What Animals Were the Canary Islands Named After? @ Super Beefy | Filed Under: Odds 1 Comment That may sound like a foolish question. But the Canary Islands, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, were not named after the yellow finches called canaries, they were named after dogs! When the ancient Romans first reached these islands, they found many wild dogs running loose. So, they called this new land Insulae Canariae, which means “Islands of the Dogs.” In fact, the birds we call canaries got their name o from the islands, and not vice versa, because these birds were first discovered in the Canary Islands! Read More The Canary Islands were named after what animal? - Quora Quora Written Dec 11, 2014 Named after dogs, actually. The colonizers were intrigued to find dogs along with the native people that lived there. There is an old word for dog in Spanish, which is "can", and so they were named "Islas Canarias". The shield of the islands has two dogs, one on each side, to allude to this. Updated Nov 24 My U.S. Government teacher gave me a B+ on my senior term paper.

I was happy. Then he said, "I would have given you an A but I know you wrote this yesterday and typed it today. It wouldn't be fair for me to give you an A when I'm failing another student who worked on it the full six weeks." My answer to him was it's not my fault, nor should I be punished, because I can write an A paper in two da... James' Jetsam - Your Cruise Expert: What animal are the Canary Islands named after? Recommend me to your friends Monday, 12 July 2010 What animal are the Canary Islands named after? Wrong, sorry. Anyone you just said canarys can go to the back of the class. The little yellow birds that Tweety Pie is based on are called Canarys because they come from the Canary Islands , not the other way around. The archipelago actually gets its name from dogs. The Romans, upon first discovering the islands called them the Isle of Dogs, so their modern name is derived from the old Latin Insula Canaria, after the large number of both wild and domesticated dogs they found there.

Dogs have been important in the Canary Islands in all known history, going right back to the ancient, Guanche, inhabitants. Archaeological excavations in several burial caves in Tenerife have shown that the dog was buried with his master, so it could "guide the soul to the region of the dead". The importance of dogs to the islands continues right through to today, with dogs even being a main feature on the official coat of arms for the islands. Happy Cruising Disclaimer Insects Reptiles Birds The seven major Canary Islands form a small volcanic archipelago 60 km from the coast of Morocco. The islands are the product of a volcanic 'hotspot', a column of magma that is thought to have remained stationary beneath the Earth's crust since the Cretaceous. As the motion of the oceanic crust carried newly-emerged islands away from the hotspot, new volcanoes formed in their place, producing a chain of islands in a process likened to the movement of a conveyor belt.

Since the islands began forming in the Miocene (23-5 million years ago), differences in the age and distance of each from the hotspot has resulted in each island having distinct ecosystems, from the laurisilva (subtropical laurel rainforest) of La Palma and La Gomera at the western edge of the archipelago to the arid scrub and barren volcanic malpais (badlands) of Fuerteventura. Consequently, the wildlife of the islands has adapted and evolved into a variety of forms found nowhere else, with several species being restricted to individual islands. The islands are also known for several species of endemic lizard and mammal. Canarian wildlife has affinities with both African and European forms and several species, such as the Algerian hedgehog, represent introductions from the African mainland. The marine life, too, includes endemic, Mediterranean and African lineages. It is a testament to the national importance of Canarian wildlife and habitats that, until the 1990s, all but one of Spain's national parks were located in the islands, one each on Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma and La Gomera.

The entire island of La Palma has been declared a biosphere reserve. Its laurisilva forest, harbouring numerous endemic species, is an example of a relict ecosystem that once covered much of Europe, but which is today confined to the Canaries, the Azores and Madeira. Many of the islands' species, however, are threatened, and a number are now extinct. The lava mouse (Malpaisomys insularis), Canary Islands giant rat (Canariomys tamarani), Canary Islands quail (Coturnix gomerae) and the unusual the flightless long-legged bunting (Emberiza alcoveri) were all lost in historic or prehistoric times, probably due to the introduction of cats and dogs to the islands by early Guanche colonists. The Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis exsui) has been lost since the beginning of the 20th Century. The same may soon be true of the El Hierro giant lizard (Gallotia simonyi), if this animal is not already extinct.

