History History

It is believed that it was at this time that the very first settlement of the Canary Islands took place via immigration from North Africa, probably of Berber origin for the most part. Called Aboriginal peoples, but mainly Guanches. According to current research, the most important "Guanche" settlement would have taken place in two phases, the first around the 6th century BC. (an 'archaic' Berber settlement) and the second in the 1st century AD, consisting of Romanised Berber settlements.

The writings of Greek poets and philosophers such as Homer or Hesiod suggest that the Canary Islands were known to the Western world from ancient times and have fed Greek mythology. Which made it the site of the Champs Elysees and the Garden of Hesperides. Later, others saw there the remains of Atlantis or the sunken continent mentioned by Plato in the Timaeus and Critias.

Although researchers have identified historical references to the Canary Islands in the works of Greek historians such as Plutarch, it is the Roman Pliny the Elder who gives the most accurate description in his work Naturalis Historia, which tells of an expedition carried out by the king of Mauritania, Juba II. Pliny the Elder gave it the name of Canaria, derived from Canis, dog, designating at first Gran Canaria, then the whole archipelago.

The world map drawn by the astrophysicist Ptolemy shows the zero meridian at the western end of the island of El Hierro. Moved to the longitude of Greenwich in 1883.

It marks the "rediscovery" of the Canary Islands by Europeans during their expansion via the Atlantic. With a succession of visits by Majorcan, Portuguese and Genoese sailors, and culminating in the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Facilitated by the progress of navigation and driven by the desire to find the most direct access possible to the gold of Central Africa, this movement would profoundly change the course of the history of the Canary Islands.

It was the Genoese Lancelot Maloisel who first landed on Lanzarote. Followed by other Portuguese and Majorcan explorers. And in 1344, Luis de la Cerda, related to the royal family of Castile, received the title of King of the Canary Islands from Pope Clement VI. He will never go there and his title, very symbolic, will pass to a Norman, Robert de Bracamonte, who will not enjoy it any more.

Jean de Béthencourt's expedition to Lanzarote marked the beginning of the real conquest of the Canary Islands, which was carried out on the initiative of private individuals and not at the request of the Crown of Castile. Even though Jean de Béthencourt recognised himself as vassal of the King of Castile, the latter appointed him King of the Canary Islands. After Lanzarote, this conquest of "lords" will include Fuerteventura, El Hierro and La Gomera. Whose surrenders were facilitated by their small population.

Born in the land of Caux, it was he who conquered Lanzarote in 1402. He was later appointed King of the Canary Islands by Henry III of Castile, thus harming his Castilian associate Gadifer de La Salle. If he seized Fuerteventura and El Hierro without difficulty in 1405, he would fail against the Guanches on Gran Canaria and La Palma. In the conquered islands, he brought Spanish and Norman settlers. He must have left a large number of descendants since today the name Béthencourt is quite often used.

The "lords" who made the first conquest ceded their rights to the Catholic Monarchs over Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife, the latter still to be conquered. And this is the beginning of the "royal" conquest, carried out at the request of the Kingdom of Castile. It would prove to be more difficult, as the territories were more populated, better organised and the relief more rugged.

It took Juan Rejon's Spanish troops five years to conquer the two Gancho kingdoms of Gran Canaria, Galdar in the west and Telde in the east.

Christopher Columbus' first journey to the Indies was via the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands became an essential passage in the conquest of the New World and a strategic hub for the commercial traffic that followed. That same year, the Andalusian governor of the Canary Islands, Alonso Fernández de Lugo, obtained the right to conquer Tenerife and La Palma. The conquest of the latter was completed in 1493 with the capture of the indigenous chieftain Tanausu.

The peace of the Realejos completes the reconquest of the last island, Tenerife. Obtained after a long battle that begins with a Guanche victory in the first battle of Acentejo, in 1494, followed by guerrilla warfare and two Castilian victories: Aguere and the second battle of Acentejo. This conquest was also made possible by the division of the Guanches into 9 kingdoms, some of which sided with Alonso Menéndez de Lugo.

This "Rey Grande" was the symbol of the Guanche resistance in Tenerife. At the age of 69, this mencey, king of Taoro, which today corresponds to the Orotava Valley, led and won the first battle against the conquistadors led by Fernández de Lugo in the barranco of Acentejo. When the Spaniards returned a year later in 1495, he again led the battle near La Laguna, but he died there after several hours of battle.

