Gran Canaria (in English, "Grand (or Great) Canary") is an island of the Canary Islands. Located in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 kilometers (~93 miles) off the northwestern coast of the Africa and about 1350 km (~838 miles) from Europe. Gran Canaria is the most populous island of the Canary Islands and second most populous island of the Spain.
Gran Canaria was populated by the Canarii (Guanches), who may have arrived as early as 500 BC. The Canar...
more
Gran Canaria (in English, "Grand (or Great) Canary") is an island of the Canary Islands. Located in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 kilometers (~93 miles) off the northwestern coast of the Africa and about 1350 km (~838 miles) from Europe. Gran Canaria is the most populous island of the Canary Islands and second most populous island of the Spain.
Gran Canaria was populated by the Canarii (Guanches), who may have arrived as early as 500 BC. The Canarii called the island Tamarán. After over a century of European (French, Portuguese...) incursions and attempts at conquest, the island was conquered on April 29, 1483, for the Kingdom of Castile, with the support of Queen Isabella I, a conquest which turned out to be an important step towards the expansion of the unified Spain.
The capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was founded on June 24, 1478, under the name "Real de Las Palmas", by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army. In 1492, Cristopher Columbus anchored in the Port of...
less
