The sovereign community of the Canary Islands, Spain, has a dedicated public holiday denominated Canary Islands Day. It is celebrated annually on the 30th of May; marking the commencement of the first legislature assembly which was held on the same day in 1983.
The Canary Islands are an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, comprising seven islands, with two capitals Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Canaries are usually colloquially referred to with the epithet “Canaria” – a word derived from Latin, which means “Great Island of Dogs”; due to the excessive number of dogs inhibiting the archipelago. The aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the Guanches, who, according to recent researches, were genetically analogous to present-day Berbers. The Canaries gained their autonomy in the late 15th century; becoming a major milestone in the history of Spain as it made its way to the new world.