The Canary Islands (play /kəˈnɛəriː ˈaɪləndz/, also known as the Canaries; Spanish: Islas Canarias, pronounced [ˈislas kaˈnaɾjas]; 28°06′N 15°24′W / 28.1°N 15.4°W / 28.1; -15.4Coordinates: 28°06′N 15°24′W / 28.1°N 15.4°W / 28.1; -15.4) are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The islan
ds include (from largest to smallest): Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, and the islets La Graciosa, Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste and Isla de Lobos. The archipelago's beaches, climate and important natural attractions, especially Teide National Park and Mount Teide (the third largest volcano in the world), make it a major tourist destination, with over 12 million visitors per year, especially Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The islands have a sub-tropical climate, with long hot days in summer and cooler days in winter. The capital for the Autonomous Community is shared by the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which in turn are the capitals of the provinces of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas. From 1833 until 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the only capital, yet Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the largest city since 1768, except for a brief period in 1910. The third largest city of the Canary Islands is San Cristóbal de La Laguna (a World Heritage Site) on the island of Tenerife. During the times of the Spanish Empire the Canaries were the main stopover for Spanish galleons on their way to America because of the favorable easterly winds.
