up Spain.

Canary Islands

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.

Province of Las Palmas

Province of Las Palmas

The Province of Las Palmas is a province of Spain, consisting of the eastern part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital city of this province and of the island of Gran Canaria, is the largest city in the Canary Islands.

Cabildo insular

Cabildo insular

A cabildo insular is the government and administration institution of each of the seven major islands in the Canary Islands archipelago: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The island of La Graciosa falls under the jurisdiction of the cabildo of Lanzarote.

List of municipalities in Las Palmas

List of municipalities in Las Palmas

This is a list of the 34 municipalities in the province of Las Palmas in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, Spain. There are 21 municipalities on the island of Gran Canaria, 6 on the island of Fuerteventura and 7 on the island of Lanzarote.

Agaete

Agaete

Agaete is a municipality of Las Palmas province, on the Canary Islands, Spain.

Agüimes

Agüimes

Agüimes is a Spanish town and municipality in the eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands.

Arucas, Las Palmas

Arucas, Las Palmas

Arucas is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria, province of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Arucas is 9 km (5.6 mi) west of Las Palmas city. Its population is 36,852 (2013), and the area is 33.01 km2 (12.75 sq mi). The GC-2 motorway passes north of the town.

Ingenio, Las Palmas

Ingenio, Las Palmas

Ingenio is a town and a Spanish municipality in the eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is 29,978 (2013), and the area is 38.15 km2 (14.73 sq mi).

Mogán

Mogán

Mogán is a town and a Spanish municipality in the southwestern part of the island of Gran Canaria, which is one of the three main islands making up the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Spain. Its population is 21,782 (2013), and the area is 172.44 km².

Moya, Las Palmas

Moya, Las Palmas

Moya is a town and a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is 7,977 (2013), and the area is 31.87 km².

La Aldea de San Nicolás

La Aldea de San Nicolás

La Aldea de San Nicolás is the westernmost municipality of the island of Gran Canaria in the Las Palmas province of the Canary Islands. Its full name was, until 2005, La Aldea de San Nicolás de Tolentino, and the locals simply call it La Aldea. Its population is 8,228 (2013), and the area is 123.58 km2. Its elevation is about 33m.

Transportation

Roads

Autopistas in Gran Canaria provide rapid road transport around the coast
Autopistas in Gran Canaria provide rapid road transport around the coast
A Gran Canaria bus
A Gran Canaria bus
Gran Canaria Airport
Gran Canaria Airport
The Tenerife catamaran ferry
The Tenerife catamaran ferry

Gran Canaria has roads encircling the whole island and extending into the mountain areas. In the late 20th century, its dual carriageway, among the first in the Canary Islands, were opened and run around Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and were later extended to the north coast and the airport and subsequently to the south coast in response to increased tourist traffic. The only highway of Gran Canaria are GC1. Dual carriageway is GC2, and GC31, GC4 and GC5. The western and the north-western parts, with the fewest inhabitants, are linked only with main roads.

Buses

Public transport around Gran Canaria is provided by an extensive bus network, known in the local dialect as guaguas. The Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria Transport Authority, TGC) manages the network and operates a number of bus stations across the island, including San Telmo and Santa Catalina bus stations in Las Palmas, Maspalomas and Galdar.[24] Bus tickets may be purchased with cash, and AUTGC also operates a contactless electronic ticket called the TransGC Card, which is valid across the whole network.[25]

Inter-urban bus services across the island are operated by the Global bus company.[26][27] Global was created in 2000 after the merger of two bus companies, Utinsa (which operated in the north of the island) and Salcai (the bus operator for the south).[28] Local bus services in Las Palmas are run by the municipal bus company, Guaguas Municipales de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.[29]

Airport

Gran Canaria Airport (IATA: LPA) is the only commercial airport on the island. The large number of aircraft and passengers passing through it each year make it one of the busiest in Spain. Gran Canaria is also responsible for all air traffic control in the Canaries. By destination island, Gran Canaria is the second island that congregates the largest number of passengers in the Canary Islands.[30]Car rental companies that have offices in the airports are: Autoreisen, Avis, Cicar, Europcar, Goldcar (only south airport), Hertz, Sixt and TopCar.