INSECTS Almost 6,000 insect species are known from the archipelago, over a third of them endemic. The Canary Islands has a small but interesting butterfly fauna, containing a diverse mix of African, European, North American and Asiatic species. At least five species are endemic; intriguingly, the Canarian blue is most closely-related to species in Madagascar, at the opposite corner of Africa. In common with other elements of the fauna, species and subspecies of endemic Canarian butterflies, beetles and other insects are often restricted to individual islands. REPTILES The Canary Islands has seven or eight surviving species of endemic rock lizard, all members of the endemic genus Gallotia. A further species is known only from remains. These lizards are notable for the exceptional size (for the family) of some members, a phenomenon known as insular gigantism. Two species each of gecko and skink are also restricted to the archipelago. Indeed, the islands' native reptile fauna may be 100% endemic, the few other species known from the islands apparently being recent introductions.

Remains are known of an extinct Canarian giant tortoise, and five species of marine turtle pass through the archipelago's waters. No snakes occur in the Canary Islands. BIRDS Twelve bird species are restricted to the Canary Islands, a high number for such a small archipelago. Together with Madeira, the Canaries have been designated an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International , and an urgent priority area for conservation. Most restricted-range species on the islands are dependent on laurel forest, with the majority being found on Tenerife. The Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria) itself, named after the islands rather than vice versa, is most common in the western islands of the archipelago and also occurs on Madeira and in the Azores. The wild bird is a fairly unremarkable finch resembling the closely-related serin, with rather dull grey-brown upperparts. The oldest and second-largest of the major Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is the closest to Africa and is dominated ecologically by sparse scrub; the island's famous winds, together with the effects of 20 million years of soil erosion and a lack of rainfall, prevent woodland from taking hold, and trees only persist in sheltered valleys.

Instead, a range of endemic euphorbs and saltmarsh species dominate the flora. Canarian endemics in all animal groups are known from the island. Although the wildlife is generally depauperate relative to the western islands, Fuerteventura is an important breeding site for the endemic subspecies of the Egyptian vulture. The island's proximity to Africa also makes it valuable for several species of seabird. Marine species include manta rays, seahorses and a species of parrotfish. Human settlement and agriculture has, however, caused severe damage to Fuerteventura's ecosystems. Much of the naturally scrub-covered island has been rendered barren by grazing animals, mainly goats, accelerating the natural process of desertification. The island's three native reptiles are threatened by habitat loss, which ironically includes the destruction of artificial stone walls on which the Canary Islands skink depends. Development for tourism and industry threatens the island's most celebrated inhabitant, the Canary Islands chat or Fuerteventura stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae), a bird which is now extinct in the rest of the archipelago.. Gran Canaria Info - Are The Canary Islands Really Named After Big Dogs? Are The Canary Islands Really Named After Big Dogs?

Share this Monday, 19 October 2015 06:24 Are The Canary Islands Really Named After Big Dogs? Email The Canary Islands NASA Where did the Canary Islands get their name? Well, it's not from the Canary, as the bird is named after the islands rather than the other way round. Most people seem to think the islands are named after dogs, but we have our doubts. Here are the different theories. Dogs The most common explanation of the name is that it comes from the Latin name Canariae Insulae, meaning "Islands of the Dogs". The story is that Mauretanian king Juba II, a firm ally of the Romans, sent an expedition to the Canary Islands that found "vast multitudes of dogs of very large size". Pliny the Elder recorded Juba II's discoveries in his Natural History, written in 77 AD (see below). He specifically referred to the big dogs on the island of Canaria. It sounds great except for one thing; there is no evidence that the islands were covered in big dogs at this time.

Juba II also said that the islands were uninhabited (although his expedition reported finding huts) but we know that the original Canarians were in the Canaries during Juba's reign. Seadogs The Canary Islands, and especially Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, once had a big colony of Mediterranean monk seals. They were known as sea wolves by early sailors. Although now extinct in the Canary Islands (a few survive in Madeira to the north), Monk seals may well have been the 'dogs' that gave the islands their name. This theory received a recent boost when archaeologists discovered a Roman settlement on Lobos islet just north of Fuerteventura. It appears they travelled to the Canaries to harvest purple dye from Murex shells and used Lobos as a base to collect them. Nobody is quite sure why the Romans chose Lobos islet, but it was probably because it had lots of seals and seabirds to eat. Lizards The giant lizards of the Canary Islands don't grow longer than about 80cm long, but they were once much bigger. Before humans and their cats, rats, and hedgehogs, Canary Islands giants lizards were real giants.

