El Hierro (pronounced [el ˈʝero] ; lit. 'The Iron'), nicknamed Isla del Meridiano (pronounced [ˈizla ðel meɾiˈðjano]; lit. 'Meridian Island'), is the southernmost and westernmost of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a population of 11,659 (2023). Its capital is Valverde. At 268.51 square kilometres (103.67 sq mi), it is the second-smallest of the eight inhabited islands of the Canaries, with La Graciosa being the smallest.
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👉 El Hierro in the context of Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (/kəˈnɛəri/ ; Spanish: Canarias [kaˈnaɾjas] ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain, located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) off the northwest coast of Africa. The archipelago has a population of approximately 2.27 million inhabitants, making it the most populous overseas special territory of the European Union.
The seven main islands are from largest to smallest in area, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The only other populated island is La Graciosa, which administratively is dependent on Lanzarote. The archipelago includes many smaller islands and islets, including Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste, and Roque del Este. It includes a number of rocks, including Garachico and Anaga. The island chain used to be referred to as "the Fortunate Isles". The Canary Islands are the southernmost region of Spain, and the largest and most populous archipelago of Macaronesia. It is also the largest and most populated archipelago in Spain. Because of their location, the Canary Islands have historically been considered a link between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: El Hierro
- 👉 El Hierro in the context of Canary Islands
- El Hierro in the context of Roque de los Muchachos
- El Hierro in the context of Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- El Hierro in the context of San Sebastián de La Gomera
- El Hierro in the context of Cabildo insular
- El Hierro in the context of Valverde, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- El Hierro in the context of Canary hotspot
- El Hierro in the context of Roman Catholic Diocese of Tenerife
El Hierro in the context of Roque de los Muchachos
Roque de los Muchachos (English: "Rock of the Boys") is a rocky mound at the highest point on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. The rocks are found at an elevation of 2,426 metres (7,959 ft) above sea level, not far from the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, where some of the world's largest telescopes are situated; the altitude and the dryness of the climate here give rise to excellent observing conditions. The rocks are contained with the Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente.
From the Roque, one can see the islands of Tenerife, El Hierro and La Gomera.
El Hierro in the context of Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, also Province of Santa Cruz (Spanish: Provincia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife), is a province of Spain, consisting of the western part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. It consists of about half of the Atlantic archipelago: the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma. It occupies an area of 3,381 km (1,305 sq mi). It also includes a series of adjacent roques (those of Salmor, Fasnia, Bonanza, Garachico and Anaga).
Its capital is the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (commonly known as Santa Cruz), on the island of Tenerife (Spain's most populous island). At the start of 2023 the province had 1,067,173 inhabitants and a density of 315.6 /km, making it the province of Spain with the sixth highest population density, higher than that of the province of Las Palmas (the eastern half of the Canary Islands). 19.6% live in the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is also the capital of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. There are 54 municipalities in the province; see List of municipalities in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tenerife is the most populated island of the Canary Islands and most populous island of Spain. In addition, the island also has the highest altitude of Spain and all of the Atlantic Islands (Teide 3718 m).
El Hierro in the context of San Sebastián de La Gomera
San Sebastián de La Gomera is the capital and a municipality of La Gomera in the Canary Islands, Spain. It also hosts the main harbour. The population was 9,584 in 2023, and the area is 113.59 square kilometres (43.86 sq mi).
The port serves ferry routes to the islands of Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro. Streets include Calle Real and F. Olsen. A bus station named Estación de Guaguas is used for bus lines throughout the island; it is located on Avenida Del Quinto Centenario.
El Hierro in the context of Cabildo insular
A cabildo insular (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈβildo‿insuˈlaɾ]; lit. 'island council') is the government and administrative institution of each of the seven major islands in the Canary Islands archipelago: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The island of La Graciosa falls under the jurisdiction of the cabildo of Lanzarote.
The members of a cabildo are elected by direct universal suffrage by the Spanish citizens of each island. The membership is determined by party-list proportional representation. In Francoist Spain the members were appointed rather than elected.
El Hierro in the context of Valverde, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Valverde (Spanish pronunciation: [balˈβeɾðe]; lit. 'Greenvalley') is a municipality in the Canary Islands in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is located on the northeast part of El Hierro (the rest of the island being the municipalities of Frontera and El Pinar). The town of the same name serves as the island's official capital. It is both the smallest Canarian capital and the only one not located by the sea. The town's airport and seaport are both several kilometres away on the island's east coast.
Pastureland and smallholdings dominate the central plateau area with pine and cloud forest at progressively higher elevations. The coastal areas and lower slopes are arid and mainly left to unimproved scrub and sparse grassland. Volcanism is prominent, with several cinder cones and areas of lava flow to be seen.
El Hierro in the context of Canary hotspot
The Canary hotspot, also called the Canarian hotspot, is a hotspot and volcanically active region centred on the Canary Islands located off the north-western coast of Africa. Hypotheses for this volcanic activity include a deep mantle plume beginning about 70 million years ago. The underwater El Hierro and subaerial Cumbre Vieja eruptions remain the most recent Canarian eruptions.
El Hierro in the context of Roman Catholic Diocese of Tenerife
The Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Latin: Sancti Christophori de Laguna), also called Diocese of Tenerife or Diocese Nivariense, is a diocese located in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna in the Canary Islands and a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Sevilla in Spain. The diocese includes the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.