Flora of the Canary Islands. Geography of the Canary Islands: Fuerteventura. Flora and vegetation of the Canary Islands

Fuerteventura

     Fuerteventura is a Spanish island in the Canary Islands archipelago, part of the Macaronesia region, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 97 km off the north-western coast of the African continent. On 26 May 2009, the entire island was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
     The island’s capital is Puerto del Rosario, where the Cabildo Insular, the island’s government, is based. The island has a population of 124,066; it is the fourth most populous island in the Canary Islands and the third in the province. With an area of 1,659.74 km², Fuerteventura is the largest island in its province, the second largest in the Canary Islands and in Macaronesia, and the third largest in Spain. It is also the longest island in the archipelago and, from a geological point of view, the oldest.
Fuerteventura’s coastline stretches for almost 326 kilometres, of which 77 km consist of beaches, typically with white sand and crystal-clear waters.
     Rainfall is scarce, with levels across almost the entire island below 200 mm; in some coastal areas, particularly in the south, it falls below 100 mm, whilst it is higher in areas such as the Betancuria massif, the Jandía mountain range, and the highlands of the El Cardón, La Muda and El Aceituna mountains.