Chinijo Archipelago

The Chinijo Archipelago (pronounced [tʃiˈnixo]) is a small group of islands located in the northeastern part of the Canary Islands. The archipelago includes the islets of Montaña Clara, Alegranza, La Graciosa, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste, of which La Graciosa is the largest and only inhabited island. The term "Chinijo" is a local colloquial adjective meaning "small" reflecting the archipelago's reduced dimensions. The Chinijo Archipelago forms part of the national park Parque natural del Archipiélago established in 1986, and is part of a large marine reserve.

Chinijo Archipelago

Native name: Archipiélago Chinijo
Lanzarote, La Graciosa, Montaña Clara and Alegranza from above
Map of Chinijo Archipelago
Etymology	Small archipelago
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Total islands	5
Area	40.9 km2 (15.8 sq mi)[1]
Coastline	54.435 km (33.8243 mi)[2]
Administration
Spain
Autonomous Community	Canary Islands
Province	Las Palmas
Island	Lanzarote
Municipality	Teguise
Largest settlement	Caleta de Sebo (pop. 730)
Demographics
Population	734 (2018)[3]
Languages	Spanish, specifically Canarian Spanish
Additional information
Time zone	WET (UTC±00:00)
• Summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+01:00)

History

The Chinijo Archipelago is primarily of volcanic origin, with its islets formed approximately 10 million years ago by the activity of a corona volcano in northern Lanzarote.^[4] French explorer Jean de Béthencourt, who explored Lanzarote in the early 1400s, traversed the waters leading to La Graciosa in the Chinijo Archipelago.^[5] The archipelago was declared as part of the Natural Park of Parque natural del Archipiélago in 1986.^[6] It forms part of one of the largest marine reserves in Europe.^[6] The term "Chinijo" is a local colloquial adjective meaning "small" reflecting the archipelago's smaller dimensions.^[7]

Geography

La Graciosa and other islands of Chinijo Archipelago seen from Lanzarote

Chinijo is a small group of islands located in the northeastern part of the Canary Islands.^[8] The archipelago includes the islets of Montaña Clara, Alegranza, La Graciosa, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste, of which La Graciosa is the largest and only inhabited island.^[6][5] La Graciosa has a historical livelihood rooted in fishing, with small boats traditionally bringing fresh catches to shore.^[6]

The natural park covers a total area 91.12 km² (35.2 sq mi), also includes part of the rocky north coast of the island Lanzarote (los riscos de Famara). The area of the natural park overlaps with that of a separately designated marine reserve.^[9][10] The European Union designated a Special Protection Area for birds in 1994.^[11]

Topography

The Chinijo Archipelago consists of predominantly volcanic highlands characterized by numerous volcanic cones and craters. Montaña Clara in the islands the largest volcanic crater in the archipelago.^[4] The topography consists of white sandy beaches interspersed with black volcanic rocks along the oast.^[5] Risco de Famara is a large cliff on the northern coast of Lanzarote, which offers an overall view of the archipelago.^[5]

Volcanoes^[12]

Volcano	Commune / Locality	Description	Altitude	Photograph
Montaña Amarilla,	La Graciosa 29°13′0″N 13°32′0″W	Volcanic cone	172 m
Montaña Bermeja	La Graciosa	Volcanic cone	157 m
Montaña Lobos	Close to coast of Alegranza 29°23′0″N 13°30′0″W	Volcanic cone	221 m
Montaña del Mojon	Coast of La Graciosa 29°14′0″N 13°30′0″W	Volcanic cone	188 m
Montaña de Pedre Barba	La Graciosa 29°15′0″N 13°30′0″W	Volcanic cone	266 m
Montaña Clara	Montaña Clara 29°17′0″N 13°32′0″W	Volcanic cone	256 m
Roque del Oeste	Teguise, Chinijo 29°19′0″N 13°31′0″W	Volcanic cone	41 m
Roque del Este	Teguise, Chinijo 29°16′35″N 13°20′15″W	Volcanic cone	84 m

See also

• Geology of the Canary Islands