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Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the
Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
, which are part of
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island,
Palma Palma or La Palma means palm in a number of languages and may also refer to: Geography Africa *Palma, Mozambique, city ** Palma District *La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain **La Palma (DO), a ''Denominación de Origen'' for wines from the ...
, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and
Dragonera Sa Dragonera () is an uninhabited islet in the Balearic Islands, Spain, located just off the west coast of Majorca. It is currently a natural park. Geography Geologically speaking, Dragonera is an emerged part of the geologic system running sou ...
(west of Palma). The anthem of Mallorca is "
La Balanguera "" (Balearic Catalan: ) is the official anthem of the Balearic island of Majorca, Spain. It is based on a poem by Joan Alcover i Maspons about an ancient Majorcan children's song. The music is a work by Catalan composer Amadeu Vives, and in No ...
". Like the other Balearic Islands of
Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
,
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
, and
Formentera Formentera (, ) is the smallest and most southerly island of the Pityusic Islands group (comprising Ibiza and Formentera, as well as various small islets), which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community (Spain). It covers an area of ...
, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. The international airport,
Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport ( ca, Aeroport de Palma de Mallorca, es, link=no, Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca; ; also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or ''Aeroport de Son Sant Joan'') is an international airport located east of Palma, Mallorca, ...
, is one of the busiest in Spain; it was used by 28 million passengers in 2017, with use increasing every year since 2012.


Etymology

The name derives from
Classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used from 75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin. In some later periods ...
''insula maior'', "larger island". Later, in
Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...
, this became ''Maiorca'', "the larger one", in comparison to ''Menorca'', "the smaller one". This was then hypercorrected to ''Mallorca'' by
central Catalan Central Catalan ( ca, català central) is an Eastern Catalan dialect spoken in the whole province of Barcelona, the eastern half of the province of Tarragona and most of the province of Girona, except for its northern part, where a transition to ...
scribes, which later came to be accepted as the standard spelling.


History


Prehistoric settlements

The Balearic Islands were first colonised by humans during the
3rd millennium BC The 3rd millennium BC spanned the years 3000 through 2001 BC. This period of time corresponds to the Early to Middle Bronze Age, characterized by the early empires in the Ancient Near East. In Ancient Egypt, the Early Dynastic Period is followe ...
, around 2500–2300 BC from the Iberian Peninsula or southern France, by people associated with the Bell Beaker culture. The arrival of humans resulted in the rapid extinction of the three species of terrestrial mammals native to Mallorca, the dwarf goat-antelope ''Myotragus balearicus'', the giant dormouse '' Hypnomys morpheus,'' and the shrew ''Nesiotites'' ''hidalgo'', all three of which had been continuously present on Mallorca for over 5 million years. The island's prehistoric settlements are called ''talaiots'' or ''talayots''. The people of the islands raised Bronze Age megaliths as part of their Talaiotic culture. A non-exhaustive list of settlements is the following: * Capocorb Vell ( Llucmajor municipality) * Necròpoli de Son Real (east of Can Picafort, Santa Margalida municipality) * Novetiforme Alemany ( Magaluffa, Calvià, Miconio) * Poblat Talaiòtic de S'Illot (
S'Illot S'Illot is an uninhabited islet in the Balearic Islands, Spain, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the North coast of Mallorca. Toponymy ''S'Illot'' can be translated from catalan language, Catalan as ''the little island'', and must not be c ...
,
Sant Llorenç des Cardassar Sant Llorenç des Cardassar () is a small municipality on Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. History The was built in the 17th century. Sant Llorenç des Cardassar was part of the municipality of Manacor, until 1892. Sant Llorenç des ...
municipality) * Poblat Talaiòtic de Son Fornés (
Montuïri Montuïri is municipality in central Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(E ...
municipality) * Sa Canova de Morell (road to
Colònia de Sant Pere Colonia de Sant Pedro is a small town at northeast coast of Majorca, Balearic Islands (Spain). It belongs to Artà municipality. It lies in the bay of Alcúdia. At the beginning, in the 19th century, it used to be a small settlement focused on ...
,
Artà Artà is one of the 53 independent municipalities on the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca. The small town of the same name is the administrative seat of this municipality in the region (''Comarca'') of Llevant. Population In 2008 the munici ...
municipality) *
Ses Païsses Ses Païsses is a Bronze Age talayotic settlement on the southeastern outskirts of Artà in northeastern Majorca. It is one of the most important and best-preserved prehistoric sites in the Balearic Islands, although it is largely overgrown with wo ...
(
Artà Artà is one of the 53 independent municipalities on the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca. The small town of the same name is the administrative seat of this municipality in the region (''Comarca'') of Llevant. Population In 2008 the munici ...
municipality) * Ses Talaies de Can Jordi (
Santanyí Santanyí is a municipality on the Spanish island of Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, situated in the most western part of the Mediterranean Sea. This municipality in the south east of Majorca is home to the towns of Santanyí, Calonge, s’ ...
municipality) * S'Hospitalet Vell (road to Cales de Mallorca, Manacor municipality)


