Lanzarote

Coordinates: 29°02′06″N 13°38′06″W / 29.035°N 13.635°W / 29.035; -13.635
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lanzarote
UTC±00:00)
 • Summer (DST))

Lanzarote (

biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993.[5] The island's capital is Arrecife, which lies on the eastern coastline.[6] It is the smaller main island of the Province of Las Palmas
.

The first recorded name for the island, given by Italian-Majorcan cartographer Angelino Dulcert, was Insula de Lanzarotus Marocelus, after the Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello, from which the modern name is derived. The island's name in the native Guanche language was Tyterogaka or Tytheroygaka, which may mean "one that is all ochre" (referring to the island's predominant colour).[7]

Geography

Lanzarote is located 11 km (7 mi) north-east of

Tunnel of Atlantis", the largest underwater volcanic tunnel in the world, is part of the Cueva de los Verdes lava tube.[9]

Climate

Often called the "Island of Eternal Spring",

Köppen climatic classification.[11] The small amount of precipitation is mainly concentrated in the winter. Rainfall during summer is a rare phenomenon and very often summers are completely dry without any precipitation. On average the island receives approximately 16 days of precipitation between December and February.[10] Sometimes, the hot sirocco wind prevails, causing dry and dusty conditions across the island.[10] Average precipitation in June and August is less than 0.5 millimetres (0.020 inches). It closely borders a tropical climate
, with winter means of 18 °C (64 °F) and summer means of 25 °C (77 °F).

Climate data for Lanzarote Airport (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.9
(82.2)
29.0
(84.2)
32.7
(90.9)
36.3
(97.3)
42.6
(108.7)
40.7
(105.3)
42.9
(109.2)
43.6
(110.5)
40.5
(104.9)
37.1
(98.8)
34.2
(93.6)
27.5
(81.5)
43.6
(110.5)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 24.3
(75.7)
25.5
(77.9)
28.0
(82.4)
29.2
(84.6)
30.6
(87.1)
32.0
(89.6)
33.9
(93.0)
35.0
(95.0)
32.3
(90.1)
31.6
(88.9)
28.7
(83.7)
24.5
(76.1)
37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.9
(69.6)
21.5
(70.7)
22.9
(73.2)
23.8
(74.8)
25.2
(77.4)
26.8
(80.2)
28.5
(83.3)
29.5
(85.1)
28.6
(83.5)
27.0
(80.6)
24.3
(75.7)
22.0
(71.6)
25.1
(77.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.6
(63.7)
18.0
(64.4)
19.1
(66.4)
20.0
(68.0)
21.4
(70.5)
23.0
(73.4)
24.6
(76.3)
25.6
(78.1)
24.9
(76.8)
23.4
(74.1)
20.9
(69.6)
18.8
(65.8)
21.4
(70.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 14.3
(57.7)
14.5
(58.1)
15.2
(59.4)
16.1
(61.0)
17.5
(63.5)
19.2
