DISCOVER LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a Spanish city (and municipality) on the island, Gran Canaria, which is one of the Canary Islands located just 210 kilometers off the northwestern coast of the African continent within the Atlantic Ocean.
It is also the capital city of the province of Las Palmas and the co-capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, sharing this status with Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Las Palmas is the largest city in the Canary Islands and the 9th most populous city in Spain.
 HISTORY OF LAS PALMAS
The city was founded on June 24, 1478, with the name "Real de Las Palmas" by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army, before engaging in war with the local Guanches (aboriginal people of the Canary Islands). In 1492, Christopher Columbus anchored in the Port of Las Palmas (and spent some time on the island) on his first trip to the Americas. He also stopped on the way back to Spain. Today, a museum is named after him - Casa Colón - in the Vegueta area of the city.
Las Palmas is today a cosmopolitan city. It has three beaches (Las Canteras, Las Alcaravaneras and San Cristobal) and a big sea-port (Puerto de la Luz harbor) - a very important one during the 70s and early 90s (that benefited greatly from the closure of the Suez Canal during the Arab-Israeli conflict). Due to its situation as nexus of three continents and its importance as a touristic spot, many foreign workers have migrated and settled in the city. Merchants and traders from Africa, China, Russia and the Middle East mingle with one other in the streets of the city's business centers. The Korean and Indian communities are the largest ones, although the majority have been acquiring Spanish citizenship over the years.
According to a study carried out by Thomas Whitmore, director of research on climatology at Syracuse University (USA), the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria enjoys the best climate in the world. The main City Festival (Fiestas de San Juan) is in June, celebrating the foundation of the City.
The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also widely known not only in Spain but worldwide, one of the main attractions for tourists.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a sister city of San Antonio, Texas in the United States, which was founded in 1718 by about 25 Canary Islanders.
From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia
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