Fuerteventura History

[Po EL Bear Supreme of the UK]

The archipelago known as the Canary Islands is situated in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of North Africa; the island of Fuerteventura being the closest point at only 52 nautical miles due west from the coast of Morocco. The seven main islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro stretch from east to west in a 500km arch

Fuerteventura's size is approx 52 x 12 miles with a population of approximately 60,000 - Second largest of the Canary Islands but least-densly populated, 100 km away from the Sahara.

The island was originally divided into two tribal kingdoms, Jandia in the south and Maxorata to the north. The southern municipality of Jandia still exists today,The original inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the "Guanches". Carbon dating has placed the earliest settlement at around 200 BC. The Guanches origin, to this day, remains a mystery. Some historians believe them to be from Egyptian origins due to their methods of mummifying corpses. A few wonder if they were the decendents from the last survivors of the lost city of Atlantis, believed to be lost close to the islands. Others say the Vikings as a typical Guanche would have had tanned skin and been tall with fair hair and blue eyes. The Guanches were pastoral and worked the land. Their way of life was very basic - almost 'stoneage' - and the tools which they used were primitive. Wheels were unknown to them. The clay pots which they used were moulded by hand. Most were cave dwellers although a few of them did lay stones, one on top of the other, to form rudimentary houses.

In 1404, the neighbouring island of Lanzarote was conquered by Juan Bethencourt of Spain. In 1408 he went on to conquer Fuerteventura. He built a Hermitage, which today can still be seen and forms part of the Church of St.Mary in Betancuria, the original capital of Fuerteventura and named after the Spanish conqueror. By the mid 15th century, the locals lead an uprising against the Spanish, tired of being treated like slaves. This was thier last (and unsuccessful) attempt at regaining control of the island. However, in 1740 the English decided to try their luck and invade Fuerteventura but they were greeted and defeated in the battle "Tamasite" near the bay of Gran Tarajal. The English were so surprised by the ferocity of the poorly armed locals that they retreated in fear.

Really, little has changed or happened on the island until the 60s when Franco allowed tourism into the Canaries and Fuerteventura started getting ready for a boom which, whilst arriving in Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the 50s and 60s, didn't get to Fuerteventura until the 80s.

Today the island is split into 6 municipalities :- from the north down they are La Oliva, Puerto del Rosario, Betancuria, Antigua, Tuineje and Pajara. Tourism is by far the biggest industry on the island. Other industries include goat farming and cheese making, farming tomatos and fishing.

In ancient times, very few sea explorers dared to venture into the Atlantic Ocean; indeed it was actually referred to as the ‘Dark Ocean’. The trade winds that blow almost constantly were a huge deterrent to these voyagers, as well as the ‘Canarian Stream’, an ocean current that was thought to carry vessels to the end of the world, as it was then thought (although we now know that place as the continent of South America!) Later, in the 15th century, European explorers actually made use of this current as an aid to crossing the ocean to reach America. Ships would use the Canary Islands as a stop off point for collecting provisions, and the islands were actually the last port of call for the Spanish in 1492 before they landed at San Salvador in the Caribbean. In the same year Christopher Columbus set sail from the island of La Gomera, with his three ships, ‘La Nina’, ‘La Pinta’ and ‘La Santa Maria’, on his voyage of discovery.