page_title: Canary Islands
section_title: Self-governance
hierarchical_section_title: Canary Islands / History / Self-governance
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Karte der EU – Überseeische Länder und Hoheitsgebiete (OCT) und die Gebiete in äußerster Randlage (OMR). Diese Karte zeigt den räumlichen Geltungsbereich der Verträge der EU gemäß Artikel 52 des Vertrags über die Europäische Union und Artikel 355 des Vertrags über die Arbeits­weise der Europäischen Union. Français&#160;: Carte de l’Union Européenne, en particulier les Pays et territoires d’outre-mer et les Régions ultrapériphériques. Cette carte montre la portée d’action territoriale des Traités de l’UE comme spécifié par l’Article 52 du Traité sur l’Union Européenne et l’Article 355 du Traité sur le Fonctionnement de l’Union Européenne. English: Map of the EU – Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and Outermost Regions (OMR). This map shows the territorial scope of the Treaties of the EU as specified by Article 52 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
context_page_description: The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish archipelago and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, 100 kilometres west of Morocco at the closest point. It is one of eight regions with special consideration of historical nationality as recognized by the Spanish government. The Canary Islands are geographically located in the African Tectonic Plate, even though the archipielago is economically and politically European, as it is part of the European Union.
  The eight main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa. The archipelago includes many smaller islands and islets: Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste, and Roque del Este. It also includes a series of adjacent rocks. In ancient times, the island chain was often referred to as "the Fortunate Isles". The Canary Islands are the most southerly region of Spain and the largest and most populated archipelago of Macaronesia.
context_section_description: After the death of Franco, there was a pro-independence armed movement based in Algeria, the Movement for the Independence and Self-determination of the Canaries Archipelago (MAIAC). In 1968, the Organisation of African Unity recognized the MAIAC as a legitimate African independence movement, and declared the Canary Islands as an African territory still under foreign rule.
  After the establishment of a democratic constitutional monarchy in Spain, autonomy was granted to the Canaries via a law passed in 1982, with a newly established autonomous devolved government and parliament. In 1983, the first autonomous elections were held. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) won. In the 2007 elections, the PSOE gained a plurality of seats, but the nationalist Canarian Coalition and the conservative Partido Popular (PP) formed a ruling coalition government.
caption: Map of the European Union in the world with overseas countries and territories and outermost regions
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