Canary Islanders
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 1,614,596 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Canary Islands 1,547,611 (2009) |
|
 Spain
|
Total unknown |
 Venezuela
|
42,671 |
 Cuba
|
40,602 |
 Argentina
|
2,390 |
 United Kingdom
|
2,114 |
 Mexico
|
1,600 |
 Germany
|
1,471 |
 Uruguay
|
628 |
 Brazil
|
620 |
 Puerto Rico
|
Total unknown |
 Dominican Republic
|
Total unknown |
| Languages | |
| Canarian Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholic (85%) |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Spanish peoples · Portuguese people · Berber people · Cubans · Puerto Rican people · Venezuelan people | |
Canary Islanders, or Canarians (Spanish: canarios), are an ethnic group living in the archipelago of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), near the coast of Western Africa. The distinctive variety of the Spanish language spoken in the region is known as habla canaria (Canary speech) or the (dialecto) canario (Canarian dialect). The Canarians, and their descendants, played a major role during the conquest, colonization, and eventual independence movements of various countries in Latin America. Their racial and cultural presence is most palpable in the countries of Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
The original inhabitants of the Canary Islands are commonly known as Guanches (although this term in its strict sense only refers to the original inhabitants of Tenerife). They are believed to be Berbers in origin or a related group.
The islands were conquered by Normands, Portuguese, and Castilians (mainly Andalusians) at the beginning of the 15th century. In 1402, they began to subdue and suppress the native Guanche population. The Guanches were initially enslaved and gradually absorbed by the Spanish colonizers.
After subsequent settlement by Spaniards and other European peoples, mainly Portuguese, the remaining Guanches were gradually diluted by the settlers and their culture largely vanished. Alonso Fernández de Lugo, conqueror of Tenerife and La Palma, oversaw extensive immigration to these islands during a short period from the late 1490s to the 1520s from mainland Europe, and immigrants included Galicians, Castilians, Portuguese, Italians, Catalans, Basques, and Flemings. At subsequent judicial enquiries, Fernández de Lugo was accused of favoring Genoese and Portuguese immigrants over Castilians.
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Wikipedia