Phoenicians, Romans, and Late Antiquity

The
Phoenicians Phoenicia () was an ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient thalassocracy, thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-st ...
, a seafaring people from the
Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
, arrived around the eighth century BC and established numerous colonies. The island eventually came under the control of
Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
in North Africa, which had become the principal Phoenician city. After the
Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
, Carthage lost all of its overseas possessions and the Romans took over. The island was occupied by the Romans in 123 BC under
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus (born c. 170 BC) was a Roman statesman and general who was elected consul for the year 123 BC. Career Quintus Caecilius Metellus was the eldest son of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus, the Roman consul o ...
. It flourished under Roman rule, during which time the towns of Pollentia (
Alcúdia Alcúdia () is a municipality and township of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the main tourist centre in the North of Majorca on the eastern coast. It is a large resort popular with families. Most of the hotels ...
), and Palmaria (
Palma Palma or La Palma means palm in a number of languages and may also refer to: Geography Africa *Palma, Mozambique, city ** Palma District *La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain **La Palma (DO), a ''Denominación de Origen'' for wines from the ...
) were founded. In addition, the northern town of Bocchoris, dating back to pre-Roman times, was a federated city to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. The local economy was largely driven by
olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
cultivation,
viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
, and
salt mining Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations. History Before the advent of the modern internal combustio ...
. Mallorcan soldiers were valued within the Roman legions for their skill with the
sling sling may refer to: Places *Sling, Anglesey, Wales *Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media * ...
. In 427,
Gunderic Gunderic ( la, Gundericus; 379–428), King of Hasding Vandals (407-418), then King of Vandals and Alans (418–428), led the Hasding Vandals, a Germanic tribe originally residing near the Oder River, to take part in the barbarian invasions of th ...
and the
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The ...
captured the island. Geiseric, son of Gunderic, governed Mallorca and used it as his base to loot and plunder settlements around the Mediterranean The Dark Ages in Mallorca
mallorcaincognita.com, not dated
until Roman rule was restored in 465.


Middle Age and Modern history


Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages

In 534, Mallorca was recaptured by the
Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
, led by Apollinarius. Under Roman rule,
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
thrived and numerous churches were built. From 707, the island was increasingly attacked by
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
raiders from North Africa. Recurrent invasions led the islanders to ask
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
for help.


Islamic Mallorca

In 902, Issam al-Khawlani( es)( ca) ( ar, عصام الخولاني) conquered the Balearic Islands, and it became part of the
Emirate of Córdoba The Emirate of Córdoba ( ar, إمارة قرطبة, ) was a medieval Islamic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. Its founding in the mid-eighth century would mark the beginning of seven hundred years of Muslim rule in what is now Spain and Port ...
. The town of Palma was reshaped and expanded, and became known as Medina Mayurqa. Later on, with the
Caliphate of Córdoba The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خلافة قرطبة; transliterated ''Khilāfat Qurṭuba''), also known as the Cordoban Caliphate was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929 to 1031. Its territory comprised Iberia and parts o ...
at its height, the
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s improved agriculture with
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
and developed local industries. The caliphate was dismembered in 1015. Mallorca came under rule by the
Taifa of Dénia The taifa of Dénia () was an Islamic kingdom in medieval Spain, ruling over part of the Valencian coast and Ibiza. With Dénia as its capital, the taifa included the Balearic Islands and parts of the Spanish mainland. It was founded in 10 ...
, and from 1087 to 1114, was an independent Taifa. During that period, the island was visited by Ibn Hazm. However, an expedition of Pisans and Catalans in 1114–15, led by
Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer III ''the Great'' was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1086 (jointly with Berenguer Ramon II and solely from 1097), Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and count of Provence in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1112, a ...
, overran the island, laying siege to Palma for eight months. After the city fell, the invaders retreated due to problems in their own lands. They were replaced by the
Almoravides The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berbers, Berber Muslims, Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11 ...
from North Africa, who ruled until 1176. The Almoravides were replaced by the Almohad dynasty until 1229. Abu Yahya was the last Moorish leader of Mallorca.