Sea ports

The most important ports in the island are the Port of Las Palmas (Puerto de la Luz), in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Arguineguín, which exports cement from a large factory; and Arinaga, located in the main industrial zone of Canaries and one of the major ones of Spain.

The main passenger ports are the Port of La Luz, where Trasmediterránea operates a weekly ferry route to Cadiz on the Spanish mainland,[31] and the Port of Las Nieves, located in Agaete on the west side of the island, where Fred Olsen Express operates a catamaran ferry service to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.[32]

Train

Plans for a Tren de Gran Canaria railway network linking the capital with the south have been approved by both the Gran Canaria Cabildo and the autonomous Canary Islands' Government, though the discussion with the central Spanish Government hinges now on budget. The planned 57 km (35 mi) railway line would run between Las Palmas and Meloneras, with the section in the capital running entirely underground as far as the suburb of Jinámar. The line is planned to have 11 stations, including an underground station at Gran Canaria Airport. The scheme was first announced in 2009, with a planned operational date in 2015. A public company called Ferrocarriles de Gran Canaria has been formed by the Cabildo's Gran Canaria Transport Authority. Plans were still being discussed in 2018.[33][34]

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Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria

Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria

The Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria is the transport authority on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is responsible for the management and coordination of public transport across the island. TGC is owned by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and operates in conjunction with the municipalities of Gran Canaria, including the municipal councils of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Lucía de Tirajana.

Contactless smart card

Contactless smart card

A contactless smart card is a contactless credential whose dimensions are credit-card size. Its embedded integrated circuits can store data and communicate with a terminal via NFC. Commonplace uses include transit tickets, bank cards and passports.

Electronic ticket

Electronic ticket

An electronic ticket is a method of ticket entry, processing, and marketing for companies in the airline, railways and other transport and entertainment industries.

Gran Canaria Airport

Gran Canaria Airport

Gran Canaria Airport, sometimes also known as Gando Airport, is a passenger and freight airport on the island of Gran Canaria. It is an important airport within the Spanish air-transport network, as it holds the sixth position in terms of passengers, and fifth in terms of operations and cargo transported. It also ranks first of the Canary Islands in all three categories, although the island of Tenerife has higher passenger numbers overall if statistics from the two airports located on the island are combined.

Arguineguín

Arguineguín

Arguineguín is one of the most populated towns along the south coast of Gran Canaria, Spain. A typical Canarian fishing village, it is home to many locals rather than being a tourist resort. In 2015 it had 2517 inhabitants. It is part of the municipality of Mogán and is located southwest of Las Palmas.

Cement

Cement

A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixed with fine aggregate produces mortar for masonry, or with sand and gravel, produces concrete. Concrete is the most widely used material in existence and is behind only water as the planet's most-consumed resource.

Arinaga

Arinaga

Arinaga is both a Japanese surname and a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:Kazuki Arinaga , Japanese footballer Shuji Arinaga , Japanese handball player Yamada Arinaga , Japanese samurai

Trasmediterránea

Trasmediterránea

Trasmediterránea operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and northern Africa's Spanish territories.

Puerto de las Nieves

Puerto de las Nieves

Puerto de las Nieves is a fishing village on the north-western coast of Gran Canaria, and the port of the town Agaete at a few kilometres' distance.

Agaete

Agaete

Agaete is a municipality of Las Palmas province, on the Canary Islands, Spain.

