Contemporary Tenerife
Soon after the death of Franco in 1975 and the restoration of Spain's monarchy in 1978, the Canaries became an autonomous region in 1982, which encouraged an introverted politics on the islands that has brought nationalist parties to the forefront and has even made them power brokers at a national level. Many islanders push for still greater independence from Madrid, and support parties with clear agendas of complete self-governance, such as the Union del Pueblo Canario (UPC). Graffiti demanding the withdrawal of godos (goths), meaning mainlanders or peninsulares , is common all around the islands. Associated with these political demands is an emerging fashion for emphasizing links to possible Guanche ancestry , naming children with Guanche names, and promoting Guanche festivals, like the harvest festival of Benasmen celebrated in Candelaria. Linked also is the recent surge in local support for traditional Canarian activities, such as the local take on wrestling, Lucha Canaria . Tourism has also helped to encourage the nurturing of traditional crafts and customs. But at the same time as the rift between the Spanish mainland and Tenerife widens, the island's links with the rest of Europe are strengthening. Whilst this is partly because of an economy dependant on tourists from these countries, it is also because there has been a sharp increase in the number of northern Europeans settling here, since the Canary Islands became a member of the EU in 1992, enjoying a special status with low taxes, though no longer entirely duty free. Presently, out of a total island population of around 700,000, about 25,000 are expatriate foreigners officially resident here, the vast majority of which are British. It is estimated that about that number of foreigners again are not legally registered, or on longer stays that don't require registration.
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