(66.6)
20.7
(69.3)
21.6
(70.9)
21.0
(69.8)
19.7
(67.5)
17.4
(63.3)
15.6
(60.1)
17.7
(63.9)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 11.5
(52.7)
11.7
(53.1)
12.4
(54.3)
13.6
(56.5)
14.9
(58.8)
17.0
(62.6)
19.1
(66.4)
19.9
(67.8)
18.7
(65.7)
17.1
(62.8)
14.1
(57.4)
13.0
(55.4)
10.9
(51.6)
Record low °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4)
9.0
(48.2)
8.3
(46.9)
9.5
(49.1)
11.5
(52.7)
12.4
(54.3)
15.4
(59.7)
16.6
(61.9)
15.5
(59.9)
12.0
(53.6)
10.9
(51.6)
9.0
(48.2)
8.0
(46.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 15.7
(0.62)
16.7
(0.66)
12.2
(0.48)
4.1
(0.16)
1.3
(0.05)
0.2
(0.01)
0.1
(0.00)
0.6
(0.02)
1.9
(0.07)
13.3
(0.52)
16.2
(0.64)
21.5
(0.85)
103.8
(4.08)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) 2.9 2.5 2.2 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 2.2 3.1 3.3 18
Mean monthly sunshine hours 207 203 250 259 294 290 314 302 261 234 206 203 3,023
Source 1: Météo Climat [12]
Source 2: Infoclimat[13]
Climate data for Lanzarote Airport (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.9
(82.2)
29.0
(84.2)
32.7
(90.9)
36.3
(97.3)
42.6
(108.7)
40.7
(105.3)
42.9
(109.2)
43.6
(110.5)
40.5
(104.9)
37.1
(98.8)
34.2
(93.6)
27.5
(81.5)
43.6
(110.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.7
(69.3)
21.3
(70.3)
22.9
(73.2)
23.5
(74.3)
24.6
(76.3)
26.3
(79.3)
28.2
(82.8)
29.1
(84.4)
28.6
(83.5)
26.7
(80.1)
24.2
(75.6)
21.8
(71.2)
24.8
(76.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3)
17.9
(64.2)
19.0
(66.2)
19.6
(67.3)
20.8
(69.4)
22.6
(72.7)
24.3
(75.7)
25.2
(77.4)
24.7
(76.5)
23.0
(73.4)
20.7
(69.3)
18.6
(65.5)
21.1
(70.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2)
14.3
(57.7)
15.0
(59.0)
15.7
(60.3)
16.8
(62.2)
18.8
(65.8)
20.4
(68.7)
21.2
(70.2)
20.8
(69.4)
19.4
(66.9)
17.2
(63.0)
15.4
(59.7)
17.4
(63.3)
Record low °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4)
9.0
(48.2)
8.3
(46.9)
9.5
(49.1)
11.5
(52.7)
12.4
(54.3)
15.4
(59.7)
16.6
(61.9)
15.5
(59.9)
12.0
(53.6)
10.9
(51.6)
9.0
(48.2)
8.0
(46.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 16.5
(0.65)
18.2
(0.72)
12.5
(0.49)
5.2
(0.20)
1.5
(0.06)
0.1
(0.00)
0.0
(0.0)
0.5
(0.02)
2.2
(0.09)
9.9
(0.39)
14.7
(0.58)
29.3
(1.15)
111.0
(4.37)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 3.2 2.7 2.4 1.3 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.8 19
Average
relative humidity
(%)
68 68 66 66 66 66 68 68 70 71 69 71 68
Mean monthly sunshine hours 203 201 241 255 297 292 308 295 248 235 207 196 2,986
Average ultraviolet index 4 5 7 9 10 11 11 10 9 7 5 4 8
Source:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[14]