Catamaran

Catamaran

A catamaran is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stabilized craft, deriving its stability from its wide beam, rather than from a ballasted keel as with a monohull boat. Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller displacement, and shallower draft (draught) than monohulls of comparable length. The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic resistance than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. The catamaran's wider stance on the water can reduce both heeling and wave-induced motion, as compared with a monohull, and can give reduced wakes.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and capital of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 (2013) within its administrative limits. The urban zone of Santa Cruz extends beyond the city limits with a population of 507,306 and 538,000 within urban area. It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands and the main city on the island of Tenerife, with nearly half of the island's population living in or around it.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Gran Canaria is considered to have a desert climate (Bwh) due to its severe lack of precipitation. Gran Canaria has consistent warm temperatures in spring, summer and autumn, and mild winters. Gran Canaria is noted for its rich variety of microclimates. Generally speaking though, the average daytime high ranges from 20 °C (68 °F) in winter to 26 °C (79 °F) in summer. Some cool nights occur in winter, but lows below 10 °C (50 °F) are unknown near the coast. Inland the climate is still mild but mountainous areas see the occasional frost or snow. Annual rainfall averages 228 mm (9.0 in), most of this falling in the cooler months, with July, August and September normally rainless. Rainfall is unevenly distributed through the island with some areas being much drier than others. Cloud cover and sunshine is often quite variable during the cooler months, and there can be several rather cloudy days at times in winter. Summers are generally quite sunny however, with the south of the island being most favoured.

Climate data for Gran Canaria Airport (1981–2010 normals, 1951-2022 extremes), altitude: 32 m (105 ft)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.5
(85.1) 		30.9
(87.6) 		34.0
(93.2) 		34.3
(93.7) 		36.0
(96.8) 		36.9
(98.4) 		44.2
(111.6) 		39.0
(102.2) 		39.0
(102.2) 		36.0
(96.8) 		36.2
(97.2) 		29.4
(84.9) 		44.2
(111.6)
Average high °C (°F) 20.8
(69.4) 		21.2
(70.2) 		22.3
(72.1) 		22.6
(72.7) 		23.6
(74.5) 		25.3
(77.5) 		26.9
(80.4) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27.2
(81.0) 		26.2
(79.2) 		24.2
(75.6) 		22.2
(72.0) 		24.2
(75.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.9
(64.2) 		18.2
(64.8) 		19.0
(66.2) 		19.4
(66.9) 		20.4
(68.7) 		22.2
(72.0) 		23.8
(74.8) 		24.6
(76.3) 		24.3
(75.7) 		23.1
(73.6) 		21.2
(70.2) 		19.2
(66.6) 		21.1
(70.0)
Average low °C (°F) 15.0
(59.0) 		15.0
(59.0) 		15.7
(60.3) 		16.2
(61.2) 		17.3
(63.1) 		19.2
(66.6) 		20.8
(69.4) 		21.6
(70.9) 		21.4
(70.5) 		20.1
(68.2) 		18.1
(64.6) 		16.2
(61.2) 		18.1
(64.5)
Record low °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4) 		7.5
(45.5) 		6.5
(43.7) 		9.0
(48.2) 		11.3
(52.3) 		12.0
(53.6) 		14.8
(58.6) 		16.0
(60.8) 		14.6
(58.3) 		14.0
(57.2) 		7.0
(44.6) 		9.7
(49.5) 		6.5
(43.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 25
(1.0) 		24
(0.9) 		13
(0.5) 		6
(0.2) 		1
(0.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		9
(0.4) 		16
(0.6) 		22
(0.9) 		31
(1.2) 		151
(5.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 5 21
Mean monthly sunshine hours 184 191 229 228 272 284 308 300 241 220 185 179 2,821
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[35][36]

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Köppen climate classification

Köppen climate classification

The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notably in 1918 and 1936. Later, German climatologist Rudolf Geiger (1894–1981) introduced some changes to the classification system, which is thus sometimes called the Köppen–Geiger climate classification.

Microclimate

Microclimate

A microclimate is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square meters or smaller or as large as many square kilometers. Because climate is statistical, which implies spatial and temporal variation of the mean values of the describing parameters, within a region there can occur and persist over time sets of statistically distinct conditions, that is, microclimates. Microclimates can be found in most places but are most pronounced in topographically dynamic zones such as mountainous areas, islands, and coastal areas.

Precipitation

Precipitation

In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. Precipitation occurs when a portion of the atmosphere becomes saturated with water vapor, so that the water condenses and "precipitates" or falls. Thus, fog and mist are not precipitation but colloids, because the water vapor does not condense sufficiently to precipitate. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated: cooling the air or adding water vapor to the air. Precipitation forms as smaller droplets coalesce via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Short, intense periods of rain in scattered locations are called showers.

