What Is The Capital Of The Canary Islands?

The Canary Islands is an archipelago in the Atlantic, 60 miles off the west coast of Morocco. The Canary Islands are among the outermost territories of Europe and an autonomous region of Spain. They are the most populous and largest islands of Macaronesia. The archipelago consists of seven main islands and several smaller islands. The Canary Islands are divided into two provinces; Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas. The capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the city of Santa Cruz while the capital of Las Palmas is the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Both capitals are capitals of Canary Islands and host the Canarian Ministry of Presidency on a four-year rotational term.

Las Palmas

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital of the Las Palmas province and one of the two capitals of the Canaries. The city is the more populous of the two capitals and the 9th largest in the country with about 379,000 people. Las Palmas lies in the northern end of Gran Canaria Island, 93 miles off the coast of Morocco. The cool currents offset the desert climate resulting in warm temperatures of 70.2 °F (21.2 °C) throughout the year. Las Palmas was established in the late 15th century and served as the capital of the Canary Islands until the late 17th century. Las Palmas hosts the Canary Islands High Court of Justice, half the boards and the ministries of the Canarian government. It is a popular tourist destination due to its weather, coastline, sandy beaches, and service industry. 

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of Santa Cruz province and one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands alongside Las Palmas. It is the less populous of the two with a population of about 205,000. The city is located on Tenerife Islands, the second largest Spanish island. Santa Cruz served as the capital of the Canaries until a legislative decree in 1982 ordered that the two provincial capitals share the status. The city hosts the parliament, half the Boards and Ministries of the Canarian government, and provincial courts. Santa Cruz is one of the busiest ports in Spain for both passenger and cargo traffic. The city has experienced a boom in the construction industry over the past decade with skyscraper competing for the skyline. The Guardian Newspaper ranked Santa Cruz among the best places to live reside in 2012, considering that about 80% of the municipality is regarded as a natural environment.