The island of Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, which lie off the coast of West Africa but belong to Spain. It's a major tourist destination thanks to its year-round sunshine. Tenerife is shaped like a pyramid, and is only 50 miles across but the huge mountain at the centre is the highest in Spain. The 3,718m peak is the world's third highest volcano on a volcanic ocean island. South of the mountain, Tenerife is dry and hot; north of the mountain it is more humid and dank. The desert-like south contains most of the resorts, while the more tropical north is home to locals, farms and industry.