Sunshine duration

Sunshine duration

Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years. It is a general indicator of cloudiness of a location, and thus differs from insolation, which measures the total energy delivered by sunlight over a given period.

Agriculture

Gran Canaria agriculture is unique among the Canaries islands in that it was traditionally dominated by plantations, with much of these being grains as well as sugarcane, rather than by stock-breeding.[37] The caves of Valerón (a property of cultural interest in the "archaeological site" category) in the municipality of Santa María de Guía bears testimony of it by being the largest pre-Hispanic collective granary of the Canaries.

Tourism

Puerto de Mogán
Puerto de Mogán
Maspalomas Lighthouse at the southern end of the island
Maspalomas Lighthouse at the southern end of the island
Roque Nublo in the interior of the island
Roque Nublo in the interior of the island

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.[38] 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).[39] 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.

The island possesses 32 Natural Protected Spaces,[40] notably the Rural Park of Nublo, The Doramas Jungle, the Azuaje Ravine, Tamadaba, Pino Santo, etc.

In the south there is a large bird park, Palmitos Park, as well as many beach resort communities. Resorts are concentrated in the central eastern part of the southern coast in the Maspalomas area, which includes the towns of San Agustín, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras. The Maspalomas Dunes are located between Playa del Inglés ("The Englishman's Beach") and the distinctive 19th century Maspalomas lighthouse. Playa del Ingles is home to the Yumbo Centre,[41] which was opened in 1982 and has almost 200 shops, including bars, restaurants, cafes, fashion boutiques, electronic outlets and jewellery stores.

In Tarajalillo, an Aeroclub exists from where tourist flights can be taken over the island.

Still further to the west along the southern shore, in the Municipality of Mogán, are the communities of Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán, a village referred to as "Little Venice" on account of its many canals.

Other attractions include Cocodrilos Park, Roque Nublo (an 80 m monolith), Cenobio de Valerón with more than 350 storage cavities, Painted cave of Galdar the most important archaeological park in Canary Islands, or the botanical gardens Jardín Canario (in Tafira Alta) and Cactualdea (in La Aldea de San Nicolás).

El Dedo de Dios, or "God's Finger", was a rocky spire jutting from the sea in Puerto de las Nieves, and was previously the signature attraction of the Canary Islands until it was destroyed by tropical storm Delta that crossed the archipelago in November 2005.[42]

Other well-known rock formations are El Cura (also known as El Fraile), The Frog (La Rana), Roque Bentayga, the Roque de Gando, and the Peñón Bermejo. Traditionally, the highest peak of the island has been considered to be the Pico de las Nieves, at 1,949 metres (6,394 ft); however, Morro de la Agujereada is taller, at 1,956 metres (6,417 ft).

The capital city is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Canteras beach, a protected area and diving zone, lies in the heart of the city. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also known for its annual carnaval. It was the first stop of Christopher Columbus' expedition on his way back from the Americas,[43] a commemoration of which is the Hermitage of San Antonio Abad, where the navigator prayed, and the Casa de Colón. Other attractions in the capital city include the Museo Canario (the most important archaeology museum in the archipelago), the cathedral and the Plaza del Espíritu Santo. In Teror the shrine of Virgen del Pino ("Virgin of the Pine"), patron saint of Gran Canaria, can be found. Its feast is celebrated on September 8.

The town of Agüimes, on the eastern part of the island, has been carefully restored and its town centre, centered on its old church and a peaceful square, now evokes the quiet living of a traditional Canarian town. The district also has some of the best preserved cave dwellings, in the protected area of the Guayadeque ravine, where even the church has been built into the mountainside and visitors can find a number of popular cave restaurants. The district also includes the most renowned scuba diving area on the island: the marine reserve at the playa de El Cabrón just outside the town of Arinaga.

