Tenerife Republic

Tenerife is a constituent republic of Atlantic Commonwealth.

Tenerife Republic
Island of Tenerife
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Atlantic Commonwealth
Accession	2020, as part of the Canary Delegation
Area	2,034.38 km²
Capital	Añaza
Languages	English, Portuguese, Canarii Guanche
Population	1,210,448

The Tenerife Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Atlantic Ocean, the largest and most populous island of the Canary archipelago. It is dominated by Mount Teide, a dormant volcano that rises 3,718 metres above sea level and stands as the highest point in the Atlantic islands. The mountain’s summit is often snow-capped even in summer, a curious sight against the subtropical coastline below.

The island was originally home to the Guanche people, a Berber population that arrived from North Africa around 200 BC. Unlike their Benahoarita cousins to the west, the Guanches here had lost the art of seafaring by the time of European contact, which isolated them culturally on their island. They lived in cave complexes and stone settlements, practised mummification of their dead, and developed a sophisticated pastoral society with complex social hierarchies and religious practices centred on their sacred mountain.

Portuguese navigators reached Tenerife in the early 15th century and found the Guanches already engaged in sporadic trade with Moroccan merchants, who had introduced some Islamic and Christian influences through North African networks. When the Treaty of Tordesillas divided the Canaries in 1494, Tenerife fell within the Portuguese sphere. Colonisation proceeded slowly from 1496, following the lusotropicalist approach that had proven effective in the Azores and Madeira. The Guanches’ existing exposure to Catholicism, however limited, was encouraged while their traditional customs were gradually incorporated into Portuguese colonial society.

The result was a cultural synthesis. Unlike the devastation visited upon Guanche populations elsewhere in the archipelago, Tenerife’s Guanches survived in substantial numbers through a process of forced integration rather than conquest. Their cave settlements in the Orotava Valley became the foundation for terraced agricultural systems that still produce the island’s famous wines. Traditional Guanche councils, called tagoror, were adapted into Portuguese colonial structures. The practice of goat herding and cheese-making passed unbroken through the centuries even as it fused with Portuguese techniques and customs.

This history is visible today. Festival dress combines Portuguese embroidered waistcoats with flowing robes and silver jewellery that echo Berber origins. The whistled language Silbo Guanche persists in mountain villages, though less developed than the Benahoare variant. Religious festivals blend Catholic saints with ceremonies at ancient Guanche sacred sites, particularly around Mount Teide, which the Guanches called Echeyde and considered the dwelling place of their god.

The modern republic is the most developed of the Atlantic Commonwealth islands and is an agricultural cornerstone of the national economy. The island exports bananas, tomatoes and potatoes grown on terraced slopes that date back to Guanche times. Its wine industry, centred in the Orotava Valley, produces distinctive volcanic wines from vines planted by Portuguese settlers four centuries ago. The capital, Añaza, was built in the 1920s on the northeast coast as a planned city to replace the congested historic port of Santa Cruz. It serves as the administrative and commercial heart of not just Tenerife but the wider Atlantic Commonwealth.

Mount Teide National Park occupies the island’s interior. The volcanic landscape is otherworldly – rust-red lava fields, forests of endemic Canary pines, and strange rock formations sculpted by ancient eruptions. A funicular railway carries visitors partway up the volcano, with the final ascent requiring a permit and a head for heights. The observatory near the summit is operated jointly by the University of Tenerife and Benahoare’s Our Lady of the Snows Observatory.

The island is well connected by rail. The main line circles the coast, linking the capital with the historic towns of Puerto de la Cruz in the north and Los Cristianos in the south. A mountain railway climbs to the national park and connects with hiking trails throughout the interior. Trams operate in Añaza and the larger coastal settlements. Two airports serve the island – the primary facility at Añaza handles most commercial traffic, while a smaller airfield serves the Littoral Service. Flying boats arrive in the capital continuously.

Tenerife’s cuisine reflects centuries of cultural fusion. Papas arrugadas are salt-wrinkled potatoes served with mojo sauces that blend Portuguese piri-piri traditions with North African spices. Gofio, a toasted grain flour inherited directly from the Guanches, appears in everything from soups to desserts. Fish stews are a staple and prepared in the Portuguese tradition. The island produces excellent goat cheeses using methods that predate European arrival.

Most Tinerfeños speak Canarii Guanche in daily life, though heavily influenced by Portuguese vocabulary and grammar. Portuguese itself is commonly spoken in households and contributes to the melodious accent that distinguishes Tinerfeños from other Canariis. English is taught in schools and used in many workplaces and official contexts.

Climate

Subtropical with significant variation by altitude. The coast is warm and dry year-round, while the mountain interior experiences cold winters and occasional snow.

Public Holidays

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Epiphany 6 Jan
• Good Friday
• Easter
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• Canary Day 8 Jun
• Assumption Day 15 Aug
• Tenerife Day 12 Oct
• All Saints Day 1 Nov
• Feast of Imm. Con. 8 Dec
• Christmas Day 25 Dec