The Canary Islands II
The Castilian Conquest of the Canary Islands
Stormy waters and a century-long war
It was mainly the desertification of North Africa and the increasing dryer and harsher living conditions there that drove a group of Berber tribes, from modern-day Morocco, to search for a better future.
The migration brought them to the islands of the blessed, the Atlantic Canary Islands, at some point after 6000 BC They were experienced in agriculture and sheep herding and easily adjusted to the prosperous, uncomplicated living conditions these islands offered. After resolving the issue of fresh water, they settled in, and as they did so they discovered that the islands offered an enormous amount of wild plants, herbs and fruits that also served as medicine.
International trade relations would become of utmost importance in the future. The flora on these “fortunate islands” are in some aspects similar to the African flora, but have much more variation and include species non-existing elsewhere. Here the Guanche population, native Canarians, lived a peaceful life for thousands of years. Not completely alone though, as they had regular contact with traders and others from far away Empires, looking for a trading partner, seeking refuge from storms or in need of provision before undertaking a…