Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Western Africa. They are a Spanish possession and considered a region of the European Union. The Canaries have two capital cities: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The official language is Spanish and the islands have a population of 2,075,968.

Geography: There are eight islands in the archipelago. The most populous is Tenerife. The islands were formed by volcanic activity and Teide, on Tenerife, is the third largest volcano on an island. The climate is mild and had periods of rain and periods of dry weather.

Economy: Tourism is the most important element to the economy of the Canary Islands. Construction and agriculture make up the rest of the GDP. Primary crops include bananas and tobacco, but the islands produce everything from tomatoes to peaches.