Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura is one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, about 120 kilometers west of the Moroccan coast. With an area of 1659.74 square kilometers, it has a share of 22.15 percent of the total land area of the Canary Islands, so that it is to Tenerife the second largest island of the archipelago. Fuerteventura has 109 596 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013). The capital is Puerto del Rosario. There is also the international airport of Fuerteventura. The national language is Spanish. Fuerteventura is approximately 11.5 km to the northern island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and the eastern boundary heard the other Canary Islands, geographically to Africa.
With Lanzarote and Gran Canaria Fuerteventura is part of the Spanish province of Las Palmas. President of the Island Council is Mario Cabrera González of the Coalition Canaria.
Geography
Fuerteventura is the oldest island in the Canary Islands; it was formed about 20.6 million years ago and is of volcanic origin. The majority of the island mass was about 5 million years ago and has since been eroded by wind and weather. The last volcanic activity in Fuerteventura extinct 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.
The highest point in Fuerteventura is Mount Pico de la Zarza (807 m), also known as Pico de Jandia, on the peninsula.
In the northeast of the island can be found ( in Corralejo ) large areas of sand dunes ( dunes ), which can be very vividly the vicinity of the Canary Islands to North Africa ( Parque Natural de Corralejo ). The sand is however largely of comminuted marine animal housings ( shells, snail shells ). In some places there are also limestone formations of the former seabed, which, like the black volcanic remnants erode strong and play their part in mostly speckled sand.
The island reached between the northern and south-western tip of a length of nearly 100 kilometers and measures at the widest point 31 kilometers. The Istmo de la Pared is five kilometers wide, the narrowest part of the island and the island is divided into two parts: the northern part Maxorata, after the original islanders majoreros are named, and the southern peninsula of Jandia. The island area of nearly 1700 square kilometers, is only sparsely populated in comparison to other Canary Islands, with around 66 inhabitants per km ².
Geology
Stages of development
The geological age of the volcanic island, that is the frozen water on the rocks, was determined by Ar / Ar dating with about 22 million years, other researchers speak of 20.6 million years ago. The adjacent thereto and was originally linked to their island of Lanzarote, however, was about 15.5 million years ago.
As with other islands of the archipelago are the emergence of Fuerteventura three shield volcano structures underlying ( 12-22 million years old ). This is a southern, middle and northern volcanic complex, which are now heavily eroded and partially submerged in the sea. Of these in particular the radial passage flocks were examined.
The shield volcanoes turn rest on even older structures, either as submarine volcanoes ( seamounts ) were effective and remained below sea level, or jutted out later by land masses due to the volcanic activity ( intrusions ) or sinking sea level above the water surface. They have an age of about 22-48 million years. Below the seamounts in turn are layers of sediment and oceanic crust, which is 180 million years old here.
As in other islands of the Canaries followed the construction period, a phase of erosion and a few million -year-long pause in volcanic activity. This continued until about 5 million years ago again and lasted until in the ( geological ) present, the last eruptions took place a few thousand years instead.
Erosion
The oldest parts of the island are in the West, the youngest visible in the east. From this it can be seen that the erosion of large parts of the previous island structure was destroyed, which is not least due to massive flank collapse events. Water, especially sea and wind erosion contributed their part in the present appearance of the island. In cold periods much material was removed and accumulated in dunes at low sea water level by the wind, with sediments, about shell sand mixed with volcanic rock particles. Also highlighted intrusions under Fuerteventura and La Palma parts of these islands, and indeed to several thousand meters.
Climate
The climate is pleasant throughout the year, what the Canary Islands has been dubbed "The Island of Eternal Spring" introduced. The sea is like the temperatures and the trade winds keep the hot air masses from the nearby Sahara largely away ( occasionally reveals a designated Calima weather). Fuerteventura is 147 mm per year in the Canaries comparison very low precipitation. The clouds move over it, because the mountains are too low. Reinforced by the mistakes of the past ( firewood, attitude free running goats) will be affected in recent times especially on agriculture from - tomato cultivation is declining, olive trees are only in coming, only Aloe vera is still grown abundantly. One speaks of semi-desert with a tendency to desert. The palm trees and other plants that you see on postcards are irrigated almost entirely artificially from the waste waters of the hotels. The partially very heavy rains in the winter months flow, favored by the lack of vegetation, mostly unused and unchecked into the sea. The erosion is very high. Storage tanks are filling up again and again with material that must be dredged or created. A special weather phenomenon is Calima, a hot east wind from the Sahara. During a Calima weather conditions, the temperature sometimes rises abruptly by 10 ° C and the air is extremely dry. The wind brings beside fine sand, which darkens the sky and the visibility decreases to 100 to 200 meters, also African locusts and other insects with it.