There are subfossil records of lizards up to 150cm long just a few thousand years ago. Maybe Juba II's expedition found huge lizards on the Canary Islands rather than big dogs. The lizards are mentioned by Pliny on the island of Capraria. Berbers Another potential explanation is that the islands were originally settled by the Canarii tribe of Berbers from the Atlas mountains in what is now Morocco. We know that the original Canarians, often referred to as the Guanches, were descended from Berbers although nobody is sure how a mountain people got to the Canary Islands. It's possible that Canarii tribespeople were taken to the Canaries, either by the Romans or the Phoenicians. Why? Either to set up a supply base outside the Mediterranean or to get rid of a rebellious tribe. Interestingly, a Guanche legend said that they were descended from royalty from a faraway place. The source Almost everything written about the Canary Islands in antiquity comes from this passage of Pliny's Natural History from 77 AD, although it is based on earlier information recorded by Juba II.

'Some people think that beyond the islands of Mauretania lie the Isles of Bliss (Canaries), and also some others of which Sebosus before mentioned gives not only the number but also the distances, reporting that Junonia (La Palma) is 750 miles from Cadiz, and that Pluvialia (El Hierro) and Capraria (La Gomera) are the same distance west from Junonia; that in Pluvialia there is no water except what is supplied by rain; that the Isles of Bliss are 250 miles WNW from these, to the left hand of Mauretania (Morocco), and that one is called Invallis (Tenerife ?) from its undulating surface and the other Planasia (Gran Canaria ?) from its conformation, Invallis measuring 300 miles round; and that on it trees grow to a height of 140 ft.

About the Isles of Bliss Juba has ascertained the following facts; they lie in a southwesterly direction, at a distance of 625 miles sail from the Purple Islands, provided that a course be laid north of due west for 250 miles, and then east for 375 miles; that the first island reached is called Ombrios (El Hierro), and there are no traces of buildings upon it, but it has a pool surrounded by mountains, and trees resembling the giant fennel, from which water is extracted, the black ones giving a bitter fluid and those of brighter colour a juice that is agreeable to drink; that the second island is called Junonia, and that there is a small temple on it built of only a single stone; and that in its neighbourhood there is a smaller island of the same name, and then Capraria, which swarms with large lizards; and that in view from these islands is Ninguaria (Tenerife ?), so named from its perpetual snow, and wrapped in cloud; and next to it one named Canaria (Gran Canaria), from its multitude of dogs of a huge size (two of these were brought back for Juba).

He said that in this island there are traces of buildings; that while they all have an abundant supply of fruit and of birds of every kind, Canaria also abounds in palm-groves bearing dates and in conifers; that in addition to this there is a large supply of honey, and also papryus grows in the rivers, and sheat-fish; and that these islands are plagued with the rotting carcasses of monstrous creatures that are constantly being cast ashore by the sea.' For more early references to the Canary Islands, see this excellent history page on the Isaac Newton Group Of Telescopes website. 8 Things You Might Not Have Known About the Canary Islands 8 Things You Might Not Have Known About the Canary Islands Posted: July 16, 2011 Categories: 8 Things , Spain 1.7k Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Google Pinterest Stumbleupon After driving around the Pyreneese Mountains for a week I’ve changed scenery and have gone to the Canary Islands. I’ve been on the island of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Graciosa and Tenerife and will be on La Gomera and La Palma next week. So far it has been great with amazing weather.

I realize that many people have no clue where they Canary Islands are or much about them, so I figured it was time for another installment of “8 Things You Might Not Have Known…” 1) They were not named after canary birds. Despite the name, the islands were not named after canaries, the cute, chirping birds. It comes from the latin word for dog, “canaria”. One story is that when some of the first Europeans arrived, they found large dogs on the island of Grand Canary. In fact, they might not even even named after dogs at all, but rather after seals which used to inhabit the island, which the Romans called “sea dogs”. 2) It has the highest point in Spain. Despite having the Pyreneese mountains in its country, the highest point in Spain is actually on the island of Tenerife. El Teide is 3,718m (12,198ft) high. There are other tall peaks in the Canaries as well including Roque de los Muchachos on the island of La Palma 2,400 m (7,874 ft).