Medieval Mallorca

In the ensuing confusion and unrest, King James I of Aragon, also known as James the Conqueror, launched an
invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
which landed at
Santa Ponça Santa Ponsa (Catalan and officially: ''Santa Ponça'') is a small town in the southwest of Mallorca. Located in the municipality of Calvià, it is 18 kilometres from the capital Palma. History It was believed that Santa Ponsa derived from a R ...
, Mallorca, on 8–9 September 1229 with 15,000 men and 1,500 horses. His forces entered the city of Medina Mayurqa on 31 December 1229. In 1230, he annexed the island to his
Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of B ...
under the name ''Regnum Maioricae''.


Modern era

From 1479, the Crown of Aragon was in dynastic union with that of Castile. The
Barbary corsairs The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...
of North Africa often attacked the Balearic Islands, and in response, the people built coastal watchtowers and fortified churches. In 1570, King
Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
and his advisors were considering complete evacuation of the Balearic islands. In the early 18th century, the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
resulted in the replacement of that dynastic union with a unified Spanish monarchy under the rule of the new
Bourbon Dynasty The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
. The last episode of the War of Spanish Succession was the conquest of the island of Mallorca. It took place on 2 July 1715 when the island capitulated to the arrival of a Bourbon fleet. In 1716, the
Nueva Planta decrees The Nueva Planta decrees ( es, link=no, Decretos de Nueva Planta, ca, Decrets de Nova Planta, en, link=no, "Decrees of the New Plant") were a number of decrees signed between 1707 and 1716 by Philip V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, during ...
made Mallorca part of the Spanish province of Baleares, roughly the same to present-day
Illes Balears The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
province and autonomous community.


20th century and today

A
Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
stronghold at the start of the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, Mallorca was subjected to an
amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...
landing, on 16 August 1936, aimed at driving the Nationalists from Mallorca and reclaiming the island for the
Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. Although the Republicans heavily outnumbered their opponents and managed to push inland, superior Nationalist air power, provided mainly by
Fascist Italy Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...
as part of the
Italian occupation of Majorca The Italian occupation of Majorca lasted throughout the Spanish Civil War. Italy intervened in the war with the intention of annexing the Balearic Islands and Ceuta and creating a client state in Spain. The Italians sought to control the Balearic ...
, forced the Republicans to retreat and to leave the island completely by 12 September. Those events became known as the
Battle of Majorca The Battle of Majorca, also known as the Majorca Landings, was an amphibious landing of Republican forces early in the Spanish Civil War aimed at driving the Nationalists from Majorca and reclaiming the island for the Republic. After some initi ...
. Since the 1950s, the advent of mass
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
has transformed the island into a destination for foreign visitors and attracted many service workers from mainland Spain. The boom in tourism caused Palma to grow significantly. In the 21st century, urban redevelopment, under the so‑called ''Pla Mirall'' (English "Mirror Plan"), attracted groups of
immigrant worker Foreign workers or guest workers are people who work in a country other than one of which they are a citizen. Some foreign workers use a guest worker program in a country with more preferred job prospects than in their home country. Guest worke ...
s from outside the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, especially from Africa and South America.


