Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is one of the Canary Islands, an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean 210 km from the northwest coast of Africa and belonging to Spain. The island is of volcanic origin.

The island was populated by the Guanches from 3000 BC, who called it Tamarán, but was claimed by Spain in the 15th century.

Gran Canaria's surface is 1560 km² and its maximum altitude is 1949 meters (Pozo de las nieves).

It is divided into twenty-one municipalities:

Agaete Agüimes Artenara Arucas Firgas Gáldar Ingenio

Mogán Moya Las Palmas San Bartolomé de Tirajana San Nicolás de Tolentino Sta. Brígida Sta. Lucía de Tirajana

Santa Maria de Guía Tejeda Telde Teror Valleseco Valsequillo Vega de San Mateo

The island has a population of 755,500 with 365,000 of those in the capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Palmas is the capital of the province of Las Palmas, and also one of the co-capitals of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands.

The market in the fishing city of Arguineguin (in the municipality of Mogán) is the largest on the island, and is on Tuesdays.

The number of annual visitors are 2.2 million (2,200,000).

External links

• Cabildo de Gran Canaria