Other important towns are Telde, known among other things for their surf schools in Salinetas, Vecindario (within the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana) and Gáldar, that contains an important diving zone. In Arucas there is a Neogothic temple, popularly known as "Arucas' Cathedral", as well as a large fertile plain where bananas are grown. In Gáldar and its surroundings there is also a banana-growing plain and some remarkable archaeological remains,[44] such as the Painted cave of Galdar or the cenobio de Valerón's communal silos, ancient tombs (among which the necropolis of Maipés), and the port of Sardina del Norte (one of the island's ports where, as in Las Palmas', Christopher Columbus used to get supplies for his ships).

Heading west along the southern coast is the fishing city of Arguineguín in the Municipality of Mogán.

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Puerto de Mogán

Puerto de Mogán

Puerto de Mogán is a picturesque fishing village and popular marina in the municipality of Mogán, set at the mouth of a steep-sided valley on the south-west coast of the island of Gran Canaria.

Maspalomas Lighthouse

Maspalomas Lighthouse

The Maspalomas Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse at the southern end of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, in the Canary archipelago. It lies at one end of the Maspalomas beach, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the resort town centre, next to the area known as the Maspalomas Dunes.

Man and the Biosphere Programme

Man and the Biosphere Programme

Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

Palmitos Park

Palmitos Park

Palmitos Park is a 20-hectare (49-acre) botanical garden, aviary and zoo on the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

Maspalomas

Maspalomas

Maspalomas is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, stretching from Bahía Feliz in the east to Meloneras in the west, including the resort towns of San Agustín and Playa del Inglés and San Fernando. Maspalomas constitutes the southernmost part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and of the island.

Playa del Inglés

Playa del Inglés

Playa del Inglés is a beach resort in Maspalomas on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and is a popular tourist attraction. The resident population was 7,515 in 2013.

Meloneras

Meloneras

Meloneras is a tourist town on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, part of the town of Maspalomas in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.

Maspalomas Dunes

Maspalomas Dunes

The Maspalomas Dunes are sand dunes located on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria, Province of Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands. A 404-hectare (1,000-acre) area of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, they have been protected as a nature reserve since 1987. They were one of the contenders in the 12 Treasures of Spain competition.

Painted Cave, Galdar

Painted Cave, Galdar

The Painted cave is an archaeological museum and park in the town of Galdar, located the northwest of Grand Canary in the Canary Islands, Spain. This centre is part of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Historic Heritage and Museums of the town council of Grand Canary.

Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo

Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo

Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo is the full name of the botanical garden on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. "Jardín Botánico Canario" means "Botanical Garden of the Canaries", while the additional words "Viera y Clavijo" honor the pioneering Spanish cleric and scholar José Viera y Clavijo (1731–1813), who attempted to found a botanical garden in the Canary Islands in the late eighteenth century.

La Aldea de San Nicolás

La Aldea de San Nicolás

La Aldea de San Nicolás is the westernmost municipality of the island of Gran Canaria in the Las Palmas province of the Canary Islands. Its full name was, until 2005, La Aldea de San Nicolás de Tolentino, and the locals simply call it La Aldea. Its population is 8,228 (2013), and the area is 123.58 km2. Its elevation is about 33m.

El Dedo de Dios

El Dedo de Dios

El Dedo de Dios is a 30 m (98 ft) high sea stack in the Atlantic Ocean, off the northern part of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. During Tropical Storm Delta in November 2005, the thin top of this geological formation broke off and fell into the sea.

Natural symbols

Main article: List of animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands

The official natural symbols associated with Gran Canaria are Canary Mastiff and Euphorbia canariensis (Cardón)[45]

Beaches

  • Playa de Maspalomas
  • Playa de Meloneras
  • Playa de las Canteras
  • Playa Dedo de Dios
  • Playa de Güi Güi
  • Playa de Amadores
  • Playa de Tufia y Aguadulce
  • Playa de Tiritaña

Protected natural areas

The "Dunas de Maspalomas", in southern Gran Canaria
The "Dunas de Maspalomas", in southern Gran Canaria

