The Canary Islands are a group of volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, belonging to Spain. Their history can be divided into several periods:

Ancient and pre-Hispanic times: The islands were inhabited by different indigenous peoples, such as the Guanches, who had a Neolithic culture and spoke a Berber-related language. The origin of these peoples is unclear, but they may have arrived from North Africa between 1000 BCE and 100 CE. The islands were known to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, who called them the Fortunate Isles or the Isles of the Blessed.

Exploration and Castilian conquest: The islands were visited by European explorers in the 14th and 15th centuries, such as Lancelotto Malocello, Jean de Béthencourt, and Christopher Columbus. They were gradually conquered by the Kingdom of Castile between 1402 and 1496, with the help of some native allies and the use of violence and enslavement. The conquest was motivated by economic, religious, and strategic reasons.

After the conquest and the introduction of slavery: The islands became a Spanish colony and a stopover for ships traveling to and from the Americas. The native population was decimated by diseases, exploitation, and assimilation. The islands received settlers from mainland Spain, Portugal, Flanders, Italy, and Africa. African slaves were brought to work on sugar plantations and other crops. The islands also faced attacks from pirates and privateers.

18th to 19th century: The islands experienced economic decline because of competition from other sugar-producing regions, volcanic eruptions, droughts, plagues, and wars. They also witnessed social unrest and rebellions against the feudal system and the colonial authorities. In 1821, they were divided into two provinces: Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In 1833, they were incorporated into Spain as part of the region of Canarias.

Romantic period and scientific expeditions: The islands attracted the interest of European travelers, writers, artists, and scientists in the 18th and 19th centuries, who were fascinated by their natural beauty, exoticism, and diversity. Some notable visitors were Alexander von Humboldt, William Wilde, Jules Verne, Agatha Christie, and Alfred Hitchcock. The islands also hosted scientific expeditions to observe astronomical phenomena, such as solar eclipses and transits of Venus.

Early 20th century: The islands experienced a population boom due to immigration from mainland Spain and improved living conditions. They also developed new industries such as fishing, agriculture, commerce, and tourism. However, they also faced political and social problems such as corruption, inequality, repression, and strikes. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the islands supported the nationalist side led by Francisco Franco.

Franco regime: The islands suffered under the dictatorship of Franco (1939-1975), who imposed a centralist and authoritarian rule that suppressed the local culture, language, and autonomy. The islands also faced economic hardship due to isolation, emigration, inflation, and unemployment. Many Canarians left for Venezuela, Cuba, or mainland Spain in search of better opportunities.

Self-governance: After Franco’s death in 1975, Spain transitioned to democracy and granted autonomy to its regions. The Canary Islands became an autonomous community in 1982 with its own parliament, government, president, flag, anthem, and coat of arms. The islands also gained more control over their finances, education, health care, culture, and environment1. Since then, the islands have enjoyed economic growth based on tourism.

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