Gran Canaria Key Facts
Location
Time
Area
Population
Population Density
Capital
Geography
Gran Canaria is made up of 21 municipalities with the capital, Las Palmas located in the North of the island. Las Palmas is the largest city in all of the Canary Islands.
Government
Head of State
Head of Government
Recent History
The Islands have 13 seats in the Spanish Senate. Of these, 11 seats are directly elected: three for Gran Canaria, three for Tenerife, one for each other island; two seats are indirectly elected by the regional Autonomous Government.
The most recent election was won by Paulino Rivero Baute of the Canary Coalition (CC) in July 2007. The CC is a coalition of five parties which has held the presidency of the Canary Islands since 1993 after replacing the former PSOE administration. The CC is a nationalist and liberal party which has united many groupings under one banner.
In 2004 UNESCO declared the island of Gran Canaria a Biosphere Reserve.
Language
Religion
Electricity
Social Conventions
Handshaking is the customary form of greeting between men, while women to whom one has already been introduced may be greeted with a fleeting kiss to either cheek. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home and a small gift is always appreciated. The evening meal is taken late, generally 2100-2200. The Spanish have two family names; the maternal surname follows the paternal, but is rarely used outside a formal context.
Conservative casual wear is widely acceptable. A black tie is only necessary for very formal occasions and is usually specified if required. Outside resorts, scanty beachwear should be confined to beach or poolside.
A law banning smoking in offices, shops, schools, hospitals, cultural centres and on public transport was introduced on 1 January 2006. Bars and restaurants must declare whether they permit or prohibit smoking. The vast majority have opted for the former.
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