Nearly half of the island territory — 667 km2 (258 sq mi) (42.7% of island) — is under protection from the Red Canaria de Espacios Naturales Protegidos (Canary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areas). Of the 146 protected sites under control of network in the Canary Islands archipelago,[46] a total of 33 are located in Gran Canaria, the second most protected island in the group. [47] There are seven different categories of protection:

  1. Six nature reserves — El Brezal, Azuaje, Los Tilos de Moya, Los Marteles, Las Dunas de Maspalomas and Güigüi (total 7,153.1 ha)
  2. Two integral nature reserves — Inagua and Barranco Oscuro (total 3,955,5 ha)
  3. Two natural parks — Tamadaba and Pilancones (total 13,333 ha)
  4. Two rural parks — Nublo and Doramas (total 29,893.4 ha)
  5. Ten natural monuments — Amagro, Bandama, Montañón Negro, Roque de Aguayro, Tauro, Arinaga, Barranco de Guayadeque, Riscos de Tirajana, Roque Nublo and Barranco del Draguillo (total 5,264.9 ha)
  6. Seven protected landscapes — La Isleta (in the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), Pino Santo, Tafira, Las Cumbres, Lomo Magullo, Fataga and Montaña de Agüimes (total 12,680.9 ha)
  7. Four sites of scientific interest — Jinámar, Tufia, Roque de Gando and Juncalillo del Sur (total 276.2 ha).[40]

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Maspalomas Dunes

Maspalomas Dunes

The Maspalomas Dunes are sand dunes located on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria, Province of Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands. A 404-hectare (1,000-acre) area of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, they have been protected as a nature reserve since 1987. They were one of the contenders in the 12 Treasures of Spain competition.

Canary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areas

Canary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areas

The Canary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areas is a conservation organization in the Canary Islands.

Nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park. Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves.

Nature park

Nature park

A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present ecological state and promoted for ecotourism purposes.

Pilancones

Pilancones

Pilancones Natural Park is located in San Bartolomé de Tirajana municipality on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Its area is 5794.4 ha. It adjoins Roque Nublo country park to the north, and Fataga protected area to the east. The park plays an important role in soil protection and the replenishment of an aquifer, along which there are several ravines running southward which are of geomorphological interest and landscape value. The pine forests on hilltops are a well-preserved habitat with abundant bird life. The park also harbours several varieties of cactus and spurge, and a number of aquatic habitats. The park takes its name from natural pools, formerly known locally as pilancones, which remain after the runoff of water. Throughout the area there are threatened animal and plant species, and features of scientific interest.

Natural monument

Natural monument

A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.

Protected area

Protected area

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved. Generally speaking though, protected areas are understood to be those in which human presence or at least the exploitation of natural resources is limited.

Las Palmas

Las Palmas

Las Palmas, officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

Site of Special Scientific Interest

A site of special scientific interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an area of special scientific interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. SSSI/ASSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation. The acronym "SSSI" is often pronounced "triple-S I".

Music

  • Phalmuter (2006−present), a Spanish heavy metal/hard rock band from Gran Canaria.

Science and technology

Gran Canaria space tracking station
Gran Canaria space tracking station

In the 1960s, Gran Canaria was selected as the location for one of the 14 ground stations in the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN) to support the NASA space program. Maspalomas Station, located in the south of the island, took part in a number of space missions including the Apollo 11 Moon landings and Skylab. Today it continues to support satellite communications as part of the ESA network.[48]

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Manned Space Flight Network

Manned Space Flight Network

The Manned Space Flight Network was a set of tracking stations built to support the American Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab space programs.

NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.

Maspalomas Station

Maspalomas Station

Maspalomas Station is an INTA-operated, ESTRACK radio antenna ground station for communication with spacecraft located at the southern area of Gran Canaria island, on the INTA campus. It is situated on the Montaña Blanca hill and is visible from the coastal resort of Meloneras, close to Maspalomas. It was originally established in the 1960s to support NASA's nascent human spaceflight program.

Apollo 11

Apollo 11

Apollo 11 was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later, and they spent about two and a quarter hours together exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base upon landing. Armstrong and Aldrin collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth as pilot Michael Collins flew the Command Module Columbia in lunar orbit, and were on the Moon's surface for 21 hours, 36 minutes before lifting off to rejoin Columbia.

