# The Canary Islands - Europe or Africa?



## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Hi guys - just curious what people think about the Canary Islands..

On one hand they technically are part of Africa, but on the other they are Spanish and almost souly visited by Europeans...










I visited some time ago - but I'm not sure if it counts as having visited Africa?


Let me know what you guys think - *have people been there been to Africa.. or not?*


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## Hyperdanny (Jun 3, 2007)

been there on vacation many times...visited quite extensively Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

My answer would be:
Geographically : not really. Superficially it can resemble Africa, especially Morocco, but the climate (the Canarian micro-climate) is very different, much milder and above all very diverse . Both G.C. and Tenerife, for example, are green and rainy in the north and dry and sandy/rocky in the south.

Historically: yes. The native Canarian populations, the Guanche, were basically African tribes migrated via boats from the coast, but they were all but exterminated and/or assimilated by the Spaniards when they conquered the islands.

As for now: not at all. I think of the Canaries as half-Spanish (the pueblos inland, where the locals live) and half Northern-European (the coasts).
To me, there' s nothing remotely African anymore about them, unless you count the sand dunes...........


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## AdamChobits (Jun 7, 2006)

I think it's gographically africa, politically Europe. Malvinas are Europe or South America geographically?


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Of cause technically they are part of the African continent. But they are still part of Europe and the EU politically and culturally. 

When I think of the Canary Islands I think of Europe.

I guess it's a bit like Hawaii. It's not part of North America, but usually get's "bundled" in with it because it's part of the US.


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## ALYSKANDER (Mar 1, 2007)

You have been in Africa...and in Spain too. :banana:


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## Bradomín (Mar 23, 2008)

Of Course Canary Islands are Spain and Europe, no doubt about it.
and the same with Ceuta, Melilla, chafarine Islands, etc. they're spanish and european.


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## Maxx☢Power (Nov 16, 2005)

Geographically, probably Africa, just like Sicily, Corsica, Britain and Ireland are European. Politically, culturally and everything else they're European.


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## Booze (Jun 19, 2003)

Geographically Africa, except for that they're 100% European. And they are not _that_ far away, so it's not like the Polinesia for instance.


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

Geographically they are in Africa no doubt about it whatsoever.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

It's in Africa. If not...well then, Hawaii is North American. :hahano: 

Geography trumps culture.


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

^So having been there means having been to Africa? :dunno:


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Guess so.


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## serfin (May 21, 2007)

Geographically they're in Africa, i think that i haven't doubt about this, but culturally i believe that they're a mix between european and southamerican, repeat culturally.


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## ALYSKANDER (Mar 1, 2007)

^^¿Southamerican? I don´t think so.


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## LT1550 (Oct 15, 2007)

They are on the tectonical plate of Africa, so they are Spanisch territory in Africa - just like St. Pierre and Miquelon is French territory in North America. There are lots of examples. 
The Canary Islands are also located nearer to Africa (~200 km) than to Europe (~1000 km). But yes, politically they are definetly European, just like the French examples in America show.


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## Purple Dreams (Jan 31, 2007)

FREKI said:


> ^So having been there means having been to Africa? :dunno:


I met someone from Finland once who told me they had been to Africa. When i asked them where, they said Canary ISlands. 
Technically of course that's correct but..


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## Bluesence (Apr 29, 2006)

Canary Islands are in Africa, just like Madeira island, though they belong to europeen nations.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Are Guadeloupe and Martinique European too? How about the British Virgin Islands?

Sorry, but you can't change geography.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Geographically African, but politically and maybe culturally European. (I've never been there, so i can't really tell about the last one).


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## Geborgenheit (Sep 9, 2005)

I would say, it's Europe. Geographical distance doesn't matter in the 21st century.


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

10ROT said:


> Are Guadeloupe and Martinique European too? How about the British Virgin Islands?
> 
> Sorry, but you can't change geography.


Guadeloupe and Martinique are fully part of the European Union though 

Yes, as far as continents goes, the Canary Islands are not part of the continent of Europe. Just as Hawaii is not part of North America. However, just as Hawaii is part of the USA, the Canary Islands are part of the European Union.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Fair enough. Still, doing it by political borders stretches the definition to the extreme.