Population
Although today the population is concentrated in the tourist-oriented places on the coast, the seats of the local governments are, with the exception of the capital, Puerto del Rosario in comparatively small historic places in the interior of the island. Fuerteventura is divided into six districts divided community ( population figures as of January 1 2008/Vergleich 1 January 2000):
- Antigua ( 9715 Einwohner/4821 inhabitants), with the tourist center of El Castillo / Caleta de Fuste
- Betancuria (715 Einwohner/677 inhabitants)
- La Oliva ( 21 354 Einwohner/10.578 inhabitants), with El Cotillo and the tourist center of Corralejo
- Pájara ( 20,283 Einwohner/12.923 inhabitants), with the tourist centers of Costa Calma and Morro Jable / Jandia
- Puerto del Rosario ( 35 293 Einwohner/21.274 inhabitants), formerly Puerto de las Cabras
- Tuineje ( 13,569 Einwohner/9851 inhabitants), with Gran Tarajal and Tarajalejo
The population has increased from 1996 to 2006 at 146.82 %. In December 2006, the island counted 105 980 inhabitants. Of these, nearly one-third (29.20 % ) are foreigners.
History
The Canary Islands, Fuerteventura also were inhabited by indigenous people, the Guanches. When origin is assumed to North African Berber tribes, who from about 3000 BC populated the islands. From the 30th century BC is a first colonization of the Canaries held in at least two waves. Around the 11th century BC Phoenician sailors probably visit Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, but this is not clearly documented. To 850 BC describes the Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey as the Canaries " The Islands of the Blessed ". Right across the isthmus of the island that separated the northern from the southern part, there should have been a stone wall in the 15th century until the arrival of the Spaniards. He excluded the two kingdoms of the island into the northern Maxorata with King Guize and southern Gandía (now Jandia ) with King Ayoze. When walking through the Isthmus of Jandia you can meet below the wind park of Costa Calma on the remains of a thick, about three meters high wall. Whether it is the real Wall of legend, is questionable.
1312 Lance Malocello landed on Lanzarote. Because of its fantastic reports broke - in 1340 - Spanish and Portuguese with expeditions towards Canaries. The islands were ravaged by European prospectors, traders and slavers.
In 1402 the Norman Jean de Bethencourt launched an expedition of Lanzarote, which he had previously subjected. In January 1405, King Guize was baptized with his followers. A day later also king Ayoze followed with many of its inhabitants. The kings remained on the island and got back even lands. Betancuria was established as the capital. 1412 Bethencourt put before the Spanish king fealty from. 1424 Fuerteventura was for political reasons diocese. The bishop never took office but on on site. 1430, the appointment was declared a diocese invalid and Guillen de las Casas acquired the ownership claim to the island. 1441 came the Franciscan Didakus on the island and founded the monastery Fortaventure. He is regarded as a missionary of the Guanches. 1456 was the possession of Guillén to his heirs, Diego García de Herrera, over. Herrera and his successors ruled as Señores over the island and developed it systematically. Important source of income of the Herrera clan was the slave-raiding on the North African coast.
1708 was a military rule, the so-called Coroneles (English: the Supreme ), founded and based in La Oliva. 1740 English corsairs landed in Gran Tarajal and wanted to subdue the island, but they were defeated in two battles at Tuineje. During the 17th and 18th century there were repeated raids by pirates. Therefore, to protect the island in 1740, the two large towers of El Cotillo and Caleta de Fuste were built.
1834 Antigua became the new capital, in 1835 the county seat was to Puerto de Cabras (now Puerto del Rosario ) laid. In 1836, the feudal rule of the Señores was abolished. 1852, declared a free trade zone in the Canary Islands of Isabella II. The military rule of the island was dissolved in 1859 and Puerto de Cabras finally in 1860 the new and current capital of the island.
1912, the self-government ( Cabildo Insular ) were granted to the Canaries. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in 1927 part of the province of Las Palmas. In 1966, the first tourists came to the island. 1975 about 4,500 Spanish Foreign Legionnaires were transferred to Puerto del Rosario. 1982 got the Canary Islands its own autonomy. 1986, Spain joined the EC in, but the Canaries retained their special status. Tourism is the most important source of income in 1990 of the island; the building activity peaked. The Foreign Legion was withdrawn again in 1996 by Fuerteventura.