This mountain is of note because it is home to one of the largest collection of astronomical telescopes in the world, including the world’s largest telescope, the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias . It’s high volcanic mountains which sit above the clouds makes it similar to the observing conditions you can find in Mona Kea in Hawaii. 3) The Spanish Civil War started here. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Francisco Franco was the General Commandant of the Canaries, headquartered in Las Palmas, on Grand Canary island. He and his minions plotted their strategy here in the Canaries, out of sight and mind of the rest of Spain, before moving to the continent. Cooking over a volcano 4) You can cook food over a volcano. As I mentioned above, the Canary Islands are volcanic in origin. While there are no volcanoes currently erupting on the island, there was a great deal of activity on the island of Lanzarote between 1730 and 1736 when over 100 volcanoes appeared on the landscape. The last eruption was in 1824, but there is still a significant amount of heat just below the surface.

If you enter Timanfaya National Park, you can visit El Diablo Restaurante where they have several demonstrations which show the heat just below the surface. In one demonstration they toss straw into a hole which bursts into flame due to the heat. In another they pour water down a whole which instantly turns into a tower of steam. At the restaurant, there is a 9m hole was which was dug to access the heat, the top of which is used as a grill. The temperature of the grill reaches 400C and uses no energy. 5) The islands were colonized concurrently with the Americas. While the Canary Islands were known to the ancient Romans and Greeks, they never really grabbed the attention of Europeans until they began to sail across the Atlantic to the Americas. Columbus used the island of La Gomera as a staging point for his first trip to the Americas. Most of the older buildings you can find in the islands, especially in the city of La Laguna are very colonial in style. Unlike the Americas, however, the Canary Islands were not a colony but an actual part of Spain which they remain to this day.

6) The city of San Antonio, Texas was founded by people from the Canary Islands If you remember the Alamo, then you should also take a second to remember the Canary Islands. The city was original founded by settlers from the Canaries and their descendants died fighting alongside Jim Bowie and Davy Crocket. The founder of the city of São Paulo, Brazil is also from the island of Tenerife. 7) It his home to a whistling language On the island of La Gomera there is a language used to communicate over the large distances across valleys called “ Silbo Gomero “. As technology changed the ease in which people could communicate, the language was in danger of dying out in the 20th Century. The government took measures to teach the language to children in school. The whistling is actually just a form of Spanish. The language is more used for announcements and news, not for personal conversation. It was listed as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2009.

8) World worst airline disaster The world’s worst aviation accident occurred on the island of Tenerife on March 27, 1977 when two Boeing 747’s collided on a foggy airport runway. 583 people were killed when KLM Flight 4805 hit Pan Am Flight 1736 during take off. Neither plane was supposed to be on Tenerife as they were diverted from Gran Canarias when a bomb was detonated on the runway. The airport had many more aircraft than it could handle and couldn’t fit all the planes at the gates. An investigation after the event by Spanish, Dutch and American teams concluded that there were a host of problems which lead to the disaster including language, not knowing where the planes were, casual terminology and pilot error. The accident lead to a host of changes in how plane crews and flight control towers talk to each other to avoid misunderstanding. Get My FREE 100 Page Travel Photography eBook! 28 Responses to "8 Things You Might Not Have Known About the Canary Islands" By Mia August 17, 2014 - 7:03 pm There not ‘African Canary Islands’ .

And to gain a VISA you must go through the Spanish Consulate so YES they are 100% apart of Spain. And No, No one in Australia has heard of them, I am constantly explaining about them to people. Reply By Arnab January 11, 2012 - 7:06 am Cooking food over a volcano is one of the craziest thing I have heard in my lifetime! Drilling and putting a pipe into its surface can become really risky at times I suppose.Anyways this is a fabulous post! By Dr Vicente Barreto January 5, 2012 - 5:26 pm The truth about my country, the African Canary Islands. 1.- Yes, they were not named after birds or dogs. The people of the Canary Islands came from Berber tribes in North Africa. One of these Beber tribes was called “Canarii” and therefore the name of my country is “Islas Canarias” (Canary Islands). In short, the name has to do with one of the Beber tribes and not dogs, cats or birds. 2.- It does not have the “highest point in Spain”.