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## weird (Feb 24, 2006)

They are in Africa, but whats the problem? They are so close to Spain (just 1000km), and they all feel spanish. They are european.

Why people talk about Martinique? British Virgin Island? Hawaii?? Canary islands are even closer to Spain than all those to their mother countries. Its not similar!


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

10ROT said:


> Fair enough. Still, doing it by political borders stretches the definition to the extreme.


But I don't understand your side of the debate. I don't think anyone here is disputing that geographically it is part of the African continent. However, it is also a direct part of Spain and the European Union and is close enough to Europe, and with European culture that it feels like part of Europe. 

So much so, that when most people travel there, they don't feel like they are leaving Europe. I guess this is the same for Americans when thinking about Hawaii. Most would know it's not part of North America (I would hope so ;O) but few would think of it as nothing different to the mainland US, just a different state.

To us, it's part of Spain, and part of the EU. When people go there, they would be more likely to consider that they are visiting Spain and not Africa.

Although of cause, as stated, technically they are both in Spain, and in Africa.


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## LT1550 (Oct 15, 2007)

weird said:


> Its not similar!


Of course it is similar. Who defines which distance is needed _to be part of another continent_ ? 
The tectonic plate of Africa is a clear fact - also the customs system is a bit different to the Spanish mainland's one.
Climatically they are also rather (North-)african than European.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Justme said:


> But I don't understand your side of the debate. I don't think anyone here is disputing that geographically it is part of the African continent. However, it is also a direct part of Spain and the European Union and is close enough to Europe, and with European culture that it feels like part of Europe.
> 
> So much so, that when most people travel there, they don't feel like they are leaving Europe. I guess this is the same for Americans when thinking about Hawaii. Most would know it's not part of North America (I would hope so ;O) but few would think of it as nothing different to the mainland US, just a different state.
> 
> ...


My point is that the correlation between political borders and geographic borders are (and always have been) blurred. If, say, the United States made Iraq our 51st state (it basically is at this point. :shifty, would it be in North America? I don't think much people would agree here that it wouldn't be. Where does it end?

I'm not denying that the Canary Islands are in Spain or the EU. But they are, geographically in Africa and political borders can't change that. Does being in the EU mean that you are automatically in Europe, even though you are several kilometers away?

Anyway, I don't consider Hawaii to be a part of North America. It's nowhere near the continent.


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Purple Dreams said:


> I met someone from Finland once who told me they had been to Africa. When i asked them where, they said Canary ISlands.
> Technically of course that's correct but..


Yeah this is my problem.. I don't think it's fair to claim having visited the African continent with just the Canaries in the suitcase - and this is why I don't and why I made this thread to hear what other people think..


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## Nortenho (Oct 3, 2007)

Geographically they are African just like Madeira. Politically and culturally they are european. The Azores for example are geographically both american and european, but culturally and politically european.


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

Interesting question but the European Union solved this detail...

Bermuda, French Guyana and all this islands, regions belonged to European countries are part of European Union.


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## LT1550 (Oct 15, 2007)

The European Union is no continent, just a political unit, too. Being part of it does not necesserily mean they are part of the European continent.
Of course it is true - having been to the Canary Islands can't be compared with visiting a African mainland country, but fact is that you have certainly visited an African archipelago, just like Cape Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles... The only difference is, that these last archipelagos are politically defined as African - but why? IMO Africa as a continent is no political unit. If you don't put the Canary Islands to Africa you shouldn't put any Island to any continent.
What would you say for example - Have you been to "real" Africa if you have visited Cape Verde or Seychelles? Have you visited Europe if you have been to Iceland?


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## GNU (Nov 26, 2004)

Geographically theyre part of Africa I guess. Theyre just too far away from Europe to be a part of it.
Btw: Fettekatz, Freki, Blacky and Justme did vote twice here :nono:


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

10ROT said:


> My point is that the correlation between political borders and geographic borders are (and always have been) blurred. If, say, the United States made Iraq our 51st state (it basically is at this point. :shifty, would it be in North America? I don't think much people would agree here that it wouldn't be. Where does it end?


