La Gomera

Political organisation

La Gomera is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is divided into six municipalities:

The island government (cabildo insular) is in the capital, San Sebastián.

Geography

The island is of volcanic origin and roughly circular; it is about 22 km in diameter. It is very mountainous and steeply sloping and rises to 1487 m at its highest peak, Alto de Garajonay. Its shape is rather like an orange that has been cut in half and then split into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them.

Climate

The lower altitudes of La Gomera fall into the desert climate zone, while the higher mountainous areas fall into the Mediterranean climate zone. WMO ID: 60007; Climate ID: C329B; coordinates ; elevation: 219 m; 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present{{cite web |access-date = 13 November 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241113115453/https://opendata.aemet.es/opendata/sh/4a2f221b |archive-date = 2024-11-13}} |Jan record high C = 27.8 |Feb record high C = 29.1 |Mar record high C = 35.9 |Apr record high C = 36.5 |May record high C = 39.3 |Jun record high C = 37.8 |Jul record high C = 42.2 |Aug record high C = 42.8 |Sep record high C = 40.1 |Oct record high C = 36.3 |Nov record high C = 32.6 |Dec record high C = 28.0 |year record high C = 42.8 |Jan avg record high C = 24.0 |Feb avg record high C = 24.3 |Mar avg record high C = 26.7 |Apr avg record high C = 26.7 |May avg record high C = 28.1 |Jun avg record high C = 30.0 |Jul avg record high C = 34.4 |Aug avg record high C = 34.0 |Sep avg record high C = 31.4 |Oct avg record high C = 31.0 |Nov avg record high C = 27.7 |Dec avg record high C = 24.4 |year avg record high C = 38.0 |Jan avg record low C = 12.3 |Feb avg record low C = 12.2 |Mar avg record low C = 12.1 |Apr avg record low C = 13.3 |May avg record low C = 14.3 |Jun avg record low C = 16.1 |Jul avg record low C = 17.8 |Aug avg record low C = 18.6 |Sep avg record low C = 18.7 |Oct avg record low C = 17.0 |Nov avg record low C = 15.1 |Dec avg record low C = 13.8 |year avg record low C = 11.5 |Jan record low C = 10.6 |Feb record low C = 10.0 |Mar record low C = 9.8 |Apr record low C = 10.7 |May record low C = 12.5 |Jun record low C = 14.4 |Jul record low C = 16.3 |Aug record low C = 16.7 |Sep record low C = 17.3 |Oct record low C = 14.4 |Nov record low C = 13.6 |Dec record low C = 12.2 |year record low C = 9.8 |access-date = 16 January 2025 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250114092322/https://opendata.aemet.es/opendata/sh/bb673523 |archive-date = 2025-01-14}}{{cite web |access-date = 16 January 2025 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250116151502/https://opendata.aemet.es/opendata/sh/c5f7b219 |archive-date = 2025-01-16}}{{cite web |access-date = 2024-11-13}}

Ecology

The uppermost slopes of these barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva – or laurel rain forest, where up to 50 inches of precipitation fall each year.

The upper reaches of this densely wooded region are almost permanently shrouded in clouds and mist, and as a result are covered in lush and diverse vegetation. This area forms the protected environment of Spain's Garajonay National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The slopes are criss-crossed by trails of varying difficulty, offering views of the surrounding area.

The central mountains trap the moisture from the trade wind clouds and yield a temperate cloud forest climate, which contrasts with the warmer, sun-baked cliffs near sea level.

Between these extremes is a variety of microclimates. For centuries, La Gomera's inhabitants have farmed the lower levels by channelling runoff water to irrigate their vineyards, orchards and banana groves.

Natural symbols

Main article: List of animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands

The official natural symbols associated with La Gomera are Columba junoniae (paloma rabiche) and Persea indica (viñátigo).

File:Lorbeertaube15-01-2010.jpg|Columba junoniae File:Persea indica - Berlin.jpg|Persea indica

Culture

The local wine is distinctive and often accompanied with a tapa (snack) of local cheese, roasted pork, or goat meat. Other culinary specialities include almogrote, a cheese spread, miel de palma, a syrup extracted from palm trees, and "escaldón", a porridge made with gofio flour.