Mount Teide, in the island of Tenerife (Africa), is 1,400 kilometres from Spain (Europe). In short, we are talking about different realities: one country is in Africa and the other in another continent (Europe). It is like the French saying that their highest mountain is in Algeria. Well, my friends, Algeria is closer to France than the African Canary Islands to Spain. The Canary Islands is a COLONY of Spain in Africa and we, the Canary Islands, want the Spaniards out of our country. 3.- The African Canary Islands were invaved by Spain before the Americas and later they used the Canary Islands as a stopover in order to bring death and terror to the Americas. The Canary Islanders war with Spain lasted nearly 100 years and after the Spaniards “discovered” the Americas, needing our Islands to provide food, water, etc., for their ships, they signed agreements with our people saying that they would respect our lands, people, etc. Of course, since they were pirates, they did not respect the agreements signed with us. 4.- Yes, the City of San Antonio and other places in the Americas were founded by Canary islanders.

The “troblemakers”, those Canary Island patriots that resisted the Spanish pirates in our islands were rounded and transported to the Americas. Something similar with the English transporting children, young girls, etc., to Australia to help their cause in Australia. 5.- Yes, dictator Franco, “by the Grace of God”, was in exile in the African Canary Islands. Spain always used its colony of the Canary Islands to transport its own troublemakers far away from Spain and so Franco, Unamuno, etc., spent time in the Canary Islands. One day, during Franco’s period of exile in the African Canary Islands, a small plane piloted by an English guy lands here and takes fascist Franco out of the Canary Islands and on his journey back to Spain to create trouble. I don’t know why the English seem to be always in the picture. If the inglés (English) had not landed in the Canary Islands, he would have saved Spain from Hitler’s litter brother (Franco). Finally, boys and girls, Madrid says that the Canary islands is “Spain”. etc. Well, France also used to say that “Algeria is France”.

As for those who say that the Canary Islanders “love” Spain, are “Spanish”, etc., they are Spaniards living in the Canary Islands as part of the colonial administration. Spain has caused too much pain, misery, poverty, crimes, rapes, death, etc., against our people -the Canary Islanders- for us to love them. Will the Canary Islands be free of Spain one day? Well, if nothing in this life is permanent then I believe that one day the Spaniards will have to leave the Canary Islands. After all, the Spaniards love Spain too much and claim to be europeans, etc., and our islands are not in Europe. It would be much better for them to live in their beloved Europe and leave the Canary Islanders in peace. Their enemy is: geography and time. Finally, our islands receive 12 million tourists every year but our people leave in poverty, the unemployment rate is 30% and for our youth 60%. Why? Because Spain controls our economy and steals the billions generated by the so-called “tourist industry”. The best jobs are occupied by people from Spain.

If this is not bad enough, the flora and fauna of the Canary Islands is suffering because our islands have too many people (residents + tourists). Many thanks for reading this. Dr Vicente Barreto Reply By Luis August 30, 2015 - 5:31 am Not because of the constant, repetitive and histrionic repetition of African, the Canary Islands are European, located near Africa. History has shades and lights, the fact of the matter is that we are Europe and thanks to our location we have a unique weather and nature. I respect your opinion, and Who knows why, but I disagree completelely with your opinion. Gracias Reply By Bec June 23, 2016 - 6:06 pm Dear Dr Berber – My son is doing a short music presentation at school in Australia on the Canarias and was asked to identify an African instrument used in the Canarias. He has searched the internet with my assistance (he is 12) but we mainly found information on the Timple (which sounds more Spanish?)- and little reference to any African instruments or songs, etc. Are you able to point us in the right direction?

