Unamuno could not explain, why this archipelago named Happy islands, and Pol Moran has told that Las Palmas, Las Palmas, — the ugliest place in the world.
Carmen Laforet
Canary Islands. Here the history and the present fancifully intertwine. Mauritian small houses of Las Palmas and curve Spanish small streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Shabby hovels of the poor both smart hotels and shops. Shops over which it is possible to read: «Shop Hindu, we speak Russian!», and a radar of station of tracking belonging to the USA behind companions near a resort place of Maspalomas. It is hardworking the labyrinths of terraces cultivated on slopes and «cheerful quarters» Las Palmas where gangsters and smugglers find a shelter.
The centre of world tourism and agricultural appendage of continental Spain, Canary Islands have the rich history which is not conceding, perhaps, stories of American Indian civilisations of America. Within three-four millenia previous an epoch of great geographical opening, мореходы the Mediterranean repeatedly "opened" Canary Islands, and then "forgot" about their existence. Last time they have been open"by Europeans on boundary XIII—XIV of centuries, and unlike other islands of this region of Atlantic — Azorsky, Madiera, cape Verde — on Canary Islands there was an indigenous population which mainly and will be a subject of our consideration.
The history of the Canary natives can be divided into two periods: since the most ancient times till the moment of development of archipelago European seafarer and with XIV on a XVIII-th century. The first stage is characterised by relative isolation the population, the second — violent colonisation of islands by Spaniards and gradual disappearance ancient canarian people. These two historical stages as though outline two circles of problems.
The indigenous population of Canary Islands already causes more than century a great interest in researchers. It, in particular, is interesting to that up the time of a gain Spaniards has appreciably kept anthropological shape and the ancient culture inherent still неолитическому in time while inhabitants of the countries of the Mediterranean and the North Africa, whence there was an archipelago settling, during centuries-old historical development have undergone strong transformations in anthropological and cultural relations.
One of the important problems the studying of history of the Canary islands is the problem ethno- and the population. Some cultural elements revealed on these islands, find out similarity to elements of the cultures extended in huge territory, including the North Africa, Southwest Asia, Mediterranean and Europe. Any sources allow to come out with the assumption of existence far back in the past the direct or mediated contacts between canarian peoples and the people living in the specified area. Last circumstance raises the importance of the reference to a primitive history of natives of Canary Islands.
At the decision of a question on an origin of the population of Canary Islands it is necessary to remember always that the archipelago represented the isolated system, and in isolation from each other there were also inhabitants of some islands of this island group, and on occasion — even inhabitants of different areas of the same island.
Подразделы этой страницы:
- Studying of ethnic groups
- The Canary Archipelago
- Studying of a policy of Spain
- Studying of ancient history of archipelago