San Cristóbal de La Laguna (La Laguna for short, Spanish for "The Lagoon") is a municipality of the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife province, on the Canary Islands. It is in the northern part of the Tenerife island. The city is also a suburban area of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife area.

It is home to the La Laguna University which is home to 30,000 students; these are not included in the population figures for the city.

Its economy is business-oriented while agriculture dominates the northeastern portion of the city. The urban area dominates the central and the southern parts. Tourism covers the northern coast. The main industry includes some manufacturing. The industrial area is made up of the main subdivisions of Majuelos, Las Torres de Taco, Las Mantecas and Las Chumberas.

History
The city was founded between 1496 and 1497 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo and was the capital of the island after the conclusion of the conquest of the islands. The coastal area was later raided by pirates. The University of La Laguna was founded in 1701.

La Laguna served as the temporary capital of Spain during the Spanish War of Succession and the occupation of Spain by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte, who occupied the city of Cádiz in 1810.

A declining population and economy in the 19th century resulted in the moving of the capital to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1823. Santa Cruz has since been the capital of the island of Tenerife.

Later, the international airport at Los Rodeos was opened and became the most used airport on the island until Reina Sofía Airport was built in the south of the island.

It was declared a World Heritage Site on December 2, 1999 and several streets of historical significance have been closed off to automobile traffic.

Folklores
La Laguna is home to some of the best folklore in the Canary Islands, and the most famous folklorists are Los Sabandeños. La Laguna has created 59 folklore groups in and around La Laguna.

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