Line #4 UsefulNotes/CanaryIslands


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/canary_islands_map.jpg]]
2
3	A series of volcanic islands west of UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}, the Canary Islands ('''Spanish:''' ''Las Islas Canarias'') are an [[UsefulNotes/TheShiningAutonomousCommunitiesOfEspana autonomous community]] of UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} off the northwestern coast of UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}, the southernmost region of Spain, one of the eight regions with special consideration of historical nationality recognized as such by the Spanish Government and an outermost region of UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion.
4
5	The island of Tenerife is the largest and most populated of the islands; the other main islands are Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa. The territory has two capitals, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which also act as the capitals for the Spanish provinces of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Province of Las Palmas respectively, with Las Palmas also being the largest city of the territory.
6
7	The islands are a major tourist destination, with desert and subtropical environments, great beaches and important natural attractions like Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and third tallest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, and the Teide National park, with about 12 million people visiting the region per year. During the [[UsefulNotes/TheKingdomOfSpain Spanish empire]]'s time, the Canary Islands were also the main stopover for Spanish galleons on their way to UsefulNotes/TheAmericas, which came south to catch the prevailing northeasterly trade winds.
8
9	Unlike nearby islands of the Atlantic Ocean, like the UsefulNotes/{{Azores}}, UsefulNotes/{{Madeira}}, and UsefulNotes/CapeVerde, the Canary Islands had been inhabited by humans for thousands of years by the time Spain "discovered" them. The native population were a Berber people known as the Guanches, though unlike the mostly Muslim mainland Berbers, the Guanches had their own animist faith. After Spain began its conquest of the islands in the 1400s, most of them were killed off by the Spanish colonists, while the rest were assimilated. Some historians have even called the Spanish takeover of the Canaries a dress rehearsal for the European colonization of the Americas.
10
11	Aviation enthusiasts are familiar with the islands because of the infamous 1977 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster Tenerife airport disaster]], the deadliest aviation accident in history.[[labelnote:brief explanation]]A bombing at the main Las Palmas airport diverted air traffic to the smaller airport on Tenerife, which happened to be experiencing heavy fog. The Dutch crew of a KLM 747 misinterpreted a control tower communication as a clearance to take off, and in doing so collided with an American Pan Am 747 that was still taxiing on the runway, resulting in 583 total fatalities between the two jumbo jets, plus 61 survivors, all on the Pan Am plane,[[/labelnote]]
12	----
13	!!Notable people from the Canary Islands:
14
15	* Actor Creator/JavierBardem was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
16
17	!!Media featuring the Canary Islands:
18
19	* ''Film/OneMillionYearsBC'': The film's volcanic landscapes are those of the Teide National park on Tenerife, more specifically around Mount Teide.
20	* Mount Teide was also used for 2010's ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans\|2010}}'' and its sequel ''Wrath of the Titans''.
21	* ''Film/{{Eternals}}'''s prologue was filmed in Tenerife.
22	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has filmed in the Canary Islands on several occasions:
23	** The Fifth Doctor serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E5PlanetOfFire Planet of Fire]]" (1984) was partially set in Lanzarote, the fourth largest island. Lanzarote was also used to film scenes set on the alien planet of Sarn, owing to its otherworldly volcanic landscape.
24	** Lanzarote doubled for the surface of the Moon in the Twelfth Doctor episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E7KillTheMoon Kill the Moon]]" (2014).
25	** Tenerife was the filming location for scenes set on the surface of Skaro in Series 9's opening two-parter "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E1TheMagiciansApprentice The Magician's Apprentice]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E2TheWitchsFamiliar The Witch's Familiar]]".
26	** Fuerteventura was used for scenes set on the surface of Gallifrey for the Series 9 finale "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent Hell Bent]]".
27	----
28	[[AC:The Canarian flag]]
29	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_the_canary_islands.png]]
30	->Designed by Carmen Sarmiento and her sons Arturo and Jesus Cantero Sarmiento during the Canarias Libre movement of the 1960s, this flag is a tricolor of three equal bands of white, blue and yellow, combining the blue and white colours of the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Province of Canary Islands) with the blue and yellow colours of the Province of Las Palmas, and features the coat of arms of the Canary Islands in the center blue band.

Context UsefulNotes / CanaryIslands