Skylab

Skylab

Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three separate three-astronaut crews: Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4. Major operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation, and hundreds of experiments.

Sports

2014 game between Herbalife Gran Canaria and Unicaja.
2014 game between Herbalife Gran Canaria and Unicaja.

The island is home to CB Gran Canaria – a basketball club playing in Liga ACB at the Gran Canaria Arena, with a capacity of 11,000. The island is also home to UD Las Palmas – a football club playing in Segunda División at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, with a capacity of 32,392.

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CB Gran Canaria

CB Gran Canaria

Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria – Claret, S.A.D., is a professional basketball club based in Las Palmas, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the Gran Canaria Arena. From 2012 until 2021, they have been sponsored by Herbalife.

Baloncesto Málaga

Baloncesto Málaga

Baloncesto Málaga, S.A.D., for sponsorship reasons named Unicaja, is a Spanish professional basketball team that is based in Málaga, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the Basketball Champions League. The team is sponsored by the Spanish bank Unicaja.

Liga ACB

Liga ACB

The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, with the two lowest-placed teams relegated to the LEB Oro and replaced by the top team in that division plus the winner of the promotion playoffs.

Gran Canaria Arena

Gran Canaria Arena

Gran Canaria Arena, originally known as Palacio Multiusos de Gran Canaria, is an indoor sporting arena located in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. The arena, opened in 2014 by Mariano Rajoy, has a capacity of 11,470 spectators and is the home arena of CB Gran Canaria.

UD Las Palmas

UD Las Palmas

Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas, on the island of Gran Canaria in the autonomous community of Canary Islands. Founded on 22 August 1949, it plays in Segunda División, holding home games at the Estadio Gran Canaria, with a capacity of 32,400 seats. The club traditionally play in yellow shirts with blue shorts and socks.

Segunda División

Segunda División

The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, also known as LaLiga 2, and commercially known as LaLiga SmartBank for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spanish football league system. Administrated by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, it is contested by 22 teams, with the top two teams plus the winner of a play-off promoted to LaLiga and replaced by the three lowest-placed teams in that division.

Source: "Gran Canaria", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 28th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Canaria.

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Further Reading

Canary Islands

Province of Las Palmas

Las Palmas

Arguineguín

Lanzarote

Yaiza (municipality)

Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria

San Bartolomé de Tirajana

Maspalomas

Autopista GC-1

Pico de las Nieves

List of companies based in the Canary Islands

Pechiguera Lighthouse

Caves of Valeron

Four Doors cave site, Telde

El Maipés Necropolis

Tren de Gran Canaria

Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria
See also
Bibliography
  • Andrews, Sarah; Quintero, Josephine (2007). Canary Islands. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1741045956.