Archaeology

In September 2019, A 3,200-year-old well-preserved
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
was discovered by archaeologists under the leadership of Jaume Deya and Pablo Galera on the Mallorca Island in the
Puigpunyent Puigpunyent () is a municipality in western Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. The village is surrounded by high mountains covered in pine and evergreen oak woodland and olive, almond and carob tree groves as well as cultivated fields. ...
from the stone megaliths site called
Talaiot A talaiot, or talayot (), is a Bronze Age megalith found on the islands of Menorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. Talaiots date back to the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are a ...
. Specialists assumed that the weapon was made when the Talaiotic culture was in critical comedown. The sword will be on display at the nearby Majorca Museum.


Palma

The capital of Mallorca, Palma, was founded as a Roman camp called Palmaria upon the remains of a
Talaiot A talaiot, or talayot (), is a Bronze Age megalith found on the islands of Menorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. Talaiots date back to the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are a ...
ic settlement. The turbulent history of the city had it subject to several Vandal sackings during the
fall of the Western Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Ancient Rome, Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rul ...
. It was later reconquered by the Byzantines, established by the Moors (who called it Medina Mayurqa), and finally occupied by James I of Aragon. In 1983, Palma became the capital of the
autonomous region An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, entity, unit, region, subdivision, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomy ...
of the
Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
. Palma has a famous tourist attraction, the cathedral, Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, standing in the heart of the City looking out over the ocean.


Climate

Mallorca has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
( Köppen: ''Csa''), with mild and relatively wet winters and hot, bright, dry summers. Precipitation in the
Serra de Tramuntana The Serra de Tramuntana (, es, Sierra de Tramontana) is a mountain range running southwest–northeast which forms the northern backbone of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is also the name given to the comarca of the same area. On 27 June 201 ...
is markedly higher. Summers are hot in the plains, and winters are mild, getting colder and wetter in the Tramuntana range, where brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual, especially in the Puig Major. The two wettest months in Mallorca are October and November. Storms and heavy rain are not uncommon during the Autumn.


Geography


Geology

Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands are geologically an extension of the fold mountains of the
Betic Cordillera The Baetic System or Betic System ( es, Sistema Bético) is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. Located in the southern and eastern Iberian Peninsula, it is also known as the Cordilleras Béticas (Baetic Mountain Ranges) or Baet ...
of
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
. They consist primarily of sediments deposited in the Tethys Sea during the
Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...
era. These marine deposits have given rise to calcareous rocks which are often
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
iferous. The folding of the Betic Cordillera and Mallorcan ranges resulted from
subduction Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...
of the African plate beneath the
Eurasian plate The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate that includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent and ...
with eventual collision. Tectonic movements led to different elevation and lowering zones in the late
Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
period, which is why the connection to the mainland has been severed at the current sea level. The limestones, which predominate throughout Mallorca, are readily water-soluble, and have given rise to extensive areas of
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
. In addition to limestone, dolomitic rocks are mainly present in the mountainous regions of Mallorca; the Serra de Tramuntana and the Serres de Llevant. The Serres de Llevant also contain
marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...
, the more rapid erosion of which has resulted in the lower elevations of the island's southeastern mountains. Marl is limestone with a high proportion of
clay minerals Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4), sometimes with variable amounts of iron, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and other cations found on or near some planetary surfaces. Clay mineral ...
. The eroded material was washed into the sea or deposited in the interior of the island of the Pla de Mallorca, bright marls in the north-east of the island and ferrous clays in the middle of Mallorca, which gives the soil its characteristic reddish colour.


Regions

Mallorca is the largest island of Spain by area and second most populated (after
Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
). Mallorca has two mountainous regions, the
Serra de Tramuntana The Serra de Tramuntana (, es, Sierra de Tramontana) is a mountain range running southwest–northeast which forms the northern backbone of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is also the name given to the comarca of the same area. On 27 June 201 ...
and Serres de Llevant. Both are about in length and occupy the northwestern and eastern parts of the island respectively. The highest peak in Mallorca is Puig Major, at , in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at
Puig de Massanella Puig de Massanella is the second highest peak on the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. It is the highest peak on the island whose summit is accessible, as its higher neighbour Puig Major has a militar ...
is the highest accessible peak at . The northeast coast comprises two bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. The northern coast is rugged and has many cliffs. The central zone, extending from Palma, is a generally flat, fertile plain known as ''Es Pla''. The island has a variety of
cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s both above and below the sea – two of the caves, the
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
Coves dels Hams and the Coves del Drach, also contain underground lakes and are open to tours. Both are located near the eastern coastal town of Porto Cristo. Small uninhabited islands lie off the southern and western coasts; the Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Mallorca (in the municipality of Palma), while Dragonara is administratively included in the municipality of Andratx. Other notable areas include the Alfabia Mountains, Els Cornadors, Es Cornadors and Cap de Formentor. The Cap de Formentor is one of the places where the tourists can enjoy the pleasure of its beach which is golden and very thin.