Many Spaniards, mainly Andalusians, Basques and Galicians colonized the islands and introduced two main products, sugar and wine. Starting with sugar cane, the product most consumed by the European elites, which will become the first export of the Canary Islands and its "calling card" in the new global economy. This was the case until America gave it too much competition at the end of the 16th century. The sugar crisis will lead to the beginning of the cultivation of the vine, the Malvasia grape variety. The wines produced are mainly sent to England. At that time, sugar, rum and wine were shipped directly to buyers, thus escaping the monopoly on trade to the New World exercised by the Spanish crown via the Casa de Contratación de Sevilla and making the Canary Islands ports play an essential role in trade to America. At the same time, the region logically became a zone of assaults by privateers and pirates.

American competition, independence of the colonies, lack of complementarity in trade with the metropolis and numerous droughts will be the cause of a serious crisis in Canary Islands agricultural exports. This will lead to great misery and the beginning of a mass exodus to Cuba, Puerto Rico and other young American republics that will last until the middle of the 19th century.

The 18th century also saw an increase in the number of privateer attacks, but the most famous attack was of course the one led by Admiral Nelson against the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This offensive opposed an armada of 4,000 British to 500 Spanish soldiers led by General Gutiérrez, assisted by a French detachment and some local militias. It will nevertheless result in the failure of Nelson who will lose his arm.

In response to the economic crisis and exile that continued into the 19th century, the adoption of a free port status established the principle of free trade for the Canary Islands. It will allow important trade relations with England, to which cochineal and prickly pear will be exported, in particular, to be used as natural dyes for the English textile industry, and then tomatoes and bananas when artificial dyes appear.

After years of rivalry between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria over the choice of capital, the Primo de Rivera regime created a second province, that of Las Palmas, with authority over the entire eastern Canary Islands, replacing the old system in which Santa Cruz de Tenerife ruled all the islands. The latter now takes care of the western Canary Islands.

It was in the forest of Esperanza, north of Tenerife, that General Franco, then commander general of the Canary Islands, prepared the army uprising against the government of the Spanish Republic. This marked the beginning of a civil war that would last until 1939. This was followed by a dictatorship that ended with Franco's death in 1975. In the Canary Islands, these years will again be those of poverty and exile. Until the tourist boom of the 1960s opened up an economic alternative, which is still decisive today.

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 laid the foundations for the status of autonomous community and in 1982 the Canary Islands were granted this status. By the "slow way", which triggered many debates within the Canarian political parties. They wanted their autonomous status to be aligned with that of so-called "historic" nations such as Galicia. And in 1996, the reform of this status recognizes the Canary Islands' rank of nationality and takes into account its character as an isolated island territory. Today, the Canary Islands would like to see this status changed again.

On January^1, 1986, Spain joined the European Union. However, the Canary Islands enjoy a special status, the OR (Ultra Peripheral Region), guaranteed by the Treaty of Amsterdam since 1999. Community law applies there, but a differentiated treatment takes into account their remoteness, their insularity, their small size and their economic dependence for many products.

It is the date of the creation of the political party Coalición Canaria, which brings together several nationalist parties. For a long time a majority in the Canarian Parliament, it has elected many presidents of the Canarian Government since its creation and until 2019, allying itself either with the PP (Partido Popular, right) or with the PSOE (Socialist Workers' Party of Spain, left). However, since 16 July 2019, the PSOE is at the head of the Canary Islands Government.

Inauguration of the GranTeCan (Canary Islands Large Telescope), 10.4 m in diameter, one of the largest in the world, located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma.

The Canarian nationalists approve the application of Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which suspends the autonomy of Catalonia after its declaration of independence (IUD).

Tenerife hosts the 18th World Women's Basketball Championship, won by the United States and in which Spain will take third place.

In August, Gran Canaria suffered one of its worst fires: nearly 1,000 hectares of land were destroyed over a 112-km perimeter. 84% of the affected areas were protected natural areas, including the Tamadaba Natural Park, one of the island's green lungs.

In the spring of 2020, as in the rest of the world, the Canaries are facing a health crisis. With the closure of borders, establishments and health checks at the frontiers, the islands were able to quickly welcome travelers. Many French people took advantage of the situation to come and telework.

For 3 months, the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on the island of La Palma. Damage is estimated at 900 million euros, and a new peak, Ttajogaité (municipality of El Paso), is born.

Municipal elections in Spain and the Canaries. And regional elections for 11 regions including the Canaries.

With almost 15,000 hectares of forest devastated, the north of the island of Tenerife is experiencing its worst fire in 40 years.