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Fuerteventura (Wikipedia)
Fuerteventura is a subtropical island of the Canary Islands (Spain), located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 120 km off the coast of Africa.
The surface area of ​​the island is 1,659.74 km², the population is 116,886 inhabitants (2019 data). The capital of the island is Puerto del Rosario (Puerto Cabras until 1956).
From an administrative point of view it is part of the province of Las Palmas and is divided into six municipalities: Antigua, Betancuria, La Oliva, Pájara, Puerto del Rosario and Tuineje, there are 67 settlements and inhabited centers distributed among these. The nearby Islote de Lobos is part of the municipality of La Oliva.
Geography
With an area of ​​1,659 km², Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canary Islands after Tenerife (which has 2,034.38 km²) and the closest to the African coast, which is 97 km away.
To the north-east, just 6 km away, is the small island of Lobos, whose surface area is 4.58 km² and which depends on Fuerteventura.
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From a geological point of view, it is considered the oldest of the Canaries. Formed from underwater volcanic eruptions, the last eruptions took place about 5,000 years ago, since that moment erosion has shaped the landscape that characterizes it today.
The island is located at the same latitude as Florida and Mexico and the temperature rarely drops below 18°C ​​or above 24°C. With its 362 km of coastline, the island has more than 152 beaches along the coast: 50 kilometers of fine, white sand and 25 of volcanic gravel. This peculiarity makes it the second island with the longest coastline in the archipelago.
Much of the interior, with its wide plains and volcanic reliefs, consists of protected areas, which can be explored by off-road vehicle or dirt bike. The highest mountain on the island, Pico de la Zarza, is located on the Jandía peninsula and reaches a height of 807 meters.
History
The island's colorful past can be traced in several ancient buildings, monuments, museums and archaeological sites.
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The first settlers are believed to have arrived from North Africa - the term Mahorero or Maho is still used today to describe the people of Fuerteventura and derives from the ancient term 'mahos' meaning a type of goatskin shoe worn by the original inhabitants . They lived in caves and semi-subterranean dwellings, some of which have been discovered and brought to light, revealing the remains of ancient tools and pottery.
In ancient times the island was known, among other names, as Planaria in reference to the flatness of much of its profile or as Herbaria which probably derives from the Berber term bani meaning wall. This theory is supported by the fact that when the first European colonizers landed on the island they found it divided into two kingdoms: Maxorata, governed by the ruler Guize, and Jandía, which were divided by La Pared (The Wall), a wall of which, unfortunately, no remains have survived to the present day.
In 1405, the French conquistador Jean de Béthencourt occupied the island and gave his name to the former capital, Betancuria, on the west coast (Puerto del Rosario took its place as capital in 1835) after occupying the neighboring island of Lanzarote. The current name of the island is believed to derive from an exclamation of Bethencourt himself: "Quelle forte aventure!" ("What a Great Adventure"). A less romantic explanation is that the name simply means "strong wind".
In 1424, Pope Martin V erected the short Bishopric of Fuerteventura in Betancuria, which included all the Canary Islands, except the island of Lanzarote.[4]The origin of this diocese is related to the events that occurred after the Great Schism (1378-1417); in fact the bishop of San Marcial del Rubicón of Lanzarote (the only diocese of the Canary Islands at the time) had not recognized the pontificate of Martin V as he was a supporter of the Antipope Benedict XIII. The Bishopric of Fuerteventura was based in the parish of Santa María de Betancuria, which had the rank of cathedral. The Bishopric was abolished, during the pontificate of Martin V, only seven years after its creation in 1433 and its territory returned under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Marcial del Rubicón.
In 1742 the Colonels of the Cabrera-Bethencourt family moved their permanent residence to Betancuria creating the House of Colonels (Casa de los Coroneles) at a time when noble power was in decline, gradually assuming civil power and appointing positions public.
On December 30, 1834, the municipality of Puerto Cabras was created, independent of Tetir, and the first municipal functions began the following year. Puerto Cabras, in 1860, became the capital of the island to the detriment of Betancuria.
On February 27, 1924, the writer Miguel de Unamuno was exiled to Fuerteventura by the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera.
In 1927, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote became part of the province of Las Palmas.
The seat of the island government (cabildo insular) is in Puerto del Rosario, a city created from the previous capital of the island, Puerto Cabras. Given the proximity to Africa, many illegal African emigrants try to enter the European Union passing through here, after a dangerous boat journey from Morocco, especially during the early 1960s.
On January 18, 1994, the SS American Star ran aground near Playa de Garcey during a storm and broke into two sections. In 2007 the ship fell on its side and ended up almost completely submerged. In 2008 the wreck finally slipped beneath the surface of the water and is almost no longer visible unless submerged.
Economy
Both Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were major exporters of grain and cereals to the central islands of the archipelago during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries;Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
The first hotel for tourists was built in 1965, followed by the construction of the airport of El Matorral, which marked the birth of a new era for the island. Fuerteventura, in fact, quickly became one of the main European tourist destinations.
The summer trade winds and winter tidal waves of the Atlantic make the island, all year round, a paradise for surfers and windsurfers. Sailors, divers and deep-sea fishermen are attracted to the waters of the Atlantic, where it is easy to come across whales, dolphins, swordfish and turtles.
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Tropical products from the Canary Islands
The tropical products that can be tasted in these islands include exotic fruit, such as papaya, avocado, mango and plantain (tropical bananas), tropical fruit juices and other typical products, such as palm honey, cactus jam, banana cream tropical Canary Islands, and also the "papas arrugadas". The name of the famous "papas arrugadas" refers to their skin marked by "wrinkles", in Spanish "arrugas". Boiled in salted water they are served with garlic sauce (Alioli) or spicy sauce (Mojo picón).
Aloe vera, a tropical succulent plant native to the Arabian Peninsula, now widely cultivated by citizens, was considered sacred by the indigenous Aboriginal people (Guanches). The juice is considered energetic, restorative and useful against stomach ache. The gel is used in ointments to heal sunburns and to treat muscle pain, and is also used as an ingredient in beauty creams for the face and body.