Spain 25 Pesetas 1994 Canary Islands
Commemorative issue: Canary Islands.
Obverse: Canary Islands Dragon Tree, Dracaena draco.
Lettering: ESPAÑA 1994.
Reverse: Tribute to Cesar Manrique Sea on the shore of Martiánez, crowned M.
Lettering: 25 PTAS CANARIAS M.
Edge: Smooth.
Year: 1994.
Value: 25 Pesetas.
Metal: Aluminium bronze.
Weight: 4.25 g.
Diameter: 19.5 mm.
Thickness: 2.1 mm.
Shape: Round with a hole.
Demonetized: 02-28-2002.
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries (Spanish: Canarias), are an archipelago and autonomous community of Spain located on the Atlantic Ocean, 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Morocco. The Canaries are among the outermost regions (OMR) of the European Union proper. It is also one of the eight regions with special consideration of historical nationality recognized as such by the Spanish Government.
The main islands are (from largest to smallest) Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The archipelago also includes a number of islands and islets: La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste and Roque del Este. In ancient times, the island chain was often referred to as "the Fortunate Isles". The Canary Islands is the most southerly region of Spain. The Canary Islands is the largest and most populated archipelago of the Macaronesia region.
The archipelago's beaches, climate and important natural attractions, especially Maspalomas in Gran Canaria and Teide National Park and Mount Teide (a World Heritage Site) in Tenerife (the third tallest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor), make it a major tourist destination with over 12 million visitors per year, especially Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The islands have a subtropical climate, with long warm summers and moderately warm winters. The precipitation levels and the level of maritime moderation varies depending on location and elevation. Green areas as well as desert exist on the archipelago. Due to their location above the temperature inversion layer, the high mountains of these islands are ideal for astronomical observation. For this reason, two professional observatories, Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife and Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma, have been built on the islands.
The capital of the Autonomous Community is shared by the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which in turn are the capitals of the provinces of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Province of Las Palmas. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has been the largest city in the Canaries since 1768, except for a brief period in the 1910s. Between the 1833 territorial division of Spain and 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands. In 1927 a decree ordered that the capital of the Canary Islands be shared, as it remains at present. The third largest city of the Canary Islands is San Cristóbal de La Laguna (a World Heritage Site) on Tenerife. This city is also home to the Consejo Consultivo de Canarias, which is the supreme consultative body of the Canary Islands.
During the times of the Spanish Empire the Canaries were the main stopover for Spanish galleons on their way to the Americas, who came south to catch the prevailing north east trade winds.
Canary Islands Dragon Tree - Dracaena draco
Other Names: Sangre de Drago
Family: Asparagaceae
Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands dragon tree or drago, is a subtropical tree-like plant in the genus Dracaena, native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores. It is the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife, together with the blue chaffinch.
The Canary Islands Dragon tree, like its close relative, the Socotra Dragon tree, is a member of the asparagus family. It is well known for its striking umbrella like appearance and has long been used and valued by people living within its natural range and by those living further afield in the Mediterranean.
The Guanche people of the Canary Islands used the sap in their mummification processes. In Ancient Rome, ‘Sangre de Drago’ was used as a colorant. Across Europe it has been used as a varnish and anti-oxidant for iron tools.
The tree also played a role in the Greek myth: “The Eleventh Labour of Hercules: The Apples of the Hespérides”. After Landon, a hundred-headed dragon, is slain, red blood flowed out upon the land and from it sprung up the trees that we now know as ‘Dragon Trees’.
The tree once played an important ecological role. Approximately five hundred years ago the fruit of the Dragon Tree was the staple food of an endemic, Dodo-like, flightless bird that is now extinct.
The processing of Dragon Tree seeds through the digestive tract of this bird helped stimulate germination and it is possible that the loss of this bird species has led to a decline in naturally occurring Dragon Trees. The tree is becoming very rare and seed must be manually processed in order to germinate.
In Cape Verde, the species is protected under national law from picking and uprooting. The creation of a network of protected areas is in progress, potentially offering a refuge for some of the species’ populations. Ex situ collections of this species also exist, providing an important genetic resource for potential restoration efforts.