With thanks – Bec Reply By Antonio Pulido July 22, 2011 - 5:22 am There is a mistake in the post. General Franco had his headquarter in Tenerife, not in Gran Canaria, next to “Plaza Weyler” in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tenerife is the capital of the militar zone in Canary. On the other hand, the Civil War did not start in Canary Island, it started in North Africa at the city of Melilla . One day later Franco left Tenerife by plane to Africa to command the army in Africa (the plane was called “Dragon Rapide”). He was not the leader of the rebellion. The leader was General Mola. By Matthew Karsten July 19, 2011 - 2:15 pm I love these posts. You always find some pretty strange facts. By MiguelGuerra July 19, 2011 - 7:06 am Very good article but just a correction: La Palma is 2,426 meters high. Greetings!

Reply By Costan Alex July 19, 2011 - 3:42 am ooo….you can cook on a vulcano , very interesting ideea … i never heard about something like that … Canary Islands seems to be a good choice for my next travel . Very interesting article ! Thanks for infos … Reply By Liz July 19, 2011 - 12:47 am Wow! Volcano bbq. How green! I would be afraid of it erupting while I waited for the food though. By ciki July 18, 2011 - 1:45 am named after dogs and not birds.. how interesting. SCARY no.8 tho!!! Reply By Guanche July 17, 2011 - 9:30 pm That they were not a colony but a part of Spain is debatable. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), former African Union, already said at 1970 that Canary Islands were an African territory waiting to be decolonized.

By Gary July 18, 2011 - 12:57 am I’m not sure why a 41 year old proclamation from an outside group matters. 1) They are a part of Spain. it is recognized as such by the international community. They are a province of the country and have representation in the Spanish parlament. 2) No other country claims the Canary Islands. 3) There are no movements for independence. 4) There are no native groups. What people were here have been mixed into the general population who mostly came from Spain. 5) They are not had have never been listed on the United Nations list of non-selfgoverning countries. By Pablo July 19, 2011 - 5:37 am The Canary Islands are part of Spain and 99% of the Canaries Spanish feel By Nancy & Shawn Power... Inspiring YOU to Travel! July 17, 2011 - 7:10 pm Great post Gary… excellent info! Cooking over a volcano & a whistling language… very cool things.

:-) When visiting there… how many of the islands would you recommend visiting… is there just one or 2 main ones to go to or like somewhere like say Hawaii is there 5 or 6 nice ones to check out? N & S By Andi of My Beautiful Adventures July 16, 2011 - 11:35 am Wow, I was thinking these islands so cool and then I read #8. YIKES!!! How horrible! But well, I still want to go. Maybe I’ll take a boat. ;-) Reply By Linda July 17, 2011 - 6:31 am It was a long time ago, Andi, and thereafter they built a new airport, which is now the main one. Once that was open they installed all state of the art stuff and completely remodelled. For a while it was used only for cargo and inter-island traffic, but the majority of international flights now come into the southern airport (I should know I live almost at the end of the runway!). So don’t be put off!!!

By Benjmin July 16, 2011 - 11:06 am I have eaten from that BBQ many times. The salty potatoes being my favourite. By Nomadic Samuel July 16, 2011 - 9:26 am Some fascinating tidbits but the part I enjoyed the most was the volcanic bbq. By Arti July 16, 2011 - 9:25 am Wow! Cooking food over volcano!! Never heard of that!! Great post. Loved reading it… Have a fabulous weekend:) Reply By Todd Michael July 16, 2011 - 6:45 am The 9th thing would have to be the Observatory, Roque de los Muchachos, in La Palma. Statistically it´s second only to the one in Hawaii for optical and infrared astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere. Also it current holds the record for largest single-aperture optical telescope. I know that on La Palma as well as Lanzarote the government has put in place so laws that protect though regions for light polution, making them wonder sites for star gazing!

By Linda July 16, 2011 - 4:12 am Normal summer weather here, Gary! Sorry, couldn’t resist that. Nice to read something factual and accurate. Since the main islands of the archipelago are “hot” tourist destinations for Europeans thousands of words are written annually, and many of those are inaccurate. I took a small poll recently of people from New Zealand to mainland Spain, and it turned out that around 75% didn’t know where the islands are until recent months, and I’ve actually spoken with British tourists who thought that they were in the Med! That video is the best I’ve seen. By Jack July 16, 2011 - 3:31 am “I realize that many people have no clue where they Canary Islands are or much about them…” Presumably you’re talking about from your part of the world Gary. The Canary Islands are one of the most popular European holiday destinations and are visited by millions of people every year.

