Tenerife: Difference between revisions

Tenerife
Tenerife
Island
	View looking across to Mt Teide, the highest point View looking across to Mt Teide, the highest point
	Flag
	Satellite image
	Map of Tenerife
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Canary Islands
Province	Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Largest City	Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Pop. 221,627)
Area
• Total	785 sq mi (2,034 km2)
Population (2006)
• Total	852,945
• Density	1,090/sq mi (419/km2)
• Ethnicities	Spanish other minority groups
Time zone	UTC+1
Highest Point	Teide (3,718 metres (12,198 ft))

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Tenerife (previously known and spelled as "Teneriffe" in English, before mass tourism adopted the Spanish spelling), a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Tenerife is the island with more population of Canaries and of Spain.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island and the head of the island government (cabildo insular). It is also officially capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands together with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with whom it shares 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. Also the Teide is 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 inhabitans 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. ^[1]. 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. ^[2]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 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.^[3]^[4]

Demonym

The formal demonym used to refer to the people of Tenerife is tinerfeño/a", also used colloquially is the term "Chicharrero/a", ^[5]. 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 fisherman of Santa Cruz. It was used in reference to the fisherman who would survive by catching poor quality mackerel and the citizens that ate potatoes of a low quality. ^[5] However, as Santa Cruz grew in commerce and statuts, 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.^[5]

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. ^[6] (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.^[6] 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. ^[7]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. ^[7] 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, a mencey existed, a title given to the monarch or king of the guanches of Tenerife, that governed a "menceyato" or territory, later referred to as "captainships" 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 today would be similar to municipalities.^[8] The menceyatos and their menceyes (by descendants order) were the following:

Taoro: Menceyes: Bentinerfe, Inmobach, Bencomo and Bentor. Today this territory is made up with 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

Also was the Achimenceyato of Punta del Hidalgo, governed by Aguahuco a "poor noble", who was an illegitimate son of Tinerfe and Zebenzui.

Spanish conquest

Alonso Fernandez de Lugo presenting the native kings of Tenerife to Ferdinand and Isabella

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. ^[9] 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 (Spanish: bando de paz) and the side of war (Spanish: bando de guerra), 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 Castille at the Battle of Aguere and the Second Battle of Acentejo ending the conquest in September 1496.^[9]

As in the rest of the islands, many of the natives were turned into slavery, 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.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[11]

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.^[11]

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.^[12]

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 (Spanish: Tigre) as he was trying to disembark on the Paso Alto coast.^[10]

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 (Spanish: Acantilados de Los Gigantes).

The island was also attacked by numerous other men, mostly English including Robert Blake, Walter Raleigh, John Hawkins, Woodes Rogers, amongst others.^[13]

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.^[14] 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 in history until the September 11, 2001 attacks, and remains the deadliest aviation accident in history.

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 together in synchronicity. 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 17th 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 have not had any fatal victim.^[15]

Geography

Tenerife is a rugged and volcanic island sculpted by successive eruptions throughout its history (the most recent was at Chinyero in 1909).^[16]

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 300 km (186 mi) from the African continent, and approximately 1,000 km (621 mi) from the Iberian Peninsula.^[17]Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary Islands archipelago, with a surface area of 2,034.38 km² (785 sq mi)^[18] and the longest coastline amounting to 342 km (213 mi).^[19]

In addition, the highest point, Mount Teide, with an elevation of 3,718 m (12,198 ft) above sea level is the highest point in all of Spain. ^[20] It comprises about 200 small barren islands or large rocks including Roques de Anaga, Roque de Garachico, and Fasnia adding a further 213,835 m² (2,301,701 sq ft) to the total area. ^[21]

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. ^[22]

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.^[22]

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.^[23]

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).^[22]

Subsequently, upon the ruins of Cañadas Structure I would emerge Cañadas Structure II (Edificio Cañadas II), which was 2,500 meters above sea level, and would also emerge with intense explosive activity.

About 1,000,000 years ago would emerge the Dorsal Range (Cordillera Dorsal) 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.^[22]

About 800,000 years ago, two gravitacional landslides would occur, living rise to the present day valleys of La Orotava and Güímar.^[22]

Finally, in more recent times (approx. 200,000 years), eruptions started that would raise the Pico Viejo-Teide area in the center of the island, over the Las Cañadas caldera.^[22]

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 130 km² (50 sq mi) 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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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. ^[25]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. ^[26]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.

Cliffs/Massifs

The Anaga cliffs (Macizo de Anaga), located on the northeastern end of the island, have an irregular and unique topographical profile, rising at Cruz de Taborno with a height of 1,024 meters. Due to the age of the rock (5.7 M. a.), and the deep erosive processes that have shaped it, there are numerous roques that appear in the area and a high number of steep precipices that exists. The cliffs dominate the coastline of Anaga which is why few beaches exist, except in areas between precipices where occasionally rocks and a small area of black sand appears. ^[22]^[24]^[10]

The Teno Cliffs (Macizo de Teno) are located in the far northwest. As with Anaga, this is an area of deep ravines and rock that has been heavily influenced by erosion. However, the materials here are older, being about 7.4 million years old. The Gala Mountain at 1342 meters represents its highest elevation. The Acantilados de Los Gigantes, further south have vertical walls which reach heights of up to 500 meters.^[22]^[24]^[10]

The Adeje cliffs (Macizo de Adeje) are located on the southern tip of the island, rising to prominence at Roque del Conde, with an elevation of 1001 meters. This cliff is not as significant as the others, being of a small structure, but this is because of the intense erosion and geological processes which over thousands of years has seen it lose its original appearance and size.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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 750 m (2,461 ft), to the center of the island, near the Caldera de Las Cañadas, with Izaña, as its highest point at 2,350 m (7,710 ft) (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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

Valleys

Panorama of the La Orotava Valley with Teide in the background

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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