Economy
The main economic activity is tourism: from soft, close to nature tourism in the interior of the island up to larger and busy hotel chains for mass tourism in coastal areas. Of the per year over two million tourists are 35 % German. Many sports are offered - especially water sports: sailing, surfing, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, diving, and to some hiking and ( Camel ) riding. Farmers sell local products and participate thus slightly on tourism. But if they do not happen to be in possession of coastal grazing areas, progress on most of the old-established population passes or even detrimental to the traditional extended families due to migration of the youth in the tourist spots and the increased especially in real estate prices. Benefits are to be seen in the improved infrastructure. Fuerteventura has been made in 2008 just like Spain - hard by the economic crisis. The construction industry, which was one of the mainstays of the economy in the previous boom years, in addition to tourism, has collapsed into itself. Unemployment has risen to over 33 % during the crisis, youth unemployment ( among the under -25s ) is approximately 55%, significantly higher. Many Spanish service staff come from the mainland and speak different dialects. Regional products are mainly goat cheese and sea salt, Canarian potatoes ( papas Arrugadas ) and Canarian tomatoes ( decreasing). In some communities, the medicinal plant Aloe vera has been used for a long time cultivated, grown and exported. This local organic product, however, is threatened by piracy and cheap imports.
Traffic
The island, which today lives mainly from tourism, with the international airport connections to many European countries.
The seaport of the island 's capital, Puerto del Rosario is the largest hub of the island. Among others, entertained the shipping company Naviera Armas since the beginning of 2008 a direct ferry service to Moroccan port of Tarfaya, which was interrupted for an indefinite time when the car ferry Assalama sank on 30 April 2008 in front of Tarfaya. Other ports are available in Morro Jable, Corralejo, Fuerteventura, Gran Tarajal and El Castillo. Hourly from Corralejo runs a ferry to Playa Blanca on the northern neighboring island of Lanzarote. Morro Jable has a ferry connection with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The ferry makes about once a day and takes about three and a half hours. The port of Gran Tarajal as well as the harbor of Morro Jable are still in development (as of 2007). From Las Palmas there is a connection to Gran Tarajal.
The road network is well developed and about every place on the island easily accessible. Between the great places there are bus routes.
Attractions
Popular among tourists are the wide, sandy beaches along the east coast. In the north, near Corralejo, there is the projected nature Dunes Park, which also includes the island of Los Lobos. The constant winds make the island's beaches interesting for water sports enthusiasts, surfers on the west coast, windsurfing in the north at Corralejo or on the east coast (especially at the long stretch of beach between Costa Calma and Jandia ). Here also kite surfing has become just in the past few years. The west of the island consists to a large extent from cliffs with life-threatening offshore currents.
Worth seeing is the Oasis Park in La Lajita, a zoo with animal shows and camel safari. This includes a botanical garden.
A landmark in the north-western interior of the island is the Eco-museum in La Alcogida Tefia. Funded by the European Union several dilapidated farms were here in recent years restored, and it is shown the craftsmanship and way of life of the population of Fuerteventura before the age of tourism. On display are masons, bakers, wheelwrights, embroiderers and much more.
In Fuerteventura mountain landscape, but also to the sloping to the east coast beaches slopes can meet Atlashörnchen ( Atlantoxerus getulus ) that move nimbly through the stones and are used on a case by case in humans. The first animals were introduced from North Africa in 1965; they multiplied rapidly and judge today partially severe damage to the vegetation. In addition, you can on the North African Hedgehog (Erinaceus algirus, which is estimated as Insektentilger ), bats and a shrew ( Crocidura canariensis ) and rabbit meet ( wild game ).
In cofete on the Jandia peninsula, Villa Winter, a named after the former owner property with opaque past.
In the municipality of La Montaña Tindaya Tindaya is. He is also called the Holy Mountain. Not too long ago there significant remnants of the indigenous people were found.
Personalities
Miguel de Unamuno, a Basque philosopher, lived a few months in 1924 on the island as a political exile. From him the line originates " Fuerteventura is an oasis in the desert of civilization". For several years, he is entitled to honor a monument at the foot of Montaña Quemada, near Tindaya.
Gallery
Coast at Puerto de la Cruz
Typical island bldg
Former capital of the island Betancuria
Cliff at Ajui
Footpath on the highest mountain of Fuerteventura