Although politically they are part of Spain, the Canary Islands are closer to Africa than they are to Europe and so geographically they are part of the African continent. Fuerteventura is the closest island to Africa, situated at only a 100 km distance from the coast of Morocco.
What happened to the natives of the Canary Islands?
After the Spanish conquest of the Canaries starting in the early 15th century, many natives were wiped out by the Spanish conquerors while the rest assimilated over time into the settler population and culture, although elements of their original culture survive within Canarian customs and traditions, such as Silbo ( …
Did Portugal control the Canary Islands?
French and Portuguese forces occupied several of the islands, but they were handed over to the Spanish in a treaty in the 15th century, and the Spanish would have control of all the islands by the time the 16th century rolled around, using them as their base for their explorations to the west – a key moment in the …