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..^[22]^[24]^[10]

Coastline

La Montaña Roja, La Tejita beach, Southern area

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.^[27]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.^[22]^[24]^[10]

Climate

Tenerife is known internationally as the "Island of Eternal Spring" (Isla de la Eterna Primavera).^[28] 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.^[24] 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. ^[29]

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.^[24]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 the European doctors, 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. ^[30]

Climate data for Tenerife
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source 1: ^[31]
Source 2: ^[32]

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 absorbtion 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.^[33]

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 mainly from water galleries of which there are thousands on the island, important systems that serve to extract its hydrological resources.^[34]

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. ^[35] 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.^[36] Water is generally of a very high quality, since all the beaches of the island of Tenerife have been catalogued by the Ministry of Health and Consumption as waters suitable for bathing. ^[37]

Flora and Fauna

The island of Tenerife has a remarkable ecological diversity in spite of its small surface area, which is a consequence of 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, some of them, well over a hundred, are entirely endemic to Tenerife.^[38]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. ^[38]

Protected natural areas

Practically half of the island (48.6%), ^[39] 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, ^[40] a total of 43 are located in Tenerife, the most protected island in the group. ^[41] 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^[42] 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 (Spanish: Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias) and regulated by Law 14/1990, of 26 July 1990, of the Régimen Jurídico de las Administraciones Públicas de Canarias.^[43]

The Cabildo is composed of the following administration offices; Presidency, Legislative Body, Government Council, Informative Commissions, Junta de Portavoces.

Municipalities

The island, itself a Spanish province named Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is divided administratively into 31 municipalities.

De todos ellos, sólo tres no tienen costa: Tegueste, El Tanque y Vilaflor que destaca además por ser el municipio más alto de toda Canarias al tener su capital a 1.400 metros de altitud.

The largest municipality with 207.31 sq km is La Orotava, which covers much of the Teide National Park. The smallest town on the island of the archipelago and is Puerto de la Cruz, with an area smaller than 9 sq. km.^[44]

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 the list of all the municipalities in the island alphabetically:

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.^[45]

El escudo heráldico de Tenerife fue otorgado mediante diploma real el 23 de marzo de 1510, concedido por el Rey Don Fernando V "El Católico", fue expedido en Madrid a nombre de su hija Doña Juana I, Reina de Castilla. El escudo se describe en campo de oro, con un San Miguel (pues la isla fue conquistada el día de San Miguel) armado superando a una montaña de su color natural de la que brotan llamas, y que representa al pico del Teide. Bajo esta montaña la isla de sinople sobre ondas azul y plata. A la derecha se observa un castillo de gules, y a la izquierda un león rampante de gules. El escudo que usa el Cabildo Insular se diferencia del que usa el Ayuntamiento de La Laguna en el lema que aparece en la bordura y en el añadido de unas ramas de palma.^[46]

Según una ley del Gobierno de Canarias los símbolos naturales de la isla son el pinzón azul y el drago.^[47]

Demography

Locals at the Semana Santa in Los Realejos

La isla de Tenerife, la más poblada del archipiélago, albergaba a fecha de 1 de enero de 2007 y según fuentes del INE un total de 865.070 habitantes censados, de los cuáles, alrededor de un 25% (220.902 habitantes) lo estaban en su capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, y cerca del 50% (424.200 personas)^[48] en su área metropolitana.

A la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife le siguen en población 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) y Puerto de la Cruz (31.131). Hasta ahí los municipios que sobrepasan los 30.000 habitantes. El municipio de Vilaflor es el que cuenta con menor población de toda la isla (1.900). Además, Tenerife registra un muy alto nivel de población no censada, que el elevado número de turistas que recibe anualmente y los crecientes fenómenos migratorios lo ponen de manifiesto.

En los últimos años Tenerife ha experimentado un notable crecimiento de la población muy por encima de la media estatal. En el año 1990 un total de 663.306 habitantes estaban censados en la isla, cifra que aumentó hasta los 709.365 habitantes en el año 2000. Esos datos reflejan un incremento en 46.059 personas o lo que es lo mismo, un crecimiento del 0,69% anual en el decenio 1990-2000. Sin embargo, en los últimos siete años, (2000-2007) la tasa de crecimiento se ha multiplicado por 4 o por 5 hasta llegar al 3,14% anual. La población ha aumentado en este último intervalo de tiempo en un total de 155.705 personas hasta alcanzar la cifra actual de 865.070 habitantes.^[49]

Esos resultados reafirman la dinámica actual de poblaciones en España, donde desde finales del siglo pasado el importante número de inmigrantes llegados ha permitido invertir el panorama que, el hundimiento de la tasa de fertilidad, había dibujado desde 1976. Desde 2001 la tasa de crecimiento en España se ha situado en torno al 1,7% anual contrastando con el 3,14% que ha experimentado la isla de Tenerife, uno de los territorios del Estado que mayor incremento ha sufrido en tal periodo.^[50]

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.^[51]

Tourism

Puerto de la Cruz, in the North, also during winter and thus featuring background snowy mountains

Santa Cruz de Tenerife as seen from San Andres' Industrial Estate

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).

Como se indicaba en el párrafo anterior, la economía de Tenerife, al igual que la de otras islas de Canarias, se basa fundamentalmente en el turismo (60% del PIB). Ya en el siglo XIX y gran parte del XX destacaba la afluencia de turismo extranjero, sobre todo del inglés debido a los intereses agrarios que poseía en esta isla.