By Gary July 16, 2011 - 3:39 am The world is much bigger than Europe :) Tourism here seems to be from a few select places in Europe: Spain, UK, Germany being the biggest ones. I’ve also seen some Russians and Swedes. Once you get beyond those and maybe a few other countries, I’d say most of Europe is probably just as clueless as is Australia, Asia, etc. The same can be said for many other popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean or the Pacific. Many Australians visit Vanuatu, but I doubt if most people know much about Vanuatu. By Jack July 16, 2011 - 4:10 am LOL – Yes it certainly is:) Vanuatu and the Canary Islands – that’s an original comparison for sure. Reply By Gary July 16, 2011 - 4:29 am When you’ve been to as many places as I have, you see comparisons and similarities that most people probably wouldn’t realize. I noticed some similarities between Lanzarote and Aruba for example.

Reply By Linda July 16, 2011 - 4:18 am The thing is that you didn’t go to the main “tourist” places. The majority of people come for the sunshine, beaches and bars, which may not be your kind of travel, but whatever turns them on. They simply come, soak up the sun and leave, and never see the things you have seen, or which Jack and I write about. I walked along a tourist beach this week (a novelty for me!) and apart from the nationalities you mention I heard French, Italian and other Skandinavian languages I couldn’t name. The Russian market is big business here these days, but most stick to organized groups and excursions, and they are one of the few groups of visitors with money to spend.

Reply By MiguelGuerra July 19, 2011 - 7:10 am But the most of the tourists that come to the Canary Islands usually don’t want to learn something about them: just stay at the hotel and have a swim… The Canary Islands THE CANARY ISLANDS This group of islands, with a preferred climate and constant temperature through all the year, and splendid beaches of fine sand, consists of 7 larger islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, Hierro) and a few smaller ones (Alegranza, Graciosa, Montaï¿½a Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste und Lobos). Surprisingly, the landscape of each island is very different from the others.

Hierro - Capital is Valverde La Palma - Capital is Santa Cruz de la Palma Gomera - Capital is San Sebastiï¿½n Tenerife - Capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife Gran Canaria - Capital is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Fuerteventura- Capital is Puerto de Rosario Lanzarote - Capital is Arrecife Ancient Greeks and Romans reported on these islands of volcanic origins, and called them the Happy Islands, Garden of the Hesperides, and Atlantida. Some historians supposed that the legendary continent Atlantis was located here. A short period of time after the Canary Islands became part of the Spanish Kingdom the ships of Christopher Columbus stopped here on their travel to discover the New World in 1492. Columbus stopped at Gran Canaria and La Gomera. Columbus used food and water from the Canary Islands to supply his three ships, the Pinta, the Niï¿½a and the Santa Marï¿½a on their long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Location & Size The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The eastern most island, Lanzarote is located about 70 miles from coast of Africa.

The islands, stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean with the western most island, Hierro being about 300 miles away. The largest island in size is Tenerife which is 786 square miles. It also has the most people, 665,000. The smallest island is El Hiero which is 104 square miles. It also has the least amount of people, 8,300. The total population of the Canary Islands is 1,600,000 and the total size is 2,875 square miles. As a comparison the State of Connecticut is 5,009 square miles with a population of 3,400,000. Climate The Canary Islands are located at about the same latitude as Orlando, Florida and San Antonio Texas. But because they are islands and those cities are located inland, the actual climate is different. Being on the same latitude as another place on the globe does not mean that the temperature or climate will be the same. When the Pilgrims set sail from England they headed south thinking that they were going to a warmer climate.

