Canary Islands Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The archipelago includes much smaller islands and islets: La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste and Roque del Este. It also includes a series of adjacent roques (those of Salmor, Fasnia, Bonanza, Garachico and Anaga). In ancient times, the island chain was often referred to as "the Fortunate Isles". The Canary Islands are the most southerly region of Spain and the largest and most populated archipelago of the Macaronesia region. Historically, the Canary Islands has been considered a bridge between four continents: Africa, North America, South
Canary Islands in pre-colonial times were inhabited by other peoples prior to the Guanches. At the time of medieval European engagement, the Canary Islands were inhabited by a variety of indigenous communities. The pre-colonial population of the Canaries is generically referred to as Guanches, although, strictly speaking, Guanches were originally the inhabitants of Tenerife. According to the chronicles, the inhabitants of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were referred to as "Maxos", Gran Canaria was inhabited by the "Canarii", El Hierro by the "Bimbaches", La Palma by the "Auaritas" and La Gomera by the "Gomeros". Evidence does seem to suggest that inter-insular interaction was relatively low and each