Tenerife facts

Tenerife88
Tenerife

Tenerife is one of the seven Canary Islands. It is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the province being on the island. The other province in the canary Islands is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. With 899.833 inhabitants, Tenerife is the most populated island of the Canary Islands and Spain.

The flag adopted by the island is that of a white St Andrew's cross on a navy blue background this is due to St Andrew being the patron saint of the island.

Geologically it grew up from a volcano, the Teide. This volcano has had many violent eruptions over its very long history, the most recent of those eruptions took place in 1909. Island capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, other important cities are Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Arona, Adeje and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, all in the north of the island. Also important town of Candelaria, where they worship the patron saint of the Canary Islands, the Virgin of Candelaria.

The island is currently dependent on the tourism industry for much of its income.

Tenerife has two international airports, one in the south near the centres of tourism in Playa de Las Americas, Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos, and one in the north near Santa Cruz, which is where the world's worst plane disaster happened on March 27, 1977. Two Boeing 747 planes collided on the runway and killed 583 people.

The biggest tourist attractions are the volcano Teide (top is more than 3,000 m above sea level) and the Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz.

Panorama Teide BW
panorama view of Las Cañadas del Teide

Images

  • Tenerife preconquista

    Territorial map of Tenerife before the conquest

  • AlonsoFernandezdeLugo2

    Alonso Fernandez de Lugo presenting the native kings of Tenerife to Ferdinand and Isabella

  • Sir Horatio Nelson when wounded at Teneriffe

    Admiral Nelson wounded at Tenerife

  • Tenerife formation

    Tenerife formation

  • Anaga 2006

    The uneven contours of the Anaga massif

  • Punta teno

    Teno massif—Cliffs of the Giants area

  • Panom-puerto

    Panorama of Valle de La Orotava

  • Espacios protegidos Tenerife-en

    Map showing the classification of protected areas in Tenerife

  • Santa Cruz Innenhof der Presidencia del gobierno de canarias fcm

    Building of the Presidency of the Canaries Autonomous Government in Santa Cruz

  • Santa4

    Locals at the Semana Santa (Easter) in Los Realejos

  • Gráfico

    left

  • Tenerife-phil5

    Harbour

  • Puertodelacruztf

    Puerto de la Cruz, in the North, during winter, featuring background snowy mountains

  • Playa de las americas Tenerife

    Evening sunset at the beach Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife

  • Botanico 2005

    The Botanic Gardens in Puerto de la Cruz

  • Anaga (Tenerife)

    View of fields around Anaga

  • Castillo o Torre de San Andrés

    Castillo de San Andrés, declared of National Tourist Interest Center

  • Tomas de Iriarte Joaquin Inza

    Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa

  • Timple Front

    Canarian timple

  • Güímar BW 2

    Pyramids of Guimar

  • Tenerife2005 056

    Architecture in Santa Cruz (Plaza de España)

  • Auditorio de Tenerife 013

    Auditorio de Tenerife, icon of architecture in Canary Islands

  • Traje típico

    Traditional costume

  • BajadaSocorro2006

    Annual performance to honour "Our Lady of Candelaria" at Socorro Beach, Güímar

  • Plaza-centro

    Soil Tapestry in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town Square) in La Orotava

  • Tenerife.candelaria.exterior.basilica

    Basilica of Candelaria, sanctuary of the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands

  • Sanhermanopedro

    Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur, franciscan missionary in Guatemala born in Tenerife. It was the first canary to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. This saint is very venerated in Tenerife.

  • Catedral de La Laguna, Tenerife

    Cathedral of La Laguna

  • UniversityLaLaguna

    University of La Laguna, the oldest and largest university in the Canary Islands

  • Obs 2

    Teide Observatory, part of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Astrophysics Institute of the Canaries)

  • Pueblo Chico Guanchen2

    Guanche figures at Pueblo Chico in La Oratava

  • SantaCruzHarbour

    Santa Cruz de Tenerife

  • Teno Cape

    Teno, the westernmost point in the island

  • AutopistaTF5

    TF5 motorway approaching Santa Cruz

  • Rodeos verde

    Tenerife North Airport

  • Tranvía de Tenerife1

    Tramway servicing between Santa Cruz and La Laguna

  • Hospital Universitario de Canarias

    Hospital Universitario de Canarias

  • Papasarrugadas

    Canarian wrinkly potatoes, with red mojo

  • Gofioescaldado

    Gofio escaldado

  • Eidechsen Teide

    Gallotia galloti, a wall lizard species endemic to Tenerife

  • Dracaena draco

    Canary Islands dragon tree

  • Tajinaste rojo

    Tenerife bugloss

  • Canariomys bravoi skull

    Skull of Canariomys bravoi.

  • Gallotia goliath mummy 2

    Mummified specimen of Gallotia goliath.

  • Geochelone burchardi - pleisto sup - femore - Tenerife Adeje

    Fossilized femur of Geochelone burchardi.

  • Teidefink

    Fringilla teydea

  • Dracaena draco

    Dracaena draco

  • Orotavatal

    Panorama of the La Orotava Valley with Teide in the background

  • Teide2007

    Teide and Roque Cinchado.

  • Las Teresitas2a

    Playa de Las Teresitas in San Andrés (Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

  • Masca Road

    Masca.

  • Auditorio de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, España, 2012-12-15, DD 24

    Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

  • Valle taoro

    Valle de La Orotava

  • Playa torviscas-grey beach

    Playa Torviscas—grey sand beach, Tenerife

  • Lago Martianez-Monumento a las olas-Tenerife

    Complejo Lago Martiánez

  • Casa de la Aduana Puerto de la Cruz

    Casa de la Aduana

  • Museodelpescador

    Fishermen's Museum by (Bernard Romain)

  • Los Gigantes Sunset

    The sun setting over Los Gigantes.


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Tenerife Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.