Más tarde con las guerras mundiales este sector se resiente, pero entrada la segunda mitad del pasado siglo comienza a evolucionar de un modo muy notable. En un principio destaca el Puerto de la Cruz por su bondadoso clima y por todos los atractivos que el Valle norteño de La Orotava concentraba, pero persiguiendo captar el turismo de sol y playa, alrededor de 1980 nace el boom turístico del sur de Tenerife, donde destacan ciudades como Arona o Adeje, en torno a núcleos turísticos como Los Cristianos o Playa de Las Américas que hoy albergan más del 65% de las plazas hoteleras de toda la isla. Tenerife recibe cada año más de 5.000.000 de turistas, siendo de este modo, de entre todo el archipiélago canario, la isla preferida a este respecto. Sin embargo, este dato también pone de manifiesto la gran cantidad de recursos que esta actividad consume (espacio, energía, agua, etc.).^[10]^[52]

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife the Torres de Santa Cruz (towers of Santa Cruz), these sky-scrapers are with 120 meters, without counting the antennas or lightning rod, the highest sky-scrapers in the city and of the Archipelago Canary, and also residentially are the highest towers in Spain, they are next to the Tenerife Auditorium, in downtown. The Tenerife Auditorium is the best modern building of Canaries.

Agriculture and fishing

A pesar de la intensa participación del turismo en el PIB tinerfeño,^[53] y en consecuencia el sector servicios, el sector primario, la industria y el comercio son responsables del 40% restante. En concreto el sector primario ha perdido su tradicional importancia en la renta insular en beneficio de la industria y los servicios.

La contribución del sector agrario en el PIB no llega al 10%, si bien su aportación a la isla es vital por cuanto genera beneficios difícilmente mensurables, que se relacionan con el sostenimiento de la estampa rural y el mantenimiento de valores culturales del tinerfeño. El sector agrario se desarrolla en la vertiente septentrional, lugar en el que los cultivos se distribuyen en base a la altitud: en la zona costera se cultivan principalmente tomates y plátanos, productos ambos de elevada rentabilidad dado que se exportan a la Península y al resto de Europa; en la zona intermedia proliferan los cultivos de secano, sobre todo papa, tabaco y maíz; en la zona meridional tiene relevancia el cultivo de la cebolla.^[10]

Particularmente, el cultivo del plátano figura en primer lugar en cuanto a producción se refiere, siendo Tenerife la isla que más plátanos manufactura en Canarias. La producción anual de la isla se ha consolidado en torno a unas 150.000 toneladas en estos últimos años, tras haber alcanzado un máximo de 200.000 toneladas en 1986. Algo más del 90% del total se destina al mercado nacional, ocupando este cultivo una superficie de 4200 hectáreas.^[54] Detrás del plátano destacan los cultivos de tomates, vides, papas y flores. La pesca supone también gran parte de la economía tinerfeña (Canarias es la segunda región pesquera de España).

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.^[55] 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.^[56]

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.”^[57]

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.^[58]

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.^[59]

Sculpture

The practice of sculpture on the island is considered to have had its start on Tenerife 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.^[60] 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.^[61] 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.^[62]

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.^[63]

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.^[24]

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.^[24]

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.^[24]

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.^[24]

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.^[64]

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.^[65]

Crafts

En esta breve sección habría que remarcar la elaboración del calado y la roseta, dos elementos artesanales apreciados también por los visitantes de la isla. El calado es una labor de bordado, que requiere gusto, paciencia y precisión, fundamentada en una técnica consistente en ir deshilando un paño tensamente sujeto a un bastidor por lo general de madera. El resultado final suele aplicarse, sobre todo, a la mantelería u otros elementos decorativos. La roseta se confecciona substancialmente en el municipio de Vilaflor, y consiste en crear dibujos con hilos que son cruzados entre fijadores. Estas pequeñas piezas así elaboradas son unidas posteriormente obteniéndose paños individuales y composiciones.^[66]

Estas dos variedades artesanales, que precisan de una gran dedicación suelen venderse en núcleos etnográficos o rurales o en cascos históricos. Sin embargo, es frecuente encontrar en las céntricas calles de Santa Cruz y otros puntos turísticos numerosos locales que ofrecen lo que ellos denominan mantelería canaria, cuando esta es realmente producida en serie mediante procedimientos industriales y no responde por tanto a los trabajos artesanales confeccionados en Canarias.^[66]

En este ámbito hay que destacar igualmente la ebanistería. El norte de Tenerife ha proporcionado a la historia varios maestros en la talla que han contribuido con elementos que van desde balcones, celosías, puertas y ventanas hasta un original mobiliario cargado de objetos elaborados en madera fina. La cestería también es una labor de cierto peso en la artesanía tinerfeña donde sus artesanos trabajan desde hojas de palma y varas de castaño a la fibra de la platanera, conocida por el sector como la badana, que conlleva una producción igualmente diversa y heterogénea.^[67]

Existe, como en el resto de las Islas Canarias, toda una tradición artesana alrededor de la alfarería. El uso del barro procede de la primitiva cerámica llevada a cabo por los antiguos guanches, quienes desconocían el uso del torno. Los alfareros de la isla trabajan la arcilla con las manos, lo que imprime una gran autenticidad a sus obras. Entre los objetos realizados destacan los destinados a la utilería doméstica, asadores, gánigos…, o los meramente ornamentales y de atavío personal: collares de cuentas o las afamadas pintaderas, un símbolo de la iconografía aborigen.^[10]

Es habitual poder contemplar los quehaceres de estos artesanos en diferentes ferias que normalmente se suelen celebrar con motivo de las fiestas de los pueblos, villas o ciudades de la isla.

Traditional celebrations

Annual performance to honour "Our Lady of Candelaria" at Socorro Beach, Güímar

Pilgrimages (Romerías)

The most traditional and widespread religious festivals on the islands are the pilgrimages or romerías.^[68]

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.

