Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the
Balearic Islands located in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby
Majorca. Its capital is
Mahón ( ca, Maó), situated on the island's eastern end, although Menorca is not a province and forms a political union with the other islands in the archipelago.
Ciutadella and Mahon are the main ports and largest towns. The port of Mahon is the second biggest natural port in the world.
Menorca has a population of approximately 93,397 (at 1 January 2019). It is located 39°47' to 40°00'N, 3°52' to 4°24'E. Its highest point, called
El Toro El Toro, Spanish for "the bull", may refer to:
Geography
* El Toro (Mallorca), a neighbourhood in the municipality of Calvià on the island of Mallorca
* El Toro, Castellón, a town in Castellón, Spain
* El Toro (Jujuy), a rural municipality and ...
(from Catalan "''turó''" meaning ''hill''), is
above sea level.
History
The island is known for its collection of
megalithic stone monuments:
''navetes'',
''taules'' and ''
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 ...
s'', which indicate very early
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
human activity. Some of the earliest culture on Menorca was influenced by other
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
cultures, including the Greek
Minoan
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...
s of
ancient Crete
The history of Crete goes back to the 7th millennium BC, preceding the ancient Minoan civilization by more than four millennia. The palace-based Minoan civilization was the first civilization in Europe.
After the Minoan civilization was devasta ...
(see also
Gymnesian Islands
The Gymnesians ( ca, Illes Gimnèsies , es, Gimnesias ), or Gymnesic Islands ( ca, Illes Gimnèsiques), is a collective name given to the two largest (and easternmost) Balearic Islands, Mallorca and Menorca, distinguishing them from the Pityu ...
). For example, the use of inverted plastered timber columns at
Knossos
Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.
Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...
is thought to have influenced early peoples of Menorca in imitating this practice.
The end of the
Punic wars
The Punic Wars were a series of wars between 264 and 146BC fought between Roman Republic, Rome and Ancient Carthage, Carthage. Three conflicts between these states took place on both land and sea across the western Mediterranean region and i ...
saw an increase in piracy in the western Mediterranean. The
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
occupation of
Hispania
Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...
had meant a growth of maritime trade between the
Iberian and
Italian peninsulas. Pirates took advantage of the strategic location of the Balearic Islands to raid Roman commerce, using both Menorca and
Majorca as bases. In reaction to this, the Romans
invaded Menorca. By 123 BC both islands were fully under Roman control, later being incorporated into the province of
Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior (English: "Hither Iberia", or "Nearer Iberia") was a Roman province in Hispania during the Roman Republic. It was on the eastern coast of Iberia down to the town of Cartago Nova, today's Cartagena in the autonomous community of ...
.
In 13 BC Roman emperor
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
reorganised the provincial system and the
Balearic Islands became part of the
Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the ...
imperial province. The ancient town of
Mago was transformed from a
Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage.
It can also refer to:
* Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921
* Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...
town to a Roman town.
Jews of Menorca
![Minorca by Piri Reis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Minorca_by_Piri_Reis.jpg)
The island had a Jewish population.
[Elukin, Jonathan M. Living Together, Living Apart : Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages. Vol. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient to the modern world. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2007.] The ''Letter on the Conversion of the Jews'' by a fifth-century
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
named
Severus Severus is the name of various historical and fictional figures, including:
;Emperors of the Roman empire
*Septimius Severus (145–211), Roman emperor from 193 to 211 (rarely known as ''Severus I.'')
*Severus Caracalla (188–217), Roman emperor f ...
tells of the
forced conversion
Forced conversion is the adoption of a different religion or the adoption of irreligion under duress. Someone who has been forced to convert to a different religion or irreligion may continue, covertly, to adhere to the beliefs and practices which ...
of the island's 540
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
men and women in AD 418. Several Jews, including Theodore, a rich representative Jew who stood high in the estimation of his coreligionists and of Christians alike, underwent baptism. The act of conversion brought about, within a previously peaceful coexisting community, the expulsion of the ruling Jewish elite into the bleak hinterlands, the burning of synagogues, and the gradual reinstatement of certain Jewish families after the forced acceptance of Christianity, allowing the survival of those Jewish families who had not already perished.
Many Jews remained within the Jewish faith while outwardly professing Christian faith. Some of these Jews form part of the
Xueta
The Xuetes (; singular , also known as and spelled as ) are a social group on the Spanish island of Majorca, in the Mediterranean Sea, who are descendants of Majorcan Jews that either were conversos (forcible converts to Christianity) or were ...
community.
When Menorca became a British possession in 1713, they actively encouraged the immigration of foreign non-Catholics, which included Jews who were not accepted by the predominantly Christian inhabitants. When the Jewish community in Mahon requested the use of a room as a synagogue, their request was refused, and they were denounced by the clergy. In 1781, when
Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, duc de Mahon Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
invaded Menorca, he ordered all Jews to leave in four days. At that time, the Jewish community consisted of about 500 people and they were transported from Menorca in four Spanish ships to the port of
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
.
Middle Ages
The
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...
easily conquered the island in the fifth century. The
Byzantine 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 ...
recovered it in 534. Following the
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718. The conquest resulted in the decline of t ...
, Menorca was annexed to 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 ...
in 903, with many
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 emigrating to the island.
''Manûrqa'' ( ar, منورقة) was the Arabicized name given to the island by 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 from its annexation to the
Caliphate of Cordoba by 'Isâm al-Khawlânî in 903 until the rule of the last Muslim ra'îs,
Abû 'Umar ibn Sa'îd in 1287. The only urban centre of the island was ''Madînat al Jazîra'' or ''al Manûrqