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CANARY

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 174 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CANARY ISLANDS See also:

English See also:Miles 4 to :° 4° f" gp Alle 0 See also:Lamar See also:Bos PeC'nh7uar Baa ~,qa ?=° A See also:vet Pt. See also:Fuerteventura Arab' See also:San aCruz S.MaNa de Benn~vri '--"' e, T neriffeo'~a le Teide atdc ~ ptoMuew 'ilbidor Pt, Ata Islota . entai//a ardeaPe -- LasPalmd ndlaPt.~--°6 'fa••~/ 8° may; See also:ado` -`Ganda B. p.Desc~os anPt., ...fa Pt. @ /'t Blaspalomas Pt. See also:Grand Canary See also:Long. W r5° of See also:Greenwich ETV. sc. See also:African islands they are of volcanic origin. The lavas consist chiefly of trachytes and basalts. See also:Climate.—From See also:April to See also:October a See also:north or north-See also:east See also:wind blows upon the islands, beginning about to A.M. and continuing until 5 or 6 P.m. In summer this wind produces a dense stratum of See also:sea-See also:cloud (cumuloni), 500 ft. 'thick, whose See also:lower See also:surface is about 2500 ft. above the sea at See also:Teneriffe. This does not reach up to the mountains, which have on every See also:side a stratum of their own, about See also:i000 ft. thick, the lower surface being about 3500 ft. above the level of the sea.

Between these two distinct strata there is a See also:

gap, through which persons on a See also:vessel near the See also:island may obtain a glimpse of the See also:peak. The sea-cloud conceals from view the other islands, except those whose mountains See also:pierce through it. On the See also:south-See also:west coasts there is no See also:regular sea or See also:land See also:breeze. In See also:winter they are occasionally visited by a hot south-east wind from See also:Africa, which is called the Levante, and produces various disagreeable consequences on the exposed parts of the See also:person, besides injuring the vegetation, especially on the higher grounds. Locusts have sometimes been brought by this wind. In 1812 it is said that locusts covered some See also:fields in Fuerteventura to the See also:depth of 4 ft. Hurricanes, accompanied by waterspouts, sometimes cause much devastation; but, on the whole, the islands are singularly See also:free from such visitations. The climate generally is mild, dry and healthy. On the lower grounds the temperature is equable, the daily range seldom exceeding 6° Fahr. At See also:Santa Cruz the mean for the See also:year is about 710. The See also:rainy See also:season occurs at the same See also:period as in See also:southern See also:Europe. The dry season is at the See also:time of the See also:trade-winds, which extend a few degrees farther north than this See also:latitude.

See also:

Fauna.—The indigenous mammals of the Canary Islands are very few in number. The See also:dog, See also:swine, See also:goat and See also:sheep were alone found upon the island by the See also:Spanish conquerors: The See also:race of large See also:dogs which is supposed to have given a name to the islands has been long See also:extinct. A single See also:skeleton has been found, which is deposited in one of the museums at See also:Paris. The See also:ferret, See also:rabbit, See also:cat, See also:rat, See also:mouse and two kinds of See also:bat have become naturalized. The See also:ornithology is more interesting, on See also:account at once of the birds native to the islands, and the stragglers from the African See also:coast, which are chiefly brought over in winter, when the wind has blown for some time from the east. Among the indigenous birds are some birds of See also:prey, as the African See also:vulture, the See also:falcon, the See also:buzzard, the See also:sparrow-See also:hawk and the See also:kite. There are also two See also:species of See also:owl, three species of sea-See also:mew, the stockdove, See also:quail, See also:raven, See also:magpie, See also:chaffinch, See also:goldfinch, blackcap, canary, See also:titmouse, See also:blackbird, See also:house-See also:swallow, &c. As to the See also:insects, mention may be made of a species of See also:gnat or See also:mosquito which is sometimes troublesome, especially to strangers. The See also:list of See also:reptiles is limited to three varieties of See also:lizard and one species of See also:frog. The only fresh-See also:water See also:fish is the See also:eel. Marine fishes are not numerous, the See also:reason perhaps being that the steepness of the coast does not allow seaweed to grow in sufficient quantity to support the lower forms of marine See also:animal See also:life. Whales and See also:seals are occasionally seen.

The cuttle-fish is abundant, and is sought for as an See also:

article of See also:food. See also:Flora.—The position of mountainous islands Iike the Canaries, in the subtropical See also:division of the temperate See also:zone, is highly favourable to the development, within a small space, of See also:plants characteristic of both warm and See also:cold climates. Von See also:Buch refers to five regions of vegetation in Teneriffe:—(1) From the sea to the height of 1300 It. This he styles the African region. The climate in the hottest parts is similar to that of See also:Egypt. Here grow, among the introduced plants, the See also:coffee See also:tree, the date-See also:palm, the See also:sugar-See also:cane, the See also:banana, the See also:orange tree, the See also:American See also:agave and two species of See also:cactus; and among indigenous plants, the See also:dragon tree on the north-west of Teneriffe. A leafless and fantastic See also:euphorbia, E. canariensis, and a shrubby composite plant, Cacalia kleinia, give a See also:character to the landscape about Santa Cruz. (2) Between 1300 ft. and 2800 ft. This is the region of south See also:European vegetation, the climate answering to that of southern See also:France and central See also:Italy. Here flourish vines and cereals. (3) The region of indigenous trees. includingvarious species of See also:laurel, an Ardisia, Ilex, Rhamnus, Olea, Myrica, and other trees found See also:wild also at See also:Madeira. The clouds See also:rest on this region during the See also:day, and by their humidity support a vegetation amongst the trees, partly of shrubs, and partly of ferns.

It extends to the height of 4000 ft. (4) The region of the beautiful Pinus canariensis, extending to the height of 6400 ft.; here the broad-leaved trees have ceased to grow, but arborescent heaths are found throughout its whole extent, and specimens of Juniperus oxycedrus may be met with. (5) The region of Retama (Cytisus nubigenus), a species of See also:

white-flowering and sweet-scented See also:broom, which is found as high as 11,000 ft. At the upper edge of this region a See also:lilac-coloured See also:violet clings to the See also:soil, and above there is nothing but a little See also:lichen. The number of wild flowering plants may be estimated at 900, upwards of 270 of which are See also:peculiar to the Canaries. The forms of vegetation must in the See also:main be considered North African. The character of the vegetation in See also:Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, islands composed of extensive plains and See also:low hills, with few springs, is different from that of the other islands, which are more elevated and have many springs. The See also:wood is less abundant, and the ' vegetation less luxuriant. Inhabitants.—The See also:Guanches (q.v.), who occupied the Canaries at the time of the Spanish invasion, no longer exist as a See also:separate race, for the See also:majority were exterminated, and the See also:remainder intermarried with their conquerors. The See also:present inhabitants are slightly darker than the See also:people of See also:Spain, but in other respects are scarcely distinguishable from them. The men are of See also:middle height, well-made and strong; the See also:women are not striking in respect of beauty; but they have See also:good eyes and See also:hair. Spanish is the only See also:language in use.

The See also:

birth-See also:rate is uniformly high and the See also:death-rate low; and, despite the See also:emigration of many families to South See also:America and the See also:United States, the See also:census of 1900 showed that the See also:population had increased by over 75,000 since 1877. The excess of See also:females over See also:males, which in 1900 amounted to upwards of 22,000, is partly explained by the fact that few women emigrate. Fully 8o% of the inhabitants could neither read nor write in r9oo; but See also:education progresses more rapidly than in many other Spanish provinces. Good See also:schools are numerous, and the return of emigrants and their See also:children who have been educated in the United States, tends to raise the See also:standard of See also:civilization. The sustenance of the poorer classes is chiefly composed of fish, potatoes and gofio, which is merely See also:Indian See also:corn or See also:wheat roasted, ground and kneaded with water or See also:milk. The land is, in See also:great See also:part, strictly entailed, See also:Government.—The See also:archipelago forms one Spanish See also:province, of which the See also:capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the See also:residence of the See also:civil See also:governor, who has under his command one of the two districts into which the archipelago is divided, this first See also:district comprising Teneriffe, See also:Palma, See also:Gomera and See also:Hierro. 'The other district includes Grand Canary, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and has at its See also:head a sub-governor, residing in See also:Las Palmas, on Grand Canary, who is See also:independent of the governor except in regard to elections and municipal See also:administration. The See also:chief See also:finance See also:office is at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The See also:court of See also:appeal, created in 1526, is in Las Palmas. The See also:captain-See also:general and second commandant of the archipelago reside in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and there is a brigadier-governor of Grand Canary, residing in Las Palmas, besides eight inferior military commandants. The province furnishes no men for the Spanish See also:peninsular See also:army, but its See also:annual See also:conscription provides men for the See also:local territorial See also:militia, composed of regiments of See also:infantry, squadrons of mounted rifles and companies of See also:garrison artillery—about 5000 men all told. The archipelago is divided into two See also:naval districts, commanded by royal See also:navy captains.