Carnaval

Quizás la fiesta de mayor repercusión nacional e internacional sea el Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, no en vano declarado Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional.^[69] Aparte de la capital, el carnaval se celebra en múltiples localidades del norte y sur de la isla, pero es en la primera donde tiene mayor envergadura.^[70] Son múltiples los concursos que se programan: murgas, comparsas, rondallas, agrupaciones, etc. Con la elección de la reina adulta se pone fin a éstos y comienza lo que los tinerfeños denominan carnaval en la calle con importantes concentraciones de carnavaleros en el centro de Santa Cruz, que se prolongan durante diez días de fiesta.^[71]

Tapiz de la Plaza del Ayuntamiento en La Orotava.

Corpus Christi

Con marcado carácter religioso se encuentra la festividad del Corpus Christi, en la que es habitual la confección de alfombras florales en las calles. A título especial se pueden incluir las realizadas en La Orotava, donde se puede contemplar un tapiz de considerables dimensiones confeccionado en la plaza del ayuntamiento mediante tierras volcánicas de diversas tonalidades, extraídas del Parque Nacional del Teide que, tras la celebración son devueltas a fin de respetar el entorno del Parque. La festividad del Corpus Christi de La Orotava está declarada Bien de Interés Cultural en la categoría de Actividad Tradicional de Ámbito Insular.^[72]

Semana Santa

En el capítulo de celebraciones a reseñar de la isla de Tenerife habría que contar con la Semana Santa. Esta se celebra en todos los municipios pero probablemente sea en La Laguna, La Orotava y Los Realejos donde adquiera especial significado. En este sentido destacan principalmente las procesiones que se desarrollan durante el Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo y Domingo de Resurrección.

Religion

As with the rest of Spain, Tenerife considers itself largely Roman Catholic.^[73] 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.^[74] 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

El nacimiento de la educación se debe en la isla a las órdenes religiosas. En el año 1530, Tenerife accede a la cultura de la mano de la cátedra de filosofía que, poseen los dominicos en el convento de La Concepción de La Laguna. A pesar de ello, hasta bien avanzado el siglo XVIII no comienzan a funcionar las pocas escuelas que por aquel entonces existían.

En este sentido, hay que recalcar el trabajo desempeñado por la Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País, que creó diversas escuelas en San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Fue en 1846 cuando se instaura el primer instituto de enseñanza secundaria con el fin de suplir el cierre de la Universidad de San Fernando (véase Universidad de La Laguna).^[75] Anexa a este edificio se fundó en 1850 la primera Escuela Normal Elemental del archipiélago que pasaría a denominarse Escuela Normal Superior de Magisterio en 1866. Así se mantiene esta situación ya que a pesar de que el dictador Miguel Primo de Rivera crease algunos centros, el punto de inflexión lo supone la política educativa que desarrolló la Segunda República, de modo que en apenas cuatro años (1929-1933) casi se dobla el número de escuelas existentes.

Posteriormente, el inicio de la Guerra Civil y la ulterior dictadura de Francisco Franco constituyeron un considerable retroceso. La educación en manos de órdenes religiosas tuvo cierta importancia en el devenir de los tinerfeños hasta que en 1970 la Ley General de Educación resta peso a estas instituciones religiosas en favor de los centros públicos. Estos últimos, y ya en menor grado los primeros, comienzan a multiplicarse desde entonces y son impulsados con la instauración de la democracia. Tenerife cuenta a día de hoy con 301 centros de educación infantil, 297 colegios de primaria, 140 de secundaria y 86 institutos de bachiller.^[76] Además, en la isla existen hasta 5 centros de estudios universitarios o de postgrado: Universidad de La Laguna (la de mayor presencia), Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio y Universidad de Vic (Escuela Universitaria de Turismo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

Science and observation

El campo de la investigación, históricamente, no se ha desarrollado de un modo especialmente relevante. No obstante, entre los centros que se dedican a esta labor destaca sobre todo el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias que tiene sede en esta isla.

Asimismo cabría citar el Instituto de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, vinculado a la Universidad de La Laguna. También adheridos a esta universidad se encuentran el Instituto de Lingüística Andrés Bello, el Centro de Estudios Medievales y Renacentistas, el Instituto Universitario de la Empresa, el Instituto de Derecho Regional y el Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales al igual que el Instituto de Enfermedades Tropicales (perteneciente a la Red de Investigación de Centros de Enfermedades Tropicales, que dispone de siete nodos extendidos a lo largo del país, uno de ellos en Canarias).

Con sede en la ciudad del Puerto de la Cruz se encuentra el Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos de Canarias, adscrito al Instituto de Cultura Hispánica de Madrid. En la ciudad de La Laguna se encuentra la delegación canaria del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), el Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, el Instituto de Estudios Canarios y el Centro Internacional para la Conservación del Patrimonio.

Otros organismos que trabajan en el ámbito de la investigación que tienen sede en Tenerife son el Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, el Instituto Vulcanológico de Canarias, la Asociación Industrial de Canarias, el Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables y el Instituto Oceanográfico de Canarias emplazado en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Museums

La isla cuenta con diversos recintos museísticos de diferente naturaleza que están bajo el dominio de distintas instituciones. Quizás los más destacados sean los pertenecientes al Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros,^[77] que dispone de los siguientes espacios:

Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre: localizado en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, este museo ofrece una visión de la riqueza natural de las Islas Canarias y de las poblaciones prehispánicas que en ellas habitaban. El complejo está integrado por tres museos:
- Museo de Ciencias Naturales
- Museo Arqueológico de Tenerife
- Instituto Canario de Bioantropología
Museo de Historia de Tenerife: enclavado en la ciudad de La Laguna, el museo de historia presta una visión general del desarrollo institucional, social, económico y cultural de la Isla entre los siglos XV y XX.
Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos: también situado en La Laguna contiguo a las dependencias del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias este museo acerca al visitante a las leyes y principios que rigen la Naturaleza, desde el funcionamiento de su propio cuerpo hasta el de las estrellas.
Museo de Antropología de Tenerife: Situado en La Laguna, concretamente en Valle de Guerra el Museo de Antropología de Tenerife es una institución pública dedicada a investigar, conservar y difundir la cultura popular.
Centro de Documentación Canario-Americano (CEDOCAM): Con domicilio en La Laguna tiene como misión potenciar las relaciones culturales y los elementos de identidad comunes entre Canarias y América, así como la conservación, información y difusión del patrimonio documental compartido.
Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife: ubicado en Santa Cruz de Tenerife este recinto ofrece un programa anual de exposiciones que permiten el contacto con tendencias y obras de distintos autores de renombre y creadores emergentes de las propias islas. En un futuro este centro compartirá sede con el Instituto Óscar Domínguez de Arte y Cultura Contemporánea.
TEA - Tenerife Espacio de las Artes: situado también en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife este museo aún por inaugurar busca promover el conocimiento de las diferentes tendencias del arte y la cultura contemporáneos entre la población local y foránea, propiciando la organización de actividades culturales, científicas, educativas y técnicas.

Desligados del Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros destacan:

El Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes, en la capital tinerfeña, que muestra una exposición permanente de pinturas y esculturas de José de Ribera, Federico Madrazo, Joaquín Sorolla y de artistas canarios como Millares u Óscar Domínguez.
La Casa del Vino-La Baranda que, perteneciente a la Asociación de Museos del Vino de España,^[78] está emplazada en el municipio de El Sauzal y dispone entre sus instalaciones de una hacienda histórica rústica, un museo que permite conocer la historia vitivinícola de Tenerife, un restaurante que ofrece comida típica de la tierra, una vinoteca, una sala audiovisual y una sala de degustación.
La Casa de la Miel: anexa a la Casa del Vino-La Baranda, es una entidad creada por el Cabildo Insular con el fin de apoyar y desarrollar el sector apícola de Tenerife. La Casa de la Miel dispone de un centro de visitantes que ofrece una visión acerca de la historia del producto en la isla, su proceso de elaboración y serviciós de información y degustación de las mieles de Tenerife, que poseen denominación de origen.^[79]
El Museo de Artesanía Iberoamericana que se encuentra ubicado en el antiguo convento de San Benito Abad, de La Orotava. El centro se encuadra dentro del programa de divulgación que ejecuta el Centro de Documentación de la Artesanía de España y América,^[80] Fundación financiada por el Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo; la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, la Comisión Nacional "Quinto Centeneario", la Consejería de Industria y Comercio del Gobierno de Canarias y el Cabildo Insular de Tenerife. Cuenta con cinco salas especializadas en Instrumentos musicales populares, Textil-nuevos diseños en artesanía, Cerámicas, Fibras y Arte Popular.
El Museo Arqueológico del Puerto de La Cruz: sito en la ciudad homónima y habilitado sobre una casona tradicional de los siglos XVIII-XIX, ofrece un fondo museográfico integrado por más de 2.600 registros de elementos de la cultura guanche y un fondo documental que lleva el nombre del investigador Luis Diego Cuscoy.^[81]
El Museo Militar Regional de Canarias, localizado en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, concretamente en el acuartelamiento de Almeyda. En sus salas se presenta toda la historia militar de Canarias, incluyendo el repelido ataque del almirante Nelson, así como otros eventos y batallas libradas en las islas. Aparte del Museo Histórico Militar de Canarias este inmueble dispone del Archivo Intermedio Militar de Canarias y la Biblioteca Militar de Canarias.^[82]

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^[83]. 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.^[84]

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 (English: Tenerife Tram) working in early 2007, after 3 years of intensive works.

Roads

Las principales comunicaciones que se producen en Tenerife se establecen por carretera. Las más importantes son la Autopista del Sur y la Autopista del Norte, que parten desde la zona metropolitana hacia las zonas sur y norte respectivamente. Estas dos autopistas están conectadas a través de la Autovía de Interconexión Norte-Sur también en las afueras del área metropolitana. Dentro de la red de carreteras de la isla existen otras de menor importancia que las anteriores pero cabe destacar la Autovía de San Andrés y la Autovía de Penetración de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ambas en Santa Cruz de Tenerife.^[85]

Asímismo está previsto la construcción de una autovía de circunvalación norte del área metropolitana de Santa Cruz de Tenerife-La Laguna. Esta autovía pretende comunicar los núcleos de Guamasa y Acorán, a través de Los Baldíos, Centenero, Llano del Moro, El Sobradillo, El Tablero, El Chorrillo, entre otros barrios. La vía tendrá aproximadamente 20 km y un coste estimado de 190 millones de euros.^[86]

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). [87] 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, Sevilla, Valencia, Malaga, Bilbao, etc.), 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. [88] Due to tourism, it is easy to find cheaper direct flights with major German cities or British with the mainland.

Ports

Además del avión, Tenerife tiene dos puertos marítimos principales que le sirven de conexión. El Puerto de Santa Cruz que conecta con las capitales de cada isla, y en particular con aquellas de la provincia oriental, y el Puerto de Los Cristianos que se centra en mayor medida en las comunicaciones con las capitales de la provincia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Además es posible el tráfico de pasajeros entre los Puertos de Santa Cruz de Tenerife y Cádiz y viceversa. Está previsto construir un gran puerto de importancia en el sur de la Isla, el de Granadilla, y otro en la parte oeste, en Fonsalía.^[87]

Guaguas

La isla cuenta también con una extensa red de guaguas^[88] tanto urbanas como interurbanas que conectan la gran mayoría de los núcleos de población. Para ello cuenta con estaciones de guaguas en todas las ciudades, como el Intercambiador de Transportes de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Tramway

