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CANARY ISLANDS (Canarias)
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CANARY ISLANDS (Canarias), a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean; about 6o m. W. of the African coast, between 27° 40' and 29° 30' N., and between 13° 20' and 18° ro' W. Pop. (1900) 358,564; area 2807 sq. m. The Canary Islands resemble a roughly-drawn semicircle, with its convex side facing south-wards, and with the island of Hierro detached on the south-west. More precisely, they may be considered as two groups, one of which, including Teneriffe, Grand Canary, Palma, Hierro and ~adCaMplida Pt. Palma ~S• de is Palma Gomera, consists of mountain peaks, isolated and rising directly from an ocean of great depth; while the other, comprising Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and six uninhabited islets, is based on a single submarine plateau, of far less depth. Teneriffe and Gomera, the only members of the principal group which have a common base, may be regarded as the twin peaks of one great volcanic mass. Ever since the researches of Leopold von Buch the Canary Islands have been classical ground to the student of volcanic action. Buch considered them to be representative of his " craters of elevation." In common with the other West