See also:

Roman Catholicism is the See also:official See also:religion, and ecclesiastical See also:law is the same as in other Spanish provinces. The convents have been suppressed, and in many cases converted to See also:secular uses. See also:Laguna and Las Palmas are episcopal See also:sees, in the See also:arch-bishopric of See also:Seville. See also:Industry and See also:Commerce,--Owing to the richness of the volcanic soil, See also:agriculture in the Canaries is usually very profitable. Land varies in value according to the amount of water available, but as a See also:rule commands an extraordinarily high See also:price. In the Terrenos de secano, or non-irrigable districts, the See also:average price of an See also:acre ranges from L7 to Dt7; in the Terrenos de See also:riego, or irrigable land, it ranges from boo to £250. Until 1853 See also:wine was the See also:staple product, and although even the finest See also:brand (known as Vidonia) never equalled the best Madeira vintages, it was largely consumed abroad, especially in See also:England. The annual value of the wine exported often. exceeded L500,000. In 1853, however, the See also:grape disease attacked the vineyards; and thenceforward the See also:production of See also:cochineal, which had been introduced in 1825, took the See also:place of viticulture so completely that, twenty years later, the exports of cochineal were See also:worth £556,000. France and England were the chief purchasers. This industry declined in the later years of the 19th See also:century, and was supplanted by the cultivation of sugar-cane, and afterwards of bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. Bananas are the most important See also:crop.

Other fruity grown in smaller quantities include oranges, See also:

figs, See also:dates, pineapples, guavas, custard-apples and prickly See also:pears. See also:Tobacco-planting is encouraged by the Spanish government, and the sugar trade is maintained, despite severe competition. The See also:grain See also:harvest does not See also:supply the needs of the islanders. Pigs and sheep of a small, coarse-woolled breed, are numerous; and large herds of goats wander in an almost wild See also:state over the higher hills. Fishing is a very important industry, employing over 10,000 hands. The See also:fleet of about 2200 boats operates along some 600 m. of the African coast, between 'Cape Cantin and the See also:Arguin See also:Bank. See also:Shipbuilding is carried on at Las Palmas; and the See also:minor See also:industries include the manufacture of See also:cloth, See also:drawn-See also:linen (calado) See also:work, See also:silk, baskets, hats, &c. A See also:group of Indian merchants, who employ See also:coolie labour, produce silken, jute and See also:cotton goods, See also:Oriental embroideries, wrought See also:silver, See also:brass-See also:ware, See also:porcelain, carved See also:sandal-wood, &c. The United See also:Kingdom heads the import trade in See also:coal, textiles, hardware, See also:iron, See also:soap, candles and colonial products. See also:Timber comes chiefly from North America and Scandinavia, See also:alcohol from See also:Cuba and the United States, wheat and See also:flour from various See also:British possessions, See also:maize from See also:Morocco and See also:Argentina. Large quantities of See also:miscellaneous imports are sent by See also:Germany, Spain, France and Italy. Bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, sugar and wine are exported.

The See also:

total value of the See also:foreign trade fluctuates very greatly, and the difficulty of forming an estimate is enhanced in many years by the See also:absence of official See also:statistics; but imports and exports together probably amount in a normal year to about £1,000,000. The chief ports are Las Palmas and Santa Cruz, which annually accommodate about 7000 vessels of over 8,000,000 tons. In 1854 all the ports of the Canaries were practically declared free; but on the 1st of See also:November 1904 a royal See also:order prohibited foreign vessels from trading between one island and another. This See also:decree deprived the outlying islands of their usual means of communication, and, in See also:answer to a protest by the inhabitants, its operation was postponed. See also:History.—There is ground for supposing that the Phoenicians were not ignorant of the Canaries. The See also:Romans learned of their existence through See also:Juba, See also:king of See also:Mauretania, whose account of an expedition to the islands, made about 40 B.C., was preserved by the See also:elder See also:Pliny. He mentions " Canaria, so called from the multitude of dogs of great See also:size," and " Nivaria, taking its name from perpetual See also:snow, and covered with clouds," doubtless Teneriffe. Canaria was said to abound in palms and See also:pine trees. Both See also:Plutarch and See also:Ptolemy speak of the Fortunate Islands, but from their description it is not clear whether the Canaries or one of the other island See also:groups in the western See also:Atlantic are meant; see ISLES OF THE BLEST. In the 12th century the Canaries were visited by Arab navigators, and in 1334 they were rediscovered by a See also:French vessel driven among them by a See also:gale. A Portuguese expedition, undertaken about the same time, failed to find the archipelago, and want of means frustrated the project of See also:conquest entertained by a See also:grandson of See also:Alphonso X. of See also:Castile, named Juan de la Cerda,who had obtained a See also:grant of the islands and had been crowned king of them at See also:Avignon, by See also:Pope See also:Clement VI. Two or possibly more Spanish expeditions followed, and a monastic See also:mission was established, but at the See also:close of the 14th century the Guanches remained unconquered and unconverted.

In 1402, however, Gadifer de la Salle and See also:

Jean de See also:Bethencourt (q.v.) sailed with two vessels from Rochelle, and landed See also:early in See also:July on Lanzarote. The relations between these two leaders, and their respective shares in the work of conquest and exploration, have been the subject of much controversy. Between 1402 and 1404 La Salle conquered Lanzarote and part of Fuerteventura, besides exploring other islands; Bethencourt meanwhile sailed to See also:Cadiz for reinforcements. He returned in 1404 with the See also:title of king, which he had secured from See also:Henry III. of Castile. La Salle, thus placed in a position of inferiority, See also:left the islands and appealed unsuccessfully for redress at the court of Castile. In 1405 Bethencourt visited See also:Normandy, and returned with fresh colonists who conquered Hierro. In See also:December 1406 he left the Canaries, entrusting their government to his See also:nephew Maciot de Bethencourt, and reserving for himself a See also:share in any profits obtained, and the royal title. 'Eight years of See also:misrule followed before See also:Queen See also:Catherine of Castile intervened. Maciot there-upon sold his office to her See also:envoy, Pedro Barba de See also:Campos; sailed to See also:Lisbon and resold it to See also:Prince Henry the Navigator; and a few years afterwards resold it once more to Enrique de Guzman, See also:count of Niebla. Jean de Bethencourt, who died in 1422, bequeathed the islands to his See also:brother Reynaud; Guzman sold them to another Spaniard named Paraza, who was forced to re-sell to See also:Ferdinand and See also:Isabella of Castile in 1476; and Prince Henry twice endeavoured to enforce his own claims. Meanwhile the Guanches remained unconquered throughout the greater part of the archipelago. In 1479 the See also:sovereignty of Ferdinand and Isabella over the Canaries was established by the treaty of Alcacova, between See also:Portugal and Castile.

After much bloodshed, and with reinforcements from the See also:

mother See also:country, the Spaniards, under Pedro de See also:Vera, became masters of Grand Canary in 1483. Palma was conquered in 1491, and Teneriffe in 1495, by Alonzo de See also:Lugo. The archipelago was included for administrative purposes in the captaincy-general of See also:Andalusia until 1833, when it was made a separate province. In 1902 a See also:movement in favour of local See also:autonomy was repressed by Spanish troops.

End of Article: CANARY

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CANARY (Serinus canarius)

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