Arucas, Las Palmas Explained

Arucas
Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain Province of Las Palmas#Canary Islands#Spain with Canary Islands
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the province of Las Palmas
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous region
Subdivision Name1:Canary Islands
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Las Palmas
Subdivision Type3:Island
Subdivision Name3:Gran Canaria
Area Total Km2:33.01
Area Footnotes:[1]
Population Density Km2:auto
Elevation M:240
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Coordinates:28.1188°N -15.5231°W
Blank Name Sec1:Municipal code
Blank Info Sec1:E-35006

Arucas is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria, province of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Arucas borders Las Palmas to the west and is part of its urban area. Its population is 36,852 (2013),[2] and the area is 33.01km2.[1] The GC-2 motorway passes north of the town.

Sites of interest

The Church of San Juan Bautista is the leading architectural and social monument in the municipality. It was built entirely in Arucas stone by local master masons, and it dates from 1909. Apart from the wealth of the carved stone columns and column heads, there are also some beautiful stained glass windows, the works of Canary Island painter Cristobal Hernandez de Quintana, and an extraordinary carving of the Reclining Christ, by Manuel Ramos.[3] To the north is the Montaña de Arucas which is thought to be the area where courageous Doramas the Guanche leader was killed in 1481 by Pedro de Vera in the Battle of Arucas. Arucas is known for the production of rum.[4]

History

Arucas was rebuilt in 1480 after being completely destroyed in 1478. Since the 15th century, the main crop of the Arucas area was sugar cane. Rum was produced here long before sugar plantations were cultivated in Cuba. One of the main features of modern-day Arucas is its rum factory.[5] Arucas boomed with the demand for cochineal (a beetle feeding off cactus pear, crushed to produce red dye) in the second half of the 19th century.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac/jaxi-istac/menu.do?uripub=urn:uuid:fbc0bdc8-cacb-43b8-a5cb-a93f745dcff6 Instituto Canario de Estadística
  2. http://www2.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac/estadisticas/E30260A_1/php/pob_001.php?anyo=2013&territorio=35006 Instituto Canario de Estadística
  3. Web site: Discover Arucas . Grancanaria.com . 2013-03-12 . 2013-08-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130806071559/http://www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo/12696.0.html . dead .
  4. Web site: Gran Canaria Tourism Guide - Arucas . Iknow-canaryislands.co.uk . 2013-03-12.
  5. Web site: Arucas . Justgrancanaria.com . 2013-03-12 . 2013-08-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130822091558/http://www.justgrancanaria.com/en/gran_canaria/arucas.htm . dead .