Geology

Atlantic Ocean at Los Picollos, Lanzarote

Lanzarote is the northernmost and easternmost island of the main Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin.[15] The island emerged about 15 million years ago as product of the Canary hotspot. The island, along with others, emerged after the breakup of the African and the American continental plates. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park.[16]

Biodiversity

La Geria
. The low, curved walls protect the vines from the constant, drying wind.

Plants

There are five hundred different kinds of plants on the island, of which 17 species are

Laurisilva
trees, which once covered the highest parts of Risco de Famara, are rarely found today. After winter rainfall, the vegetation comes to a colourful bloom between February and March.

The vineyards of La Gería, Lanzarote DO wine region, are a protected area. Single vines are planted in pits 4–5 metres (13–16 feet) wide and 2–3 metres (6 feet 7 inches – 9 feet 10 inches) deep, with small stone walls around each pit. This agricultural technique is designed to harvest rainfall and overnight dew and to protect the plants from the winds.[17]

Fungi

There are 180 different species of lichen-forming fungi. These survive in the suitable areas like rock surfaces, and promote weathering.

Animals

Apart from the native bats and the mammals which accompanied humans to the island (including the

Canarian Egyptian vulture
.

Natural symbols

The official natural symbols associated with Lanzarote are Munidopsis polymorpha (Blind crab) and Euphorbia balsamifera (Tabaiba dulce).[18]

Demographics and administration

Papagayo Beach

As of 2023, 158798 people live on Lanzarote, an increase of 14.9% from 2011 (138201).[19] The seat of the island government (Cabildo insular) is in the capital, Arrecife, which has a population of 62988 in 2019.[19] According to the 2011 census, the majority of the inhabitants are Spanish (72.1%) with a sizeable number of residents of other nationalities, notably Britons (5.6%), Colombians (3.2%), Germans (3.1%) and Moroccans (3.1%).[20] Other populous groups include Italians, Koreans, Cubans, and Romanians, which constitute a large proportion of the remaining 12.9% of the population.[20]

Nationality Population %
Spanish
102720 72.1%
British 8026 5.6%
Colombian
4566 3.2%
German
4404 3.1%
Moroccan
4384 3.1%
Other nationalities 18417 12.9%

The island has an international airport, César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport, through which 7327019 passengers travelled in 2018.[21] Tourism has been the mainstay of the island's economy for over 40 years, the only other industry being agriculture.

Lanzarote is part of the province of

Las Palmas, and is divided into seven municipalities
:

Name Island Area
(km2)
Census
Population
(2001)[22]
Census
Population
(2011)[23]
Census
Population
(2021)[24]
Estimated
Population
(2023)[25]
Arrecife Lanzarote 22.72 44,980 55,381 64,278 64,735
Haría Lanzarote 106.59 4,027 5,054 5,395 5,543
San Bartolomé Lanzarote 40.89 13,030 18,118 19,305 19,443
Teguise Lanzarote 263.98 12,392 20,294 22,976 23,788
Tías
Lanzarote 64.61 12,820 19,148 20,469 21,296
Tinajo Lanzarote 135.28 4,512 5,738 6,441 6,725
Yaiza Lanzarote 211.85 5,020 14,468 17,080 17,268
Lanzarote Island Totals 845.92 96,781 138,201 155,944 158,798

Transport

Lanzarote is located in Lanzarote
Arrecife
Arrecife
Órzola
Órzola
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca
Location of airport and ports of Lanzarote

Air

The island's main point of entry is

LZ-2
road.

Sea

Most of the goods arrive by sea through the Port of Arrecife, Puerto de los Mármoles. This port is also used by cruise ships.

Furthermore, there are regular ferry lines that connect the Port of Arrecife with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cadiz.

Ferry services to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura depart from Playa Blanca, the island's southernmost town.

The two main companies operating these services are

Fred Olsen Express and Naviera Armas
.

Ferries to the island of

La Graciosa depart from Órzola
, Lanzarote's northernmost town.

Road

The

that acts as a ring road around Arrecife, connecting Puerto de los Mármoles on the northern side of the city to LZ-2 on the southern side. These three roads form the island's central road axis from which other roads connect to the rest of the island's towns, settlements and points of interest.

Public transport on the island is provided by Arrecife Bus, operating under the name of Intercity Bus Lanzarote. The company operates 30 bus lines connecting the island's major and minor settlements, as well as serving the airport, and includes internal bus services in the towns of Playa Blanca, San Bartolomé and Tías. Most lines begin or end in the capital, Arrecife.[27] The public bus service within the city of Arrecife is provided by the local council and consists of five lines, including one to the neighbouring town of Playa Honda.[28]

History

View over a lava field towards the Montañas del Fuego

Lanzarote is believed to have been the first Canary Island to be settled. The

Naturalis Historia on an expedition to the Canary Islands.[29] The names of the islands (then called Insulae Fortunatae or the "Fortunate Isles") were recorded as Junonia (Fuerteventura), Canaria (Gran Canaria), Ninguaria (Tenerife), Junonia Major (La Palma), Pluvialia (El Hierro), and Capraria (La Gomera). Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the two easternmost Canary Islands, were only mentioned as the archipelago of the "purple islands".[clarification needed] The Roman poet Lucan and the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy gave their precise locations.[30] It was settled by the Majos tribe of the Guanches.[31] After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, interaction with the Canary Islands is unrecorded before 999, when the Arabs
arrived at the island which they dubbed al-Djezir al-Khalida (among other names).

Overlooking the harbour in Puerto del Carmen's Old Town

In 1336, a ship arrived from Lisbon under the guidance of Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello, who used the alias "Lanzarote da Framqua". A fort was later built in the area of Montaña de Guanapay near today's Teguise. Castilian slaving expeditions in 1385 and 1393 seized hundreds of Guanches and sold them in Spain, initiating the slave trade in the islands.[32][33] French explorer Jean de Béthencourt arrived in 1402, heading a private expedition under Castilian auspices. Bethencourt first visited the south of Lanzarote at Playas de Papagayo, and the French overran the island within a matter of months. The island lacked mountains and gorges to serve as hideouts for the remaining Guanche population, and so many Guanches were taken away as slaves that only 300 Guanche men were said to have remained.

At the southern end of the

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias).[34] In 1404, the Castilians (with the support of the King of Castile) came and fought the local Guanches, who were further decimated. The islands of Fuerteventura and El Hierro were later similarly conquered. In 1477, a decision by the royal council of Castile confirmed a grant of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, with the smaller islands of Ferro and Gomera to the Castilian nobles Herrera, who held their fief until the end of the 18th century.[35] In 1585, the Ottoman admiral Murat Reis temporarily seized Lanzarote. In the 17th century, pirates raided the island and took 1,000 inhabitants into slavery in Cueva de los Verdes
.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura would be the main exporters of wheat and cereals to the central islands of the archipelago during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries; Tenerife and Gran Canaria.[36] Although this trade was almost never reversed for the inhabitants of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (due to the fact that the landowners of these islands profited from this activity), producing periods of famine, so the population of these islands had to travel to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The island of Tenerife is a major focus of attraction for the inhabitants of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, hence the feeling of union that has always existed in the popular sphere with Tenerife.[36]

From 1730 to 1736, the island was hit by a series of

San Antonio de Bexar in 1731. Another volcanic eruption occurred within the range of Tiagua in 1824, which was less violent than the major eruption between 1730 and 1736.[citation needed
]

In 1927, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura became part of the province of Las Palmas. Several archaeological expeditions have uncovered the prehistoric settlement at the archaeologic site of El Bebedero in the village of Teguise.[39] In one of those expeditions, by a team from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and a team from the University of Zaragoza, yielded about 100 Roman potsherds, nine pieces of metal, and one piece of glass. The artefacts were found in strata dated between the 1st and 4th centuries. They show that Romans did trade with the Canarians, though there is no evidence of settlements.[30]

The island has a

Biosphere Reserve protected site status. According to a report in the Financial Times, this status was endangered by a local corruption scandal. Since May 2009, police have arrested the former president of Lanzarote, the former mayor of Arrecife and more than 20 politicians and businessmen in connection with illegal building permits along Lanzarote's coastline. UNESCO has threatened to revoke Lanzarote's Biosphere Reserve status, "if the developments are not respecting local needs and are impacting on the environment".[40][41] The President of the Cabildo of Lanzarote denied "any threat to Lanzarote's UNESCO status".[42]

Notable people

  • Juan Leal (1676–1742/1743), Spanish settler and politician, born on the island, 1st mayor of San Antonio
  • Juan Curbelo (1680–1760), Spanish politician, born on the island, Alcalde (mayor) of San Antonio de Bexar, Texas (1737, 1739)
  • Salvador Rodríguez (1688–unknown), Spanish politician, born on the island, Regidor (council member) of San Antonio de Bexar, Texas
  • José Clavijo y Fajardo (1726–1806), Spanish journalist, born on the island
  • Blas Cabrera Felipe
    (1878–1945), Spanish physicist, born on the island
  • César Manrique (1919–1992), Spanish artist, born and died on the island
  • José Saramago (1922–2010), Portuguese writer, resided and died on the island
  • Manuel Medina (born 1935), Spanish politician, born on the island
  • Rosana Arbelo (born 1963), Spanish singer, born on the island
  • Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark (born 1965), Greek royalty, resides on the island
  • Goya Toledo (born 1969), Spanish actress and model, born on the island
  • Carlos Morales Quintana
    (born 1970), Spanish architect and husband of Princess Alexia, born and resides on the island
  • Jonathan Pérez Olivero
    (born 1982), Spanish footballer, born on the island
  • Patricia Díaz Perea (born 1984), Spanish triathlete, represents Lanzarote-based club Triatlón Titanes
  • Jordi Martín (born 1991), Spanish footballer, born on the island

Festivals

The most established festival on the island is held each year on 15 September in the village of Mancha Blanca, in honour of Our Lady of Dolours (Virgen de los Dolores), also called the "Virgin of the Volcanoes" (the Patron Saint of Lanzarote). People from all over the island participate in this pilgrimage, mostly dressed in traditional costumes.

