The highest density in Spain
With over 2.2 million inhabitants, the Canaries represent "only" 4.51% of the Spanish population, but at the same time, the Canary Islands occupy "only" 1.5% of Spanish territory. And it's this restricted space that is the primary characteristic of its population structure: an archipelago with a high population density of just over 292 inhabitants per km², around three times the national average. Most of the population is concentrated on the two islands with provincial capitals, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. These have always been the most densely populated, benefiting from inter-island immigration from the smaller to the larger islands, and now account for over 80% of the archipelago's total population (almost 43% for Tenerife and 40% for Gran Canaria). In 2023, Tenerife had over 944,000 inhabitants, Gran Canaria over 857,000, Lanzarote over 159,000, Fuerteventura over 124,000, La Palma 83,800, La Gomera over 22,000 and El Hierro over 11,600. In the same year, Las Palmas had the highest number of inhabitants (over 378,000), followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife (over 209,000). The birth rate and population pyramid have changed considerably over the last few decades. The strong population growth of the 1960s led to a rather young age pyramid in the 1980s, with 50% of the population under the age of 30. Today, the situation is very different. Whereas 25 years ago the Canaries had the second-highest fertility rate in Spain, today the archipelago has an average rate of 0.8 children per woman. This decline is explained, as in Spain, by the later age at first childbirth, the economic crisis and the absence of real family policies. Like the rest of Spain, the Canaries see a future marked by an aging population, particularly on the westernmost islands: La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, also considered the poorest islands of the archipelago.
Emigration and immigration
They are part of the DNA of the Canaries, who pride themselves on a culture that bears the trace of multiple foreign influences. Historically speaking, there are three main types of contribution. The aboriginal Guanche culture, although fought against by the Spanish conquerors, has left its mark on crafts, sports (Canarian wrestling), festivals (Virgen de la Candelaría or Rama d'Agaete), cuisine ( gofio) and the way places, fauna and flora are named. The European influence was mainly Spanish, notably Andalusian and Galician, and Portuguese, and to a lesser extent Italian, Belgian, British and French. This influence can be seen in the folk dances and music that use the timple and acclimatize the Andalusian seguidillas or malagueñas, in the architecture and, of course, in the fiestas and romerías that have become signs of the "canariedad". Last but not least, Latin American culture, particularly Cuban and Venezuelan, has influenced the language, the cuisine, with the famous "papas arrugadas", and the musical folklore, with musical rhythms such as the bolero. Today, the Canary archipelago records an annual average of 50,000 new residents. They are divided into three groups. More than half come from the Iberian Peninsula, attracted to the Canaries by job opportunities in tourism and construction. The second group is made up of northern Europeans, mainly Germans and Britons, who aspire to live in sunnier surroundings. Some work in tourism, while others are retiring here. Finally, North Africans, sub-Saharan Africans and Eastern Europeans make up the third, more invisible and less easily quantifiable pole of immigration. However, after being replaced by the Mediterranean route, the illegal immigration route via the Canary Islands saw its numbers explode in 2023. With 40,500 migrants arriving in the Canaries in 2023 (70% of all arrivals in Spain), the previous record figure of 36,000 arrivals in 2006 via illegal immigration from the pateras has been surpassed. This figure did not fall at the start of 2024, with an estimated 25 times more migrants arriving in January 2024 than in January 2023. Many of them arrived via La Restinga, a small port on El Hierro, before being distributed to the other islands and mainland France.
Intonations and whistle
Canary Islanders speak Spanish with a much more lilting accent than that of the peninsula, adopting the rapid rhythm of the Andalusians and sometimes recalling that of South America. As in these accents, the "s" is almost elided and replaced by an aspiration ([h]), almost imperceptible, especially at the end of the word. Thus you will not say muchas gracias but mucha gracia and prefer buena tarde to the usual buenas tardes. In Tenerife, you will hear about the village of Mahca, while reading Masca on the map. The "g" is also weakly pronounced, especially in front of a "u". And although it is less noticeable, vowels are also sometimes pronounced differently, with close vowels (o and u, e and i) often being confused. Another discreet but real heritage is that of the Guanches, who passed on to the conquistadores a vocabulary related to goat breeding ("goat" is said baifo and not cabrito) or to other agricultural activities (a goro is a stone enclosure), to the designation of an animal (the perenquén is the characteristic lizard of Gran Canaria) or to a local plant, the tabaiba. Note that some archaic Castilian expressions are still used: "the day before yesterday" is said antier and not antes de ayer), as well as words with other meanings(luz meaning light, but also electricity). Finally, you may have the opportunity to hear the silbo, a whistled language specific to La Gomera, but also practiced in El Hierro, the only pre-Hispanic language preserved, but now adapted to the Spanish language (26 sounds of Castilian in 6 sounds of silbo, with multiple variations). Integrated into schooling since 1999, it was included in 2009 in the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO and would be practiced by about 22,000 people. In 2019, it was honored at the Cannes Film Festival with the presentation of the film La Gomera directed by Corneliu Borumboiu, which presents its learning and new uses.
