Canary Islands

The Spanish islands saw a big increase last year of people trying to migrate to Europe by boat. After sheltering many of them in hotels, the authorities have set up camps and stepped up deportations.

Highly reliant on oil imports, Spain's government is encouraging oil exploration off the coast of the Canary Islands. But locals say the drilling threatens the natural attractions that draw tourists.

El Hierro, the most remote of Spain's Canary Islands, used to import thousands of tons of diesel each year. Now a new power plant will let the island run entirely on renewable energy.