Con la inauguración de la línea 1 del Tranvía de Tenerife, que une destacados sectores de la conurbación Santa Cruz-La Laguna y puntos como los dos centros hospitalarios de la zona, se puso en marcha la red tranviaria de Tenerife. La segunda fase se espera que una los barrios de Tincer (perteneciente a Santa Cruz) y La Cuesta (La Laguna), por medio de la línea 2.^[89]

Perteneciente a la misma empresa que explota el Tranvía de Tenerife, en 2008 se espera que comience, tras la aprobación de su construcción por el pleno del Cabildo Insular de Tenerife el 27 de abril de 2007, los trabajos para habilitar un tren que unirá Santa Cruz de Tenerife con el sur de la isla. El recorrido total será de 80 km y tiene previsto realizar su trayecto completo en 35 minutos y si tuviera que parar en todas las estaciones, lo haría en 45 minutos.^[90]

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. ^[91] 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).^[92]^[93]

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.^[94]

Gastronomy

Fish

Como resulta lógico por la influencia marina, los productos del mar gozan aquí de cierta abundancia tanto en cantidad como en variedad. Entre las especies más apreciadas están las viejas, y también, entre otros, la sama, el bocinegro, la salema, el cherne, el mero... Destacan asimismo los diversos tipos de túnidos que abundan en sus costas. Las caballas, sardinas y chicharros también deben ser citadas entre los pescados más consumidos. Otra especie que disfruta de cierta fama es la morena, que se suele servir frita. Estas variedades marinas se suelen preparar simplemente cocidas, o a la espalda, a la sal, etc. Es frecuente que se acompañen con mojo y papas arrugadas.^[24]^[10]

Meats

En el apartado de carnes, es un plato muy popular la típica carne de fiesta (tacos de cerdo adobados) que se prepara para los festejos de los pueblos en ventorrillos (puestos de feria), bares y casas particulares.^[95] El conejo en salmorejo, el cabrito, y por supuesto el vacuno, el porcino y las carnes de ave son también consumidas habitualmente.^[24]^[10]

Canarian wrinkly potatoes

The fish dishes along with the meats are often accompanied by wrinkly potatoes. This is a typical Canarian dish which simply refers to the way of cooking the potatoes. They are done with water, lots of salt and without peeling them.^[24]^[10]

Mojos

Con esta palabra, seguramente de ascendencia portuguesa, se designan las salsas típicas del las islas. Los mojos constituyen un auténtico mundo de sabores, colores, texturas, etc., entre los que se encuentran el mojo de cilantro, de perejil, de pimentón y el distinguido mojo picón a base de pimienta. No obstante el abanico de estas salsas es muy amplio y permite el uso de distintos ingredientes en su elaboración como almendras, queso, azafrán, pan frito, entre otras posibilidades.^[24]^[10]

Es un acompañamiento para algunas carnes y para ciertos pescados.

Cheeses

One of the latest studies has revealed that Tenerife produces 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 economic activities that were started immediately was the production of cheese for market. The sale of heese provided the inhabitants with a sound return and cheese was even used as a form of currency for exchange and sale. It there became 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. ^[96] The cheeses of the Canaries have generally received good intertational reviews, noted for their sweetness which differentiates them from certain other European cheeses.^[24]^[10]^[97] In particular, Tenerifan cured goats cheese was awarded best cheese in the world final of the 2008 World Cheese Awards held in Dublin, Ireland.^[98]

Cheeses from Tenerife now have a quality mark boosted by the Fundación Tenerife Rural to standardize their quality in an attempt to publicize the qualities of the cheese and improve its marketing.^[99]

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. Es también relativamente frecuente aquel de tipo mixto, trigo-millo. Desde incluso antes de la conquista de Canarias ya servía de sustento para los guanches. En posteriores tiempos de hambruna y escasez de alimentos formó parte de la dieta popular canaria. Hoy en día se utiliza como plato único (gofio escaldado) o como complemento en platos de distinta índole, carnes, pescados, potajes, postres, incluso algún cocinero de prestigio ha confeccionado helados de gofio recibiendo buena crítica al respecto.^[24]^[10]

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. ^[24]^[10]

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.^[100] Writers as William Shakespeare and Walter Scott make reference to the wine in some of their works. ^[101] Tenerife has 5 main wine growing regions. These include Abona, Valle de Güímar, Valle de La Orotava, Tacoronte-Acentejo and Ycoden-Daute-Isora.^[102]

Sister cities

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Santa Cruz, California, USA (since 1974)
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (since 1978)
Caracas, Venezuela (since 1981)
San Antonio, Texas, USA (since 1983)
Cádiz, Spain (since 1984)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (since 1984)
Nice, France (since 1989)
Santa Cruz del Norte, La Habana Province, Cuba (since 1997)
Aranda de Duero, Spain (since 1997)
Guatemala City (since 2002)
Miami-Dade County, USA
Saint Petersburg, Russia

References

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^ ^a ^b "g". Nido Language Travel. Retrieved October 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w Hernández, Pedro (2003). Natura y Cultura de las Islas Canarias. Tafor. ISBN 978-84-932758-0-8.
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^ {{cite web}}: Empty citation (help)
^ {{cite web}}: Empty citation (help)
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^ ^a ^b Museo Casa de Los Balcones
^ Información turística de Tenerife sobre el arte de la cestería
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^ Página oficial del Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife
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^ "Tenerife's main bus service, TITSA, is efficient and covers the island well. Most of the vehicles are new, air conditioned, clean and painted white and green." Barrett, Pam (2000) Insight Guide Tenerife and Western Canary Islands (4th ed.) Insight Guides, APA Publications, Singapore, p. 280, ISBN 1-58573-060-2
^ Navarro, Ricardo Melchior (23 October 2005) "Apuesta por el transporte público" El Dia (English: Odds for Public Transportation)
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^ Página web de Metropolitano de Tenerife
^ Información referente a los proyectos de tren en Tenerife
^ Información del Gobierno de Canarias sobre hospitales y servicios de referencia
^ Hospital Universitario de Canarias
^ Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria
^ Información del Gobierno de Canarias sobre los centros de atención primaria y especializada de Tenerife
^ Carne de fiesta (Turismo de Canarias)
^ Web Oficial del Cabildo de Tenerife
^ El queso tinerfeño (Turismo de Canarias)
^ Artículo recogido en el periódico digital canarias24horas.com
^ Web Oficial del Cabildo de Tenerife
^ Información de las Jornadas de comercialización y marketing vitivinícola desarrolladas por HECANSA
^ Información del Cabildo de Tenerife en relación con los vinos de Tenerife
^ Denominaciones de origen (Casa del vino-La Baranda)