World Heritage Site

The Cultural Landscape of the
Serra de Tramuntana The Serra de Tramuntana (, es, Sierra de Tramontana) is a mountain range running southwest–northeast which forms the northern backbone of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is also the name given to the comarca of the same area. On 27 June 201 ...
was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.


Municipalities

The island (including the small offshore islands of Cabrera and Dragonera) is administratively divided into 53 municipalities. The areas and populations of the municipalities (according to the ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística'', Spain) are:


Culture


Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria ( ca, Arxiduc Lluís Salvador) was the architect of tourism in the Balearic Islands. He first arrived on the island in 1867, travelling under his title "Count of Neuendorf". He later settled in Mallorca, buying up wild areas of land in order to preserve and enjoy them. Nowadays, a number of trekking routes are named after him. Ludwig Salvator loved the island of Mallorca. He became fluent in Catalan, carried out research into the island's flora and fauna, history, and culture to produce his main work, ''Die Balearen'', a comprehensive collection of books about the Balearic Islands, consisting of 7 volumes. It took him 22 years to complete. Nowadays, several streets or buildings on the island are named after him (i.e., ''Arxiduc Lluís Salvador'').


Chopin in Mallorca

The Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin, together with French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand), resided in Valldemossa in the winter of 1838–39. Apparently, Chopin's health had already deteriorated and his doctor recommended that he go to the Balearic Islands to recuperate, where he still spent a rather miserable winter. Nonetheless, his time in Mallorca was a productive period for Chopin. He managed to finish the Preludes (Chopin), Preludes, Op. 28, that he started writing in 1835. He was also able to undertake work on his Ballade No. 2 (Chopin), Ballade No. 2, Op. 38; two Polonaises, Op. 40; and the Scherzo No. 3 (Chopin), Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39.


Literature

French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand), at that time in a relationship with Chopin, described her stay in Mallorca in ''A Winter in Majorca'', published in 1855. Other famous writers used Mallorca as the setting for their works. While on the island, the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío started writing the novel ''El oro de Mallorca'', and wrote several poems, such as ''La isla de oro''. The poet Miquel Costa i Llobera wrote in 1875 his famous ode, the Pine of Formentor, as well as other poems concerning old Mallorcan traditions and fantasies. Many of the works of Baltasar Porcel take place in Mallorca. Agatha Christie visited the island in the early 20th century and stayed in Palma and Port de Pollença. She would later write the book ''Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories'', a collection of short stories, of which the first one takes place in Port de Pollença, starring Parker Pyne. Jorge Luis Borges visited Mallorca twice, accompanied by his family. He published his poems ''La estrella'' (1920) and ''Catedral'' (1921) in the regional magazine ''Baleares''. The latter poem shows his admiration for the monumental Palma Cathedral, Cathedral of Palma. Nobel prize winner Camilo José Cela came to Mallorca in 1954, visiting Pollença, and then moving to
Palma Palma or La Palma means palm in a number of languages and may also refer to: Geography Africa *Palma, Mozambique, city ** Palma District *La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain **La Palma (DO), a ''Denominación de Origen'' for wines from the ...
, where he settled permanently. In 1956, Cela founded the magazine ''Papeles de Son Armadans''. He is also credited as founder of Alfaguara. The English writer and poet Robert Graves moved to Mallorca with his family in 1946. The house is now a museum. He died in 1985 and his body was buried in the small churchyard on a hill at Deià. Ira Levin set part of his dystopian novel ''This Perfect Day'' in Mallorca, making the island a centre of resistance in a world otherwise dominated by a computer.


