La Gomera
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 28°07′N 17°13′W / 28.117°N 17.217°W |
| Archipelago | Canary Islands |
| Area | 369.76 km2 (142.77 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,487 m (4,879 ft) |
| Highest point | Garajonay |
| Administration | |
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Spain
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| Autonomous Community | Canary Islands |
| Province | Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
| Largest settlement | San Sebastián de la Gomera (pop. 8451) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 21,952 (2006) |
| Pop. density | 59 /km2 (153 /sq mi) |
La Gomera (pronounced: [la ɣoˈmeɾa]) is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of 369.76 square kilometers, it is the second smallest of the seven main islands of this group. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its capital is San Sebastián de La Gomera, where the headquarters of the Cabildo are located.
La Gomera is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is divided into six municipalities:
The island government (cabildo insular) is located in the capital, San Sebastián.
The island is of volcanic origin and roughly circular; it is about 22 kilometres (14 miles) in diameter. The island is very mountainous and steeply sloping and rises to 1,487 metres (4,879 ft) at the island's highest peak, Alto de Garajonay. Its shape is rather like an orange that has been cut in half and then split into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them.
The uppermost slopes of these barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva - or laurel rain forest, where up to 50 inches of precipitation fall each year.
The upper reaches of this densely wooded region are almost permanently shrouded in clouds and mist, and as a result are covered in lush and diverse vegetation: they form the protected environment of Spain's Garajonay National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The slopes are criss-crossed by paths that present varying levels of difficulty to visitors, and stunning views to seasoned hikers.
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Wikipedia