External links

Template:Link FA Template:Link FA

[1] O'Brien, Sally and Sarah Andrews. (2004) Lonely Planet Canary Islands "Lonely Planet". p. 59. ISBN 1-74059-374-X.

[2] Charles Knight, The English Cyclopaedia, 1866, Bradbury, Evans

[Abreu-3] Template:Es icon Abreu Galindo, FR. J. Historia de la conquista de las siete islas de Canaria. Goya. ISBN 978-84-400-3645-2.

[Bethencourt-4] Template:Es icon Bethencourt Alfonso, Juan (1997). Historia del pueblo guanche. Francisco Lemus Editor SL. ISBN 978-84-87973-10-9.

[gentilicio-5] Real Academia Española

[Origin_about-6] "Origins of the island". About Tenerife.com. Retrieved October 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

[Nido-7] "g". Nido Language Travel. Retrieved October 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

[8] El Portal de las Islas Canarias

[rumeu-9] Rumeu de Armas, Antonio (2006). La conquista de Tenerife 1494-1496. Instituto de estudios canarios. ISBN 978-84-88366-57-3.

[naturaycultura-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w Hernández, Pedro (2003). Natura y Cultura de las Islas Canarias. Tafor. ISBN 978-84-932758-0-8.

[emigracion-11] Template:Es icon Canary government article on the emigration to the Americas throughout history

[12] Template:Es icon Instituto de Historia y Cultura Militar de Canarias

[13] Template:Es icon http://www.vierayclavijo.org/html/paginas/cursos/cursos_2005/0505_masca/masca_05.htm Asociación canaria para la enseñanza de las ciencias- Viera y Clavijo]

[14] Página web Ayuntamiento Puerto de la Cruz

[15] Template:Es icon Instituto Geográfico Nacional

[16] Áreas volcánicas en España (Instituto Geográfico Nacional)

[atlas-17] García Rodríguez (1990). Atlas interinsular de Canarias. Editorial interinsular canaria. ISBN 978-84-86733-09-4.

[extension-18] Estadísticas de la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias

[costa-19] Instituto Nacional de Estadística

[teide-20] Red de Parques Nacionales (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente)

[21] Estadísticas de la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias

[enciclopedia-22] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Gran Enciclopedia Virtual Interactiva de Canarias

[23] Información del Cabildo de Tenerife

[islaaisla-24] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x González Morales, Alejandro (2000). Canarias isla a isla (clima). Centro de la Cultura Popular Canaria. ISBN 84-7926-357-1.

[25] Estudio geológico sobre el Teide del CSIC

[26] Página web oficial de la UNESCO (en inglés)

[27] Estadísticas del Gobierno de Canarias

[28] Página de Tenerife del Gobierno de Canarias

[29] Información de Turismo de Tenerife

[30] Información turística del Cabildo Insular de Tenerife

[31] {{cite web}}: Empty citation (help)

[32] {{cite web}}: Empty citation (help)

[33] Página oficial de turismo de Tenerife

[34] Información del Consejo Insular de Aguas de Tenerife

[35] Portal sobre contaminación atmosférica

[36] Asociación Tinerfeña de Amigos de la Naturaleza

[37] Información sobre la Calidad del agua de baño

[florayfauna-38] Cabildo de Tenerife (Flora y Fauna: introducción)

[39] La protección de los espacios naturales en Canarias (Gobierno de Canarias)

[40] Red Canaria de Espacios Naturales Protegidos

[41] Relación de los Espacios Naturales protegidos de Tenerife

[42] Cabildo de Tenerife

[43] Competencias atribuídas al cabildo según la Ley 14/1990 de 26 de julio

[44] Estadísticas de la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias

[45] Orden de 9 de mayo de 1989, por la que se aprueba la bandera de la isla de Tenerife

[46] Información del Cabildo de Tenerife

[47] Ley 7/1991, de 30 de abril, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias

[audes-48] Datos del proyecto AUDES5[1] — áreas urbanas.

[49] Evolución histórica de la población de Tenerife (ISTAC)

[50] Instituto Nacional de Estadística

[51] Template:Es icon Informe elaborado por el Observatorio Económico de Tenerife (SOFITESA)

[52] Principal'!A1 Estadísticas de Turismo de Tenerife

[53] Página oficial de Turusmo de Tenerife

[54] Estadísticas de la Asociación de Productores de Plátanos de Canarias (ASPROCAN)

[55] Revista multimedia (Mundo Guanche)

[56] Arte en Canarias (recogido por el Gobierno de Canarias)

[57] Página oficial del ayuntamiento de Puerto de la Cruz

[58] Página oficial de Turismo de Tenerife

[59] Noticia del diario El País

[60] Cofradía del Nazareno (Los Realejos)

[teobaldopower-61] Alemán, Gilberto. Teobaldo Power. Idea. ISBN 978-84-96161-15-3.