Music and dance

The Ball dels Cossiers is the island's traditional dance. It is believed to have been imported from Catalonia in the 13th or 14th century, after the Crown of Aragon, Aragonese conquest of the island under James I of Aragon, King Jaime I. In the dance, three pairs of dancers, who are typically male, defend a "Lady," who is played by a man or a woman, from a demon or devil. Another Mallorcan dance is Correfoc, an elaborate festival of dance and pyrotechnics that is also of Catalan origin. The island's folk music strongly resembles that of Catalonia, and is centered around traditional instruments like the xeremies (bagpipe) and guitarra de canya (a reed or bone xylophone-like instrument suspended from the neck). While folk music is still played and enjoyed by many on the island, a number of other musical traditions have become popular in Mallorca in the 21st century, including electronic dance music, classical music, and jazz, all of which have annual festivals on the island.


Art

Joan Miró, a Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist, had close ties to the island throughout his life. He married Pilar Juncosa in Palma in 1929 and settled permanently in Mallorca in 1954. The Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró in Mallorca has a collection of his works. Es Baluard in Palma is a museum of modern and contemporary art which exhibits the work of Balearic artists and artists related to the Balearic Islands.


Film

The Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival is the fastest growing Mediterranean film festival and has taken place annually every November since 2011, attracting filmmakers, producers, and directors globally. It is hosted at the Teatro Principal in Palma de Mallorca.


Mallorcan cartographic school

Mallorca has a long history of seafaring. The Majorcan cartographic school or the "Catalonia, Catalan school" refers to a collection of cartographers, cosmographers, and navigational instrument makers who flourished in Mallorca and partly in mainland Catalonia in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. Mallorcan cosmographers and cartographers developed breakthroughs in cartographic techniques, namely the "normal portolan chart", which was fine-tuned for navigational use and the plotting by compass of navigational routes, prerequisites for the discovery of the New World.


Cuisine

In 2005, there were over 2,400 restaurants on the island of Mallorca according to the Mallorcan Tourist Board, ranging from small bars to full restaurants. Olives and almonds are typical of the Mallorcan diet. Among the foods that are typical from Mallorca are ''sobrassada'', ''arròs brut'' (saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables), and the sweet pastry ''ensaïmada''. Also Pa amb oli is a popular dish. Herbs de Majorca is a herbal liqueur.


Language

The two official languages of Mallorca are Catalan language, Catalan and Spanish language, Spanish,Article 4 of the the former being the autochthonous language. The local dialect of Catalan spoken in the island is ''Balearic dialect, Mallorquí'', with slightly different variants in most villages. Education is bilingual in Catalan and Spanish, with some teaching of English. In 2012, the then-governing People's Party (Spain), People's Party announced its intention to end preferential treatment for Catalan in the island's schools to bring parity to the two languages of the island. It was said that this could lead Mallorcan Catalan to become extinct in the fairly near future, as it was being used in a situation of diglossia in favour of the Spanish language. , with the Balearic parliamentary election, 2015, most recent election in May 2015 sweeping a pro-Catalan party into power, the People's Party policy was dismantled, making this outcome unlikely.


Population

Mallorca is the most populous island in the Balearic Islands and the second most populous island in Spain, after
Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
, in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
, being also the fourth most populous island in the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus. It had an officially estimated population of 896,038 inhabitants at the start of 2019.Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid, 2019.


Economy

Since the 1950s, Mallorca has become a major tourist destination, and the tourism business has become the main source of revenue for the island. With thousands of rooms available Mallorca's economy is largely dependent on its tourism industry. Holiday makers are attracted by the large number of beaches, warm weather, and high-quality tourist amenities. Due to the climate and diversity in roads, Majorca attracts a lot of cyclists. The island's popularity as a tourist destination has steadily grown since the 1950s, with many artists and academics choosing to visit and live on the island. The number of visitors to Mallorca continued to increase with holiday makers in the 1970s approaching 3 million a year. In 2010 over 6 million visitors came to Mallorca. In 2013, Mallorca was visited by nearly 9.5 million tourists, and the
Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
as a whole reached 13 million tourists. In 2017, ten million tourists visited the island. The rapid growth of the tourism industry has led to some locals protesting the effects of mass tourism on the island. Mallorca has been jokingly referred to as the 17th Federal State of Germany, due to the high number of German tourists. Due to a high number of expats choosing to settle down in the area, Mallorca has recently also become a business hub economy of its own, due to a high number of particularly foreign enterprises choosing to either relocate, or expand, to the island. Attempts to illegal building, build illegally caused a scandal in 2006 in Port Andratx that the newspaper ''El País'' named "caso Andratx". A main reason for illegal building permits, corruption and black market construction is that communities have few ways to finance themselves other than through permits. The former mayor was incarcerated in 2009 after being prosecuted for taking bribes to permit illegal house building.