La Gomera's inhabitants have an ancient way of communicating across deep ravines by means of a whistled speech called Silbo Gomero, which can be heard two miles away. This whistled language is indigenous to the island, and its existence has been documented since Roman times. Invented by the original inhabitants of the island, the Guanches, Silbo Gomero was adopted by the Spanish settlers in the 16th century and survived after the Guanches were entirely assimilated. When it was threatened with extinction at the dawn of the 21st century, the local government required all children to learn it in school. Marcial Morera, a linguist at the University of La Laguna, has said that the study of silbo may help understand how languages are formed.

In the mountains of La Gomera, its original inhabitants worshipped their god, whom they called Orahan. The summit and centre of the island served as their sanctuary. Many natives took refuge in this sacred territory in 1489 as they faced imminent defeat at the hands of the Spaniards, and it was there that the conquest of La Gomera ended. Archaeologists have found ceremonial stone constructions there that appear to represent sacrificial altar stones, slate hollows, or cavities. It was there that the Guanches built pyres upon which to make offerings of goats and sheep to Orahan, who was known on La Palma as Abora and on Tenerife and Gran Canaria as Arocan. The Guanches also interred their dead in caves. Today, saints, who are worshipped through village festivals, are principally connected with Christianity. But in some aspects, the Guanches' godlike idealising of Gomeran uniqueness plays a role as well besides their pre-Christian and pre-colonial implication and shows strong local differences.

Christopher Columbus made La Gomera his last port of call before crossing the Atlantic in 1492 with his three ships, stopping to replenish his crew's food and water supplies, intending to stay only four days. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, the Countess of La Gomera and widow of Hernán Peraza the Younger, offered him vital support in preparations of the fleet, and he ended up staying one month. When he finally set sail on 6 September 1492, she gave him cuttings of sugarcane, which became the first to reach the New World. After his first voyage of Discovery, Columbus again provisioned his ships at the port of San Sebastián de La Gomera in 1493 on his second voyage to the New World, commanding a fleet of 17 vessels. He visited La Gomera for the last time in 1498 on his third voyage to the Americas. The house in San Sebastián in which he is reputed to have stayed is now a tourist attraction.

Festivals

The festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of the island, is the Monday following the first Saturday of October.

Every five years (most recently in 2023) is celebrated the Bajada de la Virgen de Guadalupe (the Bringing the Virgin) from her hermitage in Puntallana to the capital. She is brought by boat to the beach of San Sebastián de La Gomera, where several people host her, and transported throughout the island for two months.

Notable natives and residents

• Antonio José Ruiz de Padrón (1757–1823), Franciscan priest and politician. (Native)
• José Aguiar (1895–1975), painter. (Native)
• Pedro García Cabrera (1905–1981), writer and poet. (Native)
• Tim Hart (1948–2009), English folk musician.(Resident)
• Manuel Mora Morales (born 1952), writer, filmmaker and editor. (Native)
• Oliver Weber (born 1970), German photographer, physician and professor of visual arts. (Resident)

References

References

1. "Estadística del Territorio". Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC).
2. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Madrid, 2023.
3. (29 December 2018). "Real Decreto 1458/2018, de 14 de diciembre, por el que se declaran oficiales las cifras de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal referidas al 1 de enero de 2018".
4. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Madrid, 2023.
5. Estimate of 1 January 2023: from {{lang. es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
6. Census of 1 November 2001: from {{lang. es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
7. Census of 1 November 2011: from {{lang. es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
8. Census of 1 January 2021: from {{lang. es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
9. (26 May 2016). "The Geology of the Canary Islands - 1st Edition". Elsevier Science.
10. (2021-01-01). "Encyclopedia of Geology".
11. "Ley 7/1991, de 30 de abril, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias".
12. Laura Plitt. (11 January 2013). "Silbo gomero: A whistling language revived". BBC News.
13. Jaehnichen, G. (2011). Steps into the future: San Isitdro's procession dance. In: Jaehnichen & Chieng, (eds.) Preserving creativity in music practice. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.http://www.mercado-mallorca.com/canaries.htm 2012
14. Martes. (10 October 2023). "La Bajada de la Virgen de Guadalupe, fervor y devoción del pueblo gomero". San Sebastian City Council.