Geology of Gran Canaria

  • Carracedo, Juan Carlos; Day, Simon (2002). Canary Islands. Terra (Harpenden). ISBN 978-1741045956., pp. 97–136
References
  1. ^ Population referred to the January 1, 2019 Archived 31 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  3. ^ Roach, Peter (2011). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15253-2.
  4. ^ Population referred to the January 1, 2018 Archived 31 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Situación y Clima. Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Archived 2010-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ ISTAC: Estadísticas de la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias Archived 2010-11-14 at the Wayback Machine (Statistics for the Canaries) on gobiernodecanarias.org.
  7. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). 29 December 2018.
  8. ^ Troll, Valentin R.; Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Alejandro; Deegan, Frances M.; Perez-Torrado, Francisco José; Carracedo, Juan Carlos; Thomaidis, Konstantinos; Geiger, Harri; Meade, Fiona C. (March 2019). "Sacred ground; the Maipés necropolis of north-west Gran Canaria". Geology Today. 35 (2): 55–62. doi:10.1111/gto.12262. S2CID 134369618.
  9. ^ a b c Glas, Gregor (2010). The History of the discovery of the discovery and conquest of the Canary Islands. Canary Islands. p. 87. ISBN 9788461418534.
  10. ^ a b Glas, Gregor (2010), p.88
  11. ^ Carracedo, Juan Carlos; Troll, Valentin R. (2021-01-01). "North-East Atlantic Islands: The Macaronesian Archipelagos". Encyclopedia of Geology. pp. 674–699. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-102908-4.00027-8. ISBN 9780081029091. S2CID 226588940.
  12. ^ "The Geology of the Canary Islands - 1st Edition". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  13. ^ a b Araña, V and Carracedo, J.C: Canarian Volcanoes, Volume 3: Gran Canaria, pp. 8, 24. Editorial Rueda, Madrid, 1978.
  14. ^ "The Geology of the Canary Islands - 1st Edition". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  15. ^ Oscillations of up to 400 m (1,300 ft) in the level corresponding to sea level have occurred in geological history. The highest point known is in the Bay of El Confital, Las Palmas (130 m, 430 ft above current sea level) while subaerial materials have been extracted from a well at 230 m (750 ft) below sea level in the area of La Aldea. Araña, V and Carracedo, J.C: Canarian Volcanoes, Volume 3: Gran Canaria, pp. 13. Editorial Rueda, Madrid, 1978.
  16. ^ a b c Reforestación de las cumbres de Gran Canaria
  17. ^ “Con lo que cuesta un Jumbo se puede reforestar toda Gran Canaria”
  18. ^ a b "Government of Gran Canaria". www.spain-grancanaria.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Historia del Cabildo - Cabildo de Gran Canaria". cabildo.grancanaria.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  20. ^ Census at 1 November 2001: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  21. ^ Census at 1 November 2011: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  22. ^ Estimate at 1 January 2019: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  23. ^ Population referred to the January 1, 2018 Archived 31 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Intercambiadores y Paradas Preferentes | Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria". www.autgc.org (in Spanish). Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria. Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  25. ^ "Tarjeta TransGC". www.autgc.org (in Spanish). Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Gran Canaria - Global SU". Global SU. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Líneas y Horarios". Global SU (in European Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  28. ^ "La Empresa: Global". Global (in European Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Guaguas Municipales | Quiénes somos". Guaguas Municipales (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  30. ^ "Entrada en los aeropuertos canarios según islas". Archived from the original on 13 November 2010.
  31. ^ "Cadiz to Las Palmas ferry tickets, compare times and prices". www.directferries.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  32. ^ "Agaete to Santa Cruz de Tenerife ferry tickets, compare times and prices". www.directferries.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  33. ^ "Gran Canaria train details announced - Gran Canaria - Gran Canaria - ISLANDCONNECTIONS.EU". Island Connections. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  34. ^ "Estado y Cabildo pactan cerrar los proyectos del tren en 2018". www.canarias7.es (in European Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  35. ^ "Standard Climate Values. Gran Canaria Aeropuerto".
  36. ^ "Extreme values. Gran Canaria Aeropuerto". AEMET. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  37. ^ Cenobio de Valeron, section "El yacimiento arqueologico". On arqueologiacanaria.com.
  38. ^ Gran Canaria – Official Canary Islands Tourism
  39. ^ "Situation Of The Tourism Sector, Year Ending 2014". The Official Gran Canaria Tourist Website. Cabildo de Gran Canaria. Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  40. ^ a b "Espacios Naturales Protegidos de Gran Canaria Font: Gobierno de Canarias". Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  41. ^ "Yumbo Centre - Maspalomas - Gran Canaria". Archived from the original on 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  42. ^ BBC NEWS - Tropical Storm Delta batters Canaries.
  43. ^ Andrews & Quintero 2007, p. 29.
  44. ^ Interactive map of Heritage sites on Grand Canary island Archived 2016-08-18 at the Wayback Machine. On estodotuyo.com, site on Heritage assets by the council of Grand Canary.
  45. ^ Ley 7/1991, de 30 de abril, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias
  46. ^ Red Canaria de Espacios Naturales Protegidos Archived 2016-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ "Relación de los Espacios Naturales protegidos de Gran Canaria". Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  48. ^ "Maspalomas station". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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