what country is gran canaria

Gran Canaria is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean in a region known as Macaronesia, about 150 kilometers off the northwestern coast of Africa and about 1,350 kilometers from Europe. It is part of the Canary Islands archipelago, which is an autonomous community of Spain. The Canary Islands are located northwest of Africa and are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Although politically they are part of Spain, the Canary Islands are closer to Africa than they are to Europe and so geographically they are part of the African continent. Gran Canaria is the third largest island of the archipelago in both area and altitude, with an area of 1,560 km2 and an altitude of 1,956 m at Morro de la Agujereada. It is also the third most populated island in Spain.