Geographical location: the Canary Islands consist of seven main islands and six islets. Their northernmost edge is situated 29º & 25´ N and their southernmost edge, 27º & 38´ N. Their maximum altitude is 3,718 meters (Peak of Teide, on Tenerife).

Surface Area: The total area is 7446 square kilometers, consisting of 1114 kilometers of coastline and 257 kilometers of beaches. El Hierro, the smallest of the main islands, and has an area of 269 square kilometers, while Tenerife, at the opposite end of the scale, has 2034. Gran Canaria has an area of 1560 square kilometers, La Palma 708 and La Gomera 369. The area of Fuerteventura is 1660 square kilometers and that of Lanzarote is 846.

Population: 1.995.833 inhabitants (2006), with an average population density of 268 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Capital: The cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are joint capitals of the region.

Language: Spanish

Currency: Euro

Annual average temperature: between 15º and 24º C (59º and 75º F)

Annual precipitations: between 150 and 200 mm

Political situation:  The Canary Islands are one of Spain’s Autonomous Communities and are fully integrated into the European Union as one of its outermost regions. The immigration and customs laws of the EU therefore apply in the Islands, with certain special features. The Canary Islands have their own Economic and Fiscal Regime, with advantages for companies established in the region. The Islands have an autonomous government and an autonomous parliament with wide-ranging legislative powers. On a further administrative level, there are seven Island Councils (Cabildos), and the Islands are divided into 87 municipalities.

Voting Rights: universal - 18 and over - voting not compulsory

Economy: (Source: http://www.zec.org) The Canarian economy is characterized by the tertiary sector, which represents over 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) consisting mainly of tourism and trade.

The Canary Islands are a high-quality tourist destination. Several factors have made them the holiday destination par excellence for European tourists, attracting over nine million visitors in 2005. These factors include their geographical location and enviable climate, which is among the best in the world, with annual average temperatures ranging between 15º and 24º C (59º and 75º F), together with the extraordinary beauty of their landscapes and the quality of their services.
The contribution to the GDP of the primary sector is mainly based on bananas. The Canary Islands are indeed the European region with the highest level of production and the greatest acreage planted with bananas. The production of tomatoes, flowers, potatoes and wine are also noteworthy. Fishing activities have also played an important role in the economic growth of the Canary Islands. In fact, the Canarian ports rank among the most important in the mid-Atlantic and are located in the middle of the Canarian-Saharan Fishing Ground. The above-mentioned agricultural productions, together with the fishing, account for the greatest part of Canarian exports.

Industrial activities are focussed on energy and water, food production, tobacco manufacturing and building, together with a number of other light industries.
As the islands belong to the European Union, the majority of exports go to fellow Member states. Over the last few years, however, there has been an increase in the percentage of exports to other continents, including Africa and Asia. The trade policy of the Canary Islands Government is aimed at increasing penetration in West African markets.

Infrastructures: 8 airports and 41 ports including marinas and fishing ports.

Telecommunications: (Source: http://www.zec.org)The Canaries are the world’s most important confluence of submarine cables, thus ensuring excellent communications with Europe, Africa and America. There are a number of international telecommunications companies operating in the islands, which enjoy a high level of deregulation and provide the most advanced data transfer technology.

Education en training: (Source: http://www.zec.org) In the Canary Islands there are two universities: the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Gran Canaria with 50.000 students enrolled in 2003. Approximately one-third of this number is studying technical degrees, such as engineering and computer sciences. The islands also have considerable training resources in the form of publicly funded programs adapted to cover specific business. There are also vocational education centers which combine preparation for traditional trades with training in new technologies.
Altogether, the islands have high academic standards due to the large number of schools, including a considerable number of bilingual centres. Although the official language is Spanish, the use of English and German is widespread.

Environmental data: The Canary Islands have four national parks, 141 protected natural spaces and four Biosphere Reserves. Altogether, there are 1,386 autochthonous species and 540 endemic species.

Tourist figures: In 2006, the number of incoming foreign tourists was 9,530,039. Accommodation facilities include 166,296 hotel beds(in 575 establishments) and 228,603 non-hotel beds (in 2,482 establishments). There are 20 golf courses, 9 conference centers and 6 casinos.