Sport

The island's only professional football team is UD Lanzarote, founded in 1970 who play at the 7,000 capacity Ciudad Deportiva de Lanzarote. The island is also home to smaller clubs CD Teguise and CD Orientación Marítima. In tennis, the Open Isla de Lanzarote was hosted between 2006 and 2008.

Views

Hacha Grande, in the south of the island, viewed from the road to Papagayo beach
Salinas de Janubio, in the west of the island
Crater and laguna in El Golfo

References

  1. ^ a b c "Estadística del Territorio" [Territory Statistics] (in Spanish). Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC). Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference pob_1996-2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Lanzarote". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Lanzarote". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
  5. ^ "UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory". UNESCO. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  6. ISSN 1133-4762
    .
  7. ^ "Diccionario Ínsuloamaziq-Tyterogaka". Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.
  8. ^ Photo: Famara Official Tourism Office of the Canaries Archived 21 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Eyeless Creature Discovered in Undersea Tunnel". LiveScience. 25 August 2009.
  10. ^ a b c "Lanzarote Weather and Climate". spain-lanzarote.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Arrecife, Spain Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". weatherbase.com.
  12. ^ "Météo climat stats - Moyennes 1991/2020 - Espagne (Îles Canaries)" (in French). Météo Climat. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Climatologie de l'année à Lanzarote Aeropuerto" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Valores climatológicos normales. Lanzarote Aeropuerto". 13 July 2020.
  15. ^ "The Geology of the Canary Islands - 1st Edition". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Timanfaya". Lanzarote Guide. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  17. S2CID 133877260
    .
  18. ^ "BOC – 1991/061. Viernes 10 de Mayo de 1991 – 577". gobcan.es. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Población de derecho de Lanzarote según municipio. Evolución (1996-2023)" [Legal population of Lanzarote by municipality. Evolution (1996-2019)]. Centro de Datos. Cabildo de Lanzarote (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Población de derecho de Lanzarote según nacionalidad y municipio de residencia (2011)" [Legal population of Lanzarote by nationality and municipality (2011)]. Centro de Datos. Cabildo de Lanzarote (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Introduction - César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport - Aena.es". Aena.es. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  22. ^ Census at 1 November 2001: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  23. ^ Census at 1 November 2011: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  24. ^ Census at 1 January 2021: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  25. ^ Estimate at 1 January 2023: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  26. ^ "Orden FOM/211/2019, de 27 de febrero, por la que se modifica la denominación oficial del Aeropuerto de Lanzarote" [Order FOM/211/2019, of 27 February, by which the official designation of Lanzarote Airport is modified] (in Spanish). 1 March 2019.
  27. ^ "Lines and Timetables". Arrecife Bus, S.L. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  28. ^ "Transportes, Guaguas, Recorrido" [Transport, Buses, Routes] (in Spanish). Ayuntamiento de Arrecife. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  29. ^ Pliny the Elder. "Ch 37 The Fortunate Islands". In John Bostock (ed.). The Natural History. Vol. Book VI. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  30. ^ a b "Roman Trade with the Canary Islands". Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  31. ^ "Majo, Toponimia de las islas Canarias". Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  32. .
  33. .
  34. ^ a b San Marcial del Rubicón y los Obispados de Canarias
  35. .
  36. ^ a b Jornadas de Estudios sobre Lanzarote y Fuerteventura
  37. S2CID 133877260
    .
  38. , retrieved 17 March 2021
  39. ^ Atoche Peña, Pablo. "EXCAVACIONES on the Canary islands". www.personales.ulpgc.es. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  40. ^ Barr, Caelainn; Mulligan, Mark (5 July 2010). "Lanzarote faces losing its eco status". Financial Times. London, Madrid. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  41. ^ Building craze threatens to end Lanzarote's biosphere status The Independent. 7 July 2010
  42. ^ Greenslade, Roy (8 July 2010). "Canary Islands protests at Financial Times investigation". Greenslade Blog. London: The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2010.

Further reading

External links