The Historical Origin of the Atlantic Identity of the Islands of Macaronesia

Abstract

Every individual who has not been born on an island is a foreigner, an intruder. Consequently, the construction of human island identity involves a contrast with the other, the non-islander. The objective of this study is to ascertain the historical origin of the identity of the Macaronesian islander. The island areas that are being addressed are conditioned by their geographical location in relation to their surrounding territories. That is, their proximity to Africa, their link to America and their dependence on Europe. In short, social, economic and cultural development is determined by the related dynamic ocean environment, i.e., the Atlantic. This research analyses the fluid contacts, complementarity and historical dependencies between the Macaronesian islands that promoted not only a feeling of belonging to supranational Iberian monarchies, but also a sense of belonging to the same region formed by a Portuguese and Spanish population of extra-peninsular origin with its nexus being its insularity.