| 1. | the largest of the Canary Islands, off the NW Coast of Africa. 500,381; 794 sq. mi. (2055 sq. km). Capital: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. |
| 2. | Pi⋅co de [pee-koh dey; Sp. pee-kaw th e] . Teide, Pico de. |
Teneriffe
island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincia (province), in the Canary Islands comunidad autonoma (autonomous community), Spain, in the Atlantic Ocean opposite the northwestern coast of Africa. It is the largest of the Canary Islands. The narrower northeastern part rises sharply to a jagged mountain ridge of volcanic origin, except near San Cristobal de la Laguna, where a corridor-like depression forms the island's only extensive lowland. The remaining two-thirds of Tenerife is a vast composite dome surmounted by Teide Peak, the highest point on Spanish soil (12,198 feet [3,718 metres]). The area continues to be the site of volcanic activity; perhaps the most destructive eruption occurred early in the 18th century, when a lava flow buried much of the town and harbour of Garachico, on the northern coast.
Learn more about Teneriffe with a free trial on Britannica.com.