Why is the Canary Islands part of Spain not Morocco?

The Canary Islands belong to Spain since the 15th century, when they were conquered to the native tribes that lived in the islands (the Guanches). Regarding Ceuta and Melilla, the history is way more complicated as they have changed hands a lot of times.



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Between 1420 and 1479 a Portuguese force subdued Gomera. In 1479 the Treaty of Alcáçovas recognized Spanish sovereignty over the Canaries, and the conquest of the remaining islands was completed in 1496.

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Spain is a transcontinental state, which holds sovereignty over some places in North Africa, including the Canarian Archipelago. These are remnants of its past as a colonial empire, which encompassed at its peak possessions in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

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In short, the Canary Islands belongs to the Canary Islanders, no one else. If they choose to be part of Spain then the Canary Islands are part of Spain. Morocco has no say in this. They are outsiders.

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It's also said that Africa is sometimes visible from sea level on the Fuerteventura coast, and this might be detection of cloud or dust storms at an elevation of e.g. a few hundred m above Morocco. From a flying height ~ 8 km, say, the visibility range for low-lying land is ~ 320 km.

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In 1479 the Treaty of Alcáçovas recognized Spanish sovereignty over the Canaries, and the conquest of the remaining islands was completed in 1496.

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Although Tenerife and the Canary Islands are a part of Spain, the culture and history is quite distinct. The island was colonised by the Guanches in around 200 BC, who remained in control of the islands until the Spanish invaded in around 1494.

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Originally inhabited by an Indigenous civilization called the Guanches, these islands fell under Spanish rule in the 15th century. Since then, they have become an important stop on international trade routes between Europe and the Americas.

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The Canary Islands (/k?'n??ri/; Spanish: Canarias, pronounced [ka'na?jas]), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean.

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The Canary Island of Fuerteventura lies less than 100km off Morocco's Atlantic Coast, and the route would operate from the remote Moroccan port town of Tarfaya, which is nearly 800km south of Marrakesh.

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They are an autonomous community of Spain (they make their own laws). There are seven main islands. The people who live there speak Spanish. The autonomous community has two capital cities, of equal status: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

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The local people in the Canary Islands consider themselves firstly, Canarian and secondly, Spanish.

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The Canary Islands were created by a series of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The oldest of these is Fuerteventura, which is thought to be over 20 million years old, followed by Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro, respectively.

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The tributo de sangre ended in 1764, but poverty and overpopulation in the Canary Islands still caused many Canarians to immigrate to Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America.

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