Top 10 arrivals by nationality

Data from Institute of Statistics of Balearic Islands


Politics and government


Regional government

The Balearic Islands, of which Mallorca forms part, are one of the autonomous communities of Spain. As a whole, they are currently governed by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Balearic Islands Socialist Party (PSIB-PSOE), with Francina Armengol as their President.


Insular government

The specific government institution for the island is the , created in 1978. It is responsible for culture, roads, railways (see Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca) and municipal administration. As of July 2019, (Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands, PSIB-PSOE) serves as president of the Insular Council.


Mallorcans

Some of the earliest famous Mallorcans lived on the island before its reconquest from the Moors. Famous Mallorcans include: *Ramon Llull, a friar, writer and philosopher, who wrote the first major work of Catalan Literature; *Al-Humaydī, Moorish historian, born on the island in 1029. *Abraham Cresques, a 14th-century Jewish Cartography, cartographer of the Majorcan cartographic school from Palma, believed to be the author of the Catalan Atlas; *Junípero Serra, the Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California in 1769. *Miquel Costa i Llobera, a famous Mallorcan poet, who died in 1922. *Joaquín Jovellar y Soler, 19th century military commander. *Antonio Maura, two-time Spanish Prime Minister. *Robert Graves, English writer, lived for many years in Mallorca, buried in a small churchyard on a hill at Deià


Notable residents, alive in modern times

*Ahn Eak-tai, Eaktay Ahn (1906–1965), founder of the Balearic Symphony Orchestra and composer of the Korean national anthem, lived in Mallorca from 1946 until his death in 1965. *Jeffrey Archer, English novelist, owns a villa in Mallorca *Marco Asensio, Spanish footballer, plays for Real Madrid C.F., Real Madrid, was born in
Palma Palma or La Palma means palm in a number of languages and may also refer to: Geography Africa *Palma, Mozambique, city ** Palma District *La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain **La Palma (DO), a ''Denominación de Origen'' for wines from the ...
, Mallorca. *Miquel Barceló, contemporary painter, created sculptures in Palma Cathedral. *Concha Buika, contemporary flamenco singer. Concha Buika was born on 11 May 1972, in Palma de Mallorca. *Jean Batten, the New Zealand aviator, died in Mallorca in 1982. *Conor Benn, British professional boxer, spent twelve years of his childhood living in Mallorca. *Nigel Benn, former British professional boxer who moved with his family to Mallorca following the conclusion of his boxing career. *Maria del Mar Bonet, musician, member of the Catalan language group Els Setze Jutges in the 1960s with brother Joan Ramon Bonet. *Samuel Bouriah, better known as DJ Sammy, dance artist and producer. *Faye Emerson and Anne Lindsay Clark, divorcees of Elliott Roosevelt (general), Elliott Roosevelt and John Aspinwall Roosevelt (US Officials and sons of Franklin Delano Roosevelt) respectively, retired to Mallorca in 1965. Emerson died in Deià in 1983. *Sheila Ferguson, resident, a former member of the Three Degrees. *Rudy Fernández (basketball), Rudy Fernández basketball player. *Curt Flood, baseball player, purchased a bar in Palma, Majorca after leaving the Washington Senators (1961–71), Washington Senators in 1971. *Antònia Font, contemporary pop band in the Balearic dialect, Mallorcan dialect of Catalan. *Toni Kroos, footballer for Real Madrid and German national football team. *Cynthia Lennon (1939–2015), former wife of John Lennon, lived and died in Mallorca. *Jorge Lorenzo professional motorcycle road racer, won the world 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle title in 2006 and 2007, and the 2010 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2010, 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2012 & 2015 MotoGP World Championships. *Colm Meaney, Irish actor, resides in the town of Sóller. *Mads Mikkelsen, Danish actor, purchased a vacation home in Mallorca, where he spends most of his time. *Joan Mir, professional motorcycle road racer and 2020 MotoGP World Champion. *Carlos Moyá, former world No.1 tennis player and coach of Rafael Nadal. *Xisco (footballer, born 1980), Xisco Muñoz, former footballer and coach (FC Dinamo Tbilisi, Watford F.C), was born in Manacor. *Rafael Nadal, 22-time major champion and former world No. 1 tennis player, lives in Manacor. *Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and his former coach. *Miguel Ángel Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle, former FC Barcelona and Spanish international footballer. *John Noakes, former British TV presenter, lived in Andratx. *Jean Emile Oosterlynck, the Flemish painter, lived in Mallorca from 1979 until his death in 1996. *Hana Soukupova, supermodel, owns a villa in Mallorca. *José María Sicilia, painter, resides in the town of Sóller. *Jørn Utzon, an architect best known for designing the Sydney Opera House, designed and built two houses in Mallorca, Can Lis and Can Feliz. *Agustí Villaronga (born 1953), filmmaker, born in Palma.


