Gran Canaria (in English, "
Grand Canary") is an island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean 210 km from the northwest coast of Africa. It is located southeast of Tenerife and west of Fuerteventura. The island is of volcanic origin, mostly made of fissure vents.
The island was populated by the Canarios, who may have arrived as early as 500 BC. The Canarios called the island
Tamarán. It was claimed by Spain in the 15th century.
Gran Canaria's surface is 1,560 km˛ and its maximum altitude is 1,949 meters (Pico de Las Nieves). It has a round shape, with a diameter of approximately 50 km.