CANARIES, or CANARY ISLANDS. a group of islands belonging to Spain in the Atlantic ocean, off the n.w. coast of Africa, in lat. 27° 40' to 29' 25' n., and long. 13' 25' to 18° 16' w., forming a Spanish province. The group consists of seven large and several small islets, with a joint area of about 3,800 sq. m., and a pop. of (1870) 283,859. The principal islands, proceeding from e. to w., are Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Teneriffe, Gomera, Palma, and Hierro or Ferro. The coasts are steep and rocky, and the surface is diversified with lofty mountains (the greatest elevation being attained in the Pico de Teyde, in the island of Teneriffe, which has a height of 12,182 ft.), narrow gorges, and fertile valleys. All the islands are of volcanic origin. On the summits of the highest elevations, depressions, like those left by fallen cones of volcanoes, are almost every where found; and the steep declivities are marked by deep fissures, of which, usually, only one penetrates the depressed summit, and exposes to view the several strata of the volcanic rock. There are numerous torrents, but no rivers, and fresh water is very scarce in the southern parts of the islands, and especially in Ilierro.
The researches of Humboldt and Von Buch led to the division of the botanical geogra phy of Teneriffe into five distinct regions. The first, or region of African forms of vegetation, extends to about 1300 ft. above the sea, and is marked by the growth of the date palm, sugar-cane, dragon's-blood tree, etc. The second region extends to the height of 2,800ft., and produces vines, corn, maize, olives, chestnuts. etc., in luxuriance. This zone represents the vegetation of southern Europe. In the third region, rising 1200 ft.
or so higher, we have laurels and evergreens. In the fourth, extending to above 6000 ft., we find vegetation nipped by cold and excessive dryness, snow falling several months of the year, and only the pinus Canariensis and other conifers: flourishing. The fifth region attains an elevation of nearly 11,000 feet. Here are found a kind of spartium (broom) peculiar to this zone, with cedrine junipers, and one Alpine plant, Arabic The barren mountain-peaks are just below the limit of perpetual snow, although in a cavern at the height of 11,000 feet above the sea, snow is said to be preserved throughout the year. All the rest of the islands are similar in character, with the exception of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, which are less elevated, more abundantly wooded, and more luxuriant in vegetation generally.
Minerals are few, and of little importance. Near the sea, the general temperature ranges from 60°46° F. in Jan., to 78°-87° F. in October. The rainy season lasts from Nov. to Feb.; from April to Oct., the weather is uniformly fine. The islands, however, suffer much from the e. and s.e. winds, which, blowing over the hot deserts of Africa, burn up vegetation, and generate disease. Very little wine is now produced, the grape disease having destroyed almost all the vines. Cactus plants, on which the cochineal insect feeds, now mainly occupy the desolated vineyards, and the value of cochineal exported in 1874 was £435,000, out of a total value for exports of 4596,244. Other products are cereals, tobacco, potatoes, barilla, oil, and fruits. The chief for eign trade is with the United States, England, and Hamburg. There is little mann• factoring.