No, Iraq isn't anything like the 51st state. It is a separate nation occupied by force. So, it has no relationship here. The Canary Islands are pretty much Spains equivalent to Hawaii (for the U.S.), no, it's not in the continent of Europe, but keep in mind, the continent of Europe is not really based on tectonic plates, but more or less cultural borders. As far as tectonic plates goes, I believe Europe is part of the Asian plates.

Where does it end? Simple. The Canary Islands are "technically" part of Africa, however, they are "considered" European.



10ROT said:


> I'm not denying that the Canary Islands are in Spain or the EU. But they are, geographically in Africa and political borders can't change that. Does being in the EU mean that you are automatically in Europe, even though you are several kilometers away?


If you have flown to the Canary Islands from the US, then it means you have officially entered the EU and Spain. Just as it would if you landed in Madrid.

However, yes, technically you could say you have landed in Africa.


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

GNU said:


> Geographically theyre part of Africa I guess. Theyre just too far away from Europe to be a part of it.
> Btw: Fettekatz, Freki, Blacky and *Justme did vote twice here :nono*:


That would be the fault of the server problems, not me. You can't normally vote twice can you...


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## Purple Dreams (Jan 31, 2007)

GNU said:


> Geographically theyre part of Africa I guess. Theyre just too far away from Europe to be a part of it.
> Btw: Fettekatz, Freki, Blacky and Justme did vote twice here :nono:


and your new username shows up thrice :bash:


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## GNU (Nov 26, 2004)

Purple Dreams said:


> and your new username shows up thrice :bash:


Awesome isnt it? 
Its still the old username though.


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

^really had me puzzled at first 

Cool idea mate!


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## Berris (Oct 8, 2005)

Bradomín said:


> Of Course Canary Islands are Spain and Europe, no doubt about it.
> and the same with Ceuta, Melilla, chafarine Islands, etc. they're spanish and european.


Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla politically and culturaly are part of Spain, Europe then. Geographically are part of Africa.


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## Zabonz (Feb 5, 2007)

LT1550 said:


> The European Union is no continent, just a political unit, too. Being part of it does not necesserily mean they are part of the European continent.
> Of course it is true - having been to the Canary Islands can't be compared with visiting a African mainland country, but fact is that you have certainly visited an African archipelago, just like Cape Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles... The only difference is, that these last archipelagos are politically defined as African - but why? IMO Africa as a continent is no political unit. If you don't put the Canary Islands to Africa you shouldn't put any Island to any continent.
> What would you say for example - Have you been to "real" Africa if you have visited Cape Verde or Seychelles? Have you visited Europe if you have been to Iceland?


amen


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## Booze (Jun 19, 2003)

Canary Islands are not that far away from Spain, you just can't compare that to an island on the other side of the world. It makes no sense at all. I mean, just go tho the Canary Islands and then tell us if you consider you've been to Africa. The go to the Polinesia and tell us wether you've been to Oceania.

Mallorca is only slighty closer to Europe than Africa, but what if it were geographically African? It's European in any important aspect, economics, religion, mentality, laws, procedures, cultural background, vision of the world...

To Spaniars Canary Islands are not Africa at all.


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

IMO 'Europe' and 'Africa' are just words refering to the geography and not to the culture. Because there is simply no such thing as a 'European' or 'African' culture. Afterall what has Norway culturally in common with Azerbaijan or Madagascar with Burkina Faso?


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## pimientapicona (Jul 7, 2016)

*Is Iceland in Europe?*

Hello! I'm from the Canary Islands and I have some questions. I went to Iceland last month, can I say I was in Europe as it is not on the continent? I was expecting something more like the Europe I have seen in tv, something more like Italy, something more like the time I went to Naples. Is it in Europe because of the political European Union or because is in Europe the continent? are geography and politics the same thing? I mean, what if Iceland would have been conquered by the U.S.A? would it be part of the American continent? Iceland was not what I expecting when I travelled to Europe, is Europe a continent or a country? I mean is it all the same or you have different ethnic groups and cultures and a different history depending on which part of the continent you are from as we have in Africa? do this questions seem amazing to you? because your european centrism really amazed me


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