Transportation

*
Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport ( ca, Aeroport de Palma de Mallorca, es, link=no, Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca; ; also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or ''Aeroport de Son Sant Joan'') is an international airport located east of Palma, Mallorca, ...
* Mallorca rail network ** Palma de Mallorca Metro **Ferrocarril de Sóller
Mallorca bus system (TIB)
A trackless train is in operation in several tourist areas. Thursday, 10 September 2020


Water transport

There are approximately 79 ferries between Mallorca and other destinations every week, most of them to mainland Spain. *Baleària **to the Balearic Islands from Dénia, Valencia and Barcelona *Trasmediterránea ** Mainland-Balearic Islands, Baleares: regular lines, in both directions, from: ***Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza Town, Ibiza and Mahón. ***Valencia (city in Spain), Valencia to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Mahón. ***Gandia to Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.


Cycling

One of Europe's most popular cycling destinations
Mallorca cycling routes
such as the popular 24 km cycle track (segregated cycle lane) which runs between Porto Cristo and Cala Bona via Sa Coma and Cala Millor are must rides.


Gallery

File:Cathedral palma mallorca spain 2007 08 15.jpg, ''La Seu'', Palma Cathedral File:Castillo de Bellver.jpg, Bellver Castle File:PuigMajor5.jpg, Lakes Cúber and Gorg Blau,
Serra de Tramuntana The Serra de Tramuntana (, es, Sierra de Tramontana) is a mountain range running southwest–northeast which forms the northern backbone of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is also the name given to the comarca of the same area. On 27 June 201 ...
File:Puig Major 21.jpg, ''Puig Major'', highest peak in Mallorca File:Valldemossa 2003.jpg, Valldemossa File:Torrente_de_Pareis_from_boat_02.jpg, Sa Calobra, Escorca File:Cap Formentor.jpg, ''Cap de Formentor'' File:Porta Pollença Sunrise Bird.jpg, Sunrise across Pollensa Bay, Port de Pollença File:Cap de ses Salines.jpg, ''Cap de Ses Salines'' File:Spain mallorca cala agulla a.jpg, Cala Agulla, Capdepera File:Mallorca schönste Strände Cala Amarador (30182046834).jpg, Aerial of Cala Amarador beach File:Mallorca schönste Strände Westküste Bucht (30697030362).jpg, Aerial of Cala Llombards beach Mallorca Palma Strand (30725674811).jpg, Platja de Palma beach Mallorca Platja de Palma Strand (30178917243).jpg, Aerial of Platja de Palma beach


See also

* Gymnesian Islands * Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca * RCD Mallorca – local association football club


Notes


References


External links


Accés Mallorca - Large tourist guide with a lot of information about history and cultural heritage of Mallorca
{{Navboxes , title = Articles related to Mallorca / Majorca , list = {{Municipalities in the Balearic Islands {{Authority control Mallorca, Islands of the Balearic Islands Mediterranean islands