[62] Parlamento de Canarias (información acerca del Himno de Canarias)

[63] Información del periódico El Día

[64] Ministerio de Cultura de España (Patrimonio histórico)

[65] Tenerife Convention Bureau (información sobre centros de congresos)

[casabalcones-66] Museo Casa de Los Balcones

[67] Información turística de Tenerife sobre el arte de la cestería

[68] Turismo de Tenerife

[69] Página oficial del Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

[70] Información del Cabildo Insular acerca de todos los carnavales de Tenerife

[71] Apartado de Fiestas de la página web del Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

[72] Página del ayuntamiento de la Villa de La Orotava

[73] Información turística de España

[74] Noticia recogida por el diario La Opinión de Tenerife

[75] Página de la Universidad de La Laguna

[76] Consejería de Educación, Universidades, Cultura y Deportes

[77] Organismo autónomo de museos y centros

[78] Socios de la Asociación de Museos del Vino de España

[79] Página de la Casa de la Miel de Tenerife

[80] Página oficial del Museo de Artesanía Iberoamericana

[81] Fondo museográfico del espacio

[82] Página oficial del Centro de Historia y Cultura Militar de Canarias

[83] "Tenerife's main bus service, TITSA, is efficient and covers the island well. Most of the vehicles are new, air conditioned, clean and painted white and green." Barrett, Pam (2000) Insight Guide Tenerife and Western Canary Islands (4th ed.) Insight Guides, APA Publications, Singapore, p. 280, ISBN 1-58573-060-2

[84] Navarro, Ricardo Melchior (23 October 2005) "Apuesta por el transporte público" El Dia (English: Odds for Public Transportation)

[85] Red de carreteras de Tenerife

[86] Plan Insular de Ordenación de Tenerife

[87] Página web de la Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

[88] Nombre por el que se conoce en Canarias a los autobuses

[89] Página web de Metropolitano de Tenerife

[90] Información referente a los proyectos de tren en Tenerife

[91] Información del Gobierno de Canarias sobre hospitales y servicios de referencia

[92] Hospital Universitario de Canarias

[93] Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria

[94] Información del Gobierno de Canarias sobre los centros de atención primaria y especializada de Tenerife

[95] Carne de fiesta (Turismo de Canarias)

[96] Web Oficial del Cabildo de Tenerife

[97] El queso tinerfeño (Turismo de Canarias)

[98] Artículo recogido en el periódico digital canarias24horas.com

[99] Web Oficial del Cabildo de Tenerife

[100] Información de las Jornadas de comercialización y marketing vitivinícola desarrolladas por HECANSA

[101] Información del Cabildo de Tenerife en relación con los vinos de Tenerife

[102] Denominaciones de origen (Casa del vino-La Baranda)

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@@ Line 466: / Line 466: @@
 Más tarde con las guerras mundiales este sector se resiente, pero entrada la segunda mitad del pasado siglo comienza a evolucionar de un modo muy notable. En un principio destaca el Puerto de la Cruz por su bondadoso clima y por todos los atractivos que el [[Valle de la Orotava|Valle norteño de La Orotava]] concentraba, pero persiguiendo captar el turismo de sol y playa, alrededor de 1980 nace el boom turístico del sur de Tenerife, donde destacan ciudades como Arona o Adeje, en torno a núcleos turísticos como [[Los Cristianos]] o [[Playa de Las Américas]] que hoy albergan más del 65% de las plazas [[hotel]]eras de toda la isla. Tenerife recibe cada año más de 5.000.000 de turistas, siendo de este modo, de entre todo el archipiélago canario, la isla preferida a este respecto. Sin embargo, este dato también pone de manifiesto la gran cantidad de recursos que esta actividad consume (espacio, [[energía]], agua, etc.).<ref name="naturaycultura"/><ref>[http://www.webtenerife.com/NR/rdonlyres/AC31568D-687A-4B60-9FC2-389A90B1A728/6179/webTurismoenCifras2007.xls#'Menú Principal'!A1 Estadísticas de Turismo de Tenerife]</ref>
-In Santa Cruz de Tenerife the Torres de Santa Cruz (towers of Santa Cruz), these sky-scrapers are with 120 meters, without counting the antennas or lightning rod, the highest sky-scrapers in the city and of the Archipelago Canary, and also residentially are the highest towers in Spain, they are next to the Tenerife Auditorium, in downtown. The Tenerife Auditorium is the best modern building of Canaries.
+In [[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]] the [[Torres de Santa Cruz]] (towers of Santa Cruz), these sky-scrapers are with 120 meters, without counting the antennas or lightning rod, the highest sky-scrapers in the city and of the Archipelago Canary, and also residentially are the highest towers in Spain, they are next to the Tenerife Auditorium, in downtown. The [[Tenerife Auditorium]] is the best modern building of Canaries.
 ===Agriculture and fishing===

v t e Islands and provinces of the Canary Islands
Main islands	Fuerteventura Gran Canaria La Gomera El Hierro Lanzarote La Palma Tenerife
Other islands	Chinijo Archipelago Alegranza Graciosa Montaña Clara Roque del Este Roque del Oeste Lobos
Provinces	Las Palmas Santa Cruz de Tenerife

v t e Outlying territories of European countries
Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information).
Denmark	Greenland Faroe Islands
France	Clipperton Island French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Adélie Land Crozet Islands Kerguelen Islands Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands Amsterdam Island Saint Paul Island Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean Bassas da India Europa Island Glorioso Islands Geyser Shoal Juan de Nova Island Tromelin Island Guadeloupe Martinique Mayotte New Caledonia Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna
Netherlands	Aruba Caribbean Netherlands Bonaire Saba Sint Eustatius Curaçao Sint Maarten
Norway	Bouvet Island Jan Mayen Peter I Island Queen Maud Land Svalbard
Portugal	Azores Madeira
Spain	Canary Islands Ceuta Melilla Plazas de Soberanía Alboran Island Alhucemas Islands Chafarinas Islands Velez Islands
United Kingdom	Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Montserrat Pitcairn Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands