Tenerife is an island that belongs to Spain and is part of the Canary Islands archipelago. It is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² (785 sq mi) and a population of 897,582 inhabitants as of January 2013. Tenerife is located in the Atlantic Ocean, opposite the northwestern coast of Africa. It is closer to Africa than to Europe, but it is politically part of Spain and therefore part of the European Union.