Spain Canary Islands location map Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, also Province of Santa Cruz (), is a province of Spain, consisting of the western part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

. It consists of about half of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

archipelago: the islands of

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third-smallest of the archipelago's eight main islands. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La Gomer ...

, El Hierro, and

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. La Pa ...

. It occupies an area of . 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (; locally ), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a ...

(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 /km², making it the province of Spain with the sixth highest population density, higher than that of the

province of Las Palmas The Province of Las Palmas (, ; ) is a province (Spain), province of Spain, consisting of the eastern part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Canary Islands. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital city of this p ...

(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 This is a list of the 54 municipalities in the provinces of Spain, province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province), Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, Spain - 31 on Tenerife Island, 14 on La Palma Island, 6 on ...

. 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). Earlier issued vehicle license plates in this province bear the first two letters "TF" (named after Tenerife). Nowadays the plates share the same numbering

system A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its open system (systems theory), environment, is described by its boundaries, str ...

as in mainland Spain.

History

This province was established in 1927, when the Canarias province (with

as the capital city) was divided into two provinces:

Las Palmas Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the m ...

and the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In 1982, both provinces became part of the newly founded autonomous community of the Canary Islands.

Population

The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) ImageSize = width:600 height:auto barincrement:28 PlotArea = left:40 bottom:40 top:20 right:20 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:1200 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:100 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:20 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo PlotData= color:skyblue width:20 shift:(-50,-5) fontsize:M anchor:till bar:1877 from:0 till:165 text:154,638 bar:1887 from:0 till:177 text:177,209 bar:1900 from:0 till:206 text:206,356 bar:1910 from:0 till:261 text:260,707 bar:1920 from:0 till:273 text:273,400 bar:1930 from:0 till:318 text:317,566 bar:1940 from:0 till:366 text:365,605 bar:1950 from:0 till:428 text:427,796 bar:1960 from:0 till:507 text:506,744 bar:1970 from:0 till:576 text:576,458 bar:1981 from:0 till:659 text:658,884 bar:1991 from:0 till:726 text:725,815 bar:2001 from:0 till:807 text:806,801 bar:2011 from:0 till:995 text:995,428 bar:2021 from:0 till:1048 text:1,047,565 bar:2023 from:0 till:1067 text:1,067,173 TextData= pos:(35,20) fontsize:M text:"Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE"

National parks

This province contains three of Spain's national parks, more than any other province: the Caldera de Taburiente National Park on La Palma, the

Garajonay National Park Garajonay National Park (, ) is located in the center and north of the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). It was declared a national park in 1981 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. It occupies 40 km2 (15 sq m ...

on La Gomera, and the Teide National Park on Tenerife, encompassing Teide, Spain's highest mountain and also an inactive

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

Main sights (Tenerife)

* Mount Teide: is a volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Its -high summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea (, ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant Shield volcano, shield volcano on the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the List of U.S. states by elevation, highest point in Hawaii a ...

located in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. The volcano and its surroundings comprise the Teide National Park, is also one of the most visited National Parks in the world, with a total of 2.8 million visitors, according to the Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC). The park has an area of and was named a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

on 29 June 2007. * Auditorio de Tenerife: Was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, construction began in 1997 and was completed in 2003. The auditorium was inaugurated on 26 September of that year with the presence of Felipe de Borbón, Prince of Asturias, and was later visited by former U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

. The building is framed within the tenets of late-modern

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

of the late 20th century. The majestic profile of the

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

has become an architectural symbol of the city of

.Auditorio de Tenerife (in Spanish)
/ref> It is also regarded as the finest modern building in the Canary Islands and one of the most emblematic buildings of Spanish architecture. *The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria (in Candelaria): The place where the image of the Virgin of Candelaria (saint patron of the Canary Islands) can be found, this sanctuary is built in neoclassical style, and is visited daily by the parishioners, who visit the Villa Mariana out of devotion to the Virgin. Is the first Marian shrine of the Canary Islands, the principal

catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

center of peregrination of the Canary Islands and one of the principal ones of Spain, the basilica hosts more than 2,5 million visitors annually.Página sobre Candelaria del Cabildo de Tenerife
/ref> *

San Cristóbal de La Laguna San Cristóbal de La Laguna (commonly known as La Laguna, ) is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands, Spain. The former capital of the Canary Islan ...

: Is third-most populous city of the archipelago and second-most populous city of the island. Its economy is business-oriented while agriculture dominates the northeastern portion of the city. The urban area dominates the central and the southern parts. Tourism covers the northern coast. The main industry includes some manufacturing. La Laguna historical center was declared

by the

in 1999. In 2010 after a survey, La Laguna was listed as the city with the best reputation in the Canary Islands and the third no provincial capital city of Spain with the best reputation, but behind Gijon and Marbella. * Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre: Is a

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, it contains many significant archaeological finds and is considered the best repository of objects from the Prehispanic Canary Islands. The museum also houses significant paleontological,

botanical Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

entomological Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the ...

and marine and terrestrial vertebrate collections, in an excellent state of preservation, and is considered the best Natural Library of the Canary Islands. The museum also integrates the

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Museum of Tenerife, the Bioantropología's Canary Institute and the Museum of Natural Sciences of Tenerife. The museum is located in the downtown area of Santa Cruz, in the former Civil Hospital, a

building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...

that constitutes an example of the

neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

of Canary Islands. The archaeological section was founded in 1958. The museum holds the largest collection on the culture of the Guanche and also has one of the most modern methods of presentation of mummies, (announced in 2006 by the Cabildo de Tenerife through a communique). It is also an internationally renowned museum and has participated in international meetings on

archeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...

, but its fame is mainly due to its formidable collection of Guanche mummies. *

Los Cristianos Los Cristianos is a town in Spain with a population of 21,235 (2017), situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona, Tenerife, Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mou ...

: Is a town situated on the south coast of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mountain Guaza. The town centre is around the Los Cristianos bay, but is rapidly expanding inland with modern development. The town is a popular tourist resort and includes a ferry port. *The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna: Is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, Spain. Begun in 1904 and completed in 1915, it is dedicated to the Virgin of Los Remedios. This is one of the most important temples of the

.Historia de la Diócesis Nivariense - in Spanish
Located in the city of

. *

Puerto de la Cruz Puerto de la Cruz is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It was formerly known by its English translation, "Port of the Cross", although now it is known by its Spanish name in all langu ...

: Is a city and municipality located on the north coast of Tenerife, in the Orotava Valley. Prior to the development of hotels and buildings, much of the area consisted of agricultural land. Considerable fiscal pressure led to the land being developed and the population shifted from rural to urban and tourism. The population is mainly urban today.

Largest cities (2023)

(Tenerife): 208,906 inhabitants *

(Tenerife): 159,576 inhabitants * Arona (Tenerife): 86,497 inhabitants * Granadilla de Abona (Tenerife): 55,505 inhabitants * Adeje (Tenerife): 50,523 inhabitants * La Orotava (Tenerife): 42,667 inhabitants *

Los Realejos Los Realejos is a town and a municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, which is the biggest town in the Canary Islands. It is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. The town i ...

(Tenerife): 37,543 inhabitants *

(Tenerife): 31,396 inhabitants * Los Llanos de Aridane (La Palma): 20,375 inhabitants * Santa Cruz de La Palma (La Palma): 15,522 inhabitants * San Sebastián de La Gomera (La Gomera): 9,584 inhabitants * Valverde (El Hierro): 5,149 inhabitants

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Province of 1927 establishments in Spain States and territories established in 1927