Trade Routes & Emigration (16th–20th centuries)
The strategic location of the Canaries — last stop before America, first after the return — made the archipelago one of the most important trade hubs of the Atlantic. The economic cycles of the islands read like a miniature world economic history:
- Sugar (15th–16th centuries): The first sugarcane plantations made the Canaries wealthy — until the Caribbean produced cheaper
- Wine (16th–18th centuries): Canary Malvasía wine was famous throughout Europe. Shakespeare mentioned it several times; the English nobility drank “Canary Wine" as a status symbol. The trading port of Garachico on Tenerife was the center — until a volcanic eruption in 1706 buried the port under lava
- Cochineal (19th century): The cochineal insect, which provides carmine dye, was cultivated on prickly pear cacti. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were major producers until synthetic dyes ruined the business
- Bananas (from 1880): Banana cultivation, especially on Tenerife and La Palma, became the economic backbone — and partly still is today
The economic crises led to massive emigration: Hundreds of thousands of Canarians emigrated to Cuba, Venezuela, and Uruguay. In Havana, there is an entire district of former Canary immigrants, and the Venezuelan accent closely resembles Canary Spanish. Many Canarians still have relatives in Latin America today, and returnees brought traditions with them — the Canary Carnival has clear Cuban influences.