They were very surprised that the winters in New England, which is south of England were much colder. Latitude are the north-south lines on a globe, Longitude are the east-west lines on the globe. You can use latitude and longitude to locate a place on the globe. The location of Gran Canaria is 28 North 06 - 15 West 24. The location of Hartford, Connecticut is 41 North 43 - 73 West 39. Two Capitals Santa Cruz de Tenerife Las Palmas de Gran Canaria The Canary Islands have two capitals, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The President of the Canaries must alternate his official seat between the Cities each four years. The Symbol of the Canary Islands The symbol of the Canary Islands is very interesting. The ribbon says "Oceano" because they are islands located in the Atlantic Ocean. The Crown is because they are a part of Spain, which is has a king. The 7 symbols on the shield represent the 7 main islands. But what about the dogs? People think that the Canary Islands get their name from the birds canaries.

But actually the canary bird received is named after the people the Canarii. All breeds of canary birds descend from the canary birds thatstill exist on the island. So why are there two dogs and not two canaries? When the Romans came to the Canary Islands they encounted not only fierce natives, but also their dogs. The latin word for dog is "canis" and the actually named one of the islands "canaria" because of these dogs. Because the people are proud of these dogs they included them in their symbol. Today we still use the word "canine" as a general term for a dog. The Guanches The Guanches are the native people of the Canary Islands. When the Europeans first arrived in the Canary Islands they described the Guanches as being very tall and muscular. As in the United States the various native american tribes are grouped using the term "indian" the term guanche originally was used only by the natives of Tenerife. The native inhabitants of the other islands refered to themselves by different names. Today the general name for all native people of the Canary is Guanches. Much like the Egyptian people the Guanches had mummys.

In fact some of the earliest pyramids have been found to exist in the Canary Islands. Although descendents of the Guanches exists today much of their culture has become forgotten. However two things have become part of the Canary Islands culture. One is a dance called the "Tajaraste". The other is a unique form of wrestling which is known as Canarian Wrestling (lucha canaria). The opponents stand in a special area called a "terrero" and try to throw each other to the ground using strength and quick movements. Two Other Canary Island Sports There are two other unique Canary Islands sports. One is the "game of the sticks" where opponents fence with long sticks. These sport may have come about from the shepards of the islands who would challenge each other using their long walking sticks. The other sport is called the Shepard's jump. This involves using a long stick to vault over an open area. This sport possible evolved from the shepard's need to occassionally get over an open area in the hills as they were tending their sheep. Pyramids & Mummys Like the Egyptians the Guanches on the island of Tenerife had mummys. They did this for very important chiefs and other people.

This allowed them to have a very long mourning period and to prepare the person for the afterlife. Sometimes they did not make a person into a mummy. Instead they would remove the heart from the dead person and place it in a basket. A person would then volunteer to be a messenger. He would be told of the all the news of the village. He would then jump off a cliff to his death carrying the basket. It was his job to tell the people who had died before the news of the village and that a chief or important person was coming to live with them. They also had pyramids on the island of Tenerife. They do not look like the pyramids in Egypt, but more like the pyramids found in Mexico and South America. This might mean the Guanches originally came not from Africa or Europe, but rather all the way from Mexico or South America. Volcano The island of La Palma contains the volcano Teneguï¿½a. On October 21, 1971 the volcano began to cause earthquakes on La Palma. On October 26th the volcano exploded! For the next weeks until November 21st the volcano sent lava into the sea and ash into the sky.

Fortunately the damage was not extensive and volcano has been quiet since then. What Animals Were the Canary Islands Named After? What Animals Were the Canary Islands Named After? 2 Answers 0 That may sound like a foolish question. But the Canary Islands, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, were not named after the yellow finches called canaries they were named after dogs! When the ancient Romans first reached these islands, they found many wild dogs running loose. So, they called this new land Insulae Canariae, which means "Islands of the Dogs." In fact, the birds we call canaries got their name o from the islands, and not vice versa, because these birds were first discovered in the Canary Islands! Why Is Z the Last Letter in Our Alphabet? Our alphabet, called the Roman alphabet, was based on the older Greek alphabet. In Greek, the letter z is the sixth letter. But when the Romans borrowed the Greek letters to form their own alphabet, they didn't need the z, because they didn't have a z sound in their language. Later, many Greek words came into use in the Latin language. So the Romans brought back the z in order to write Greek words, and put ... more sgclub.com

Question: What creatures are the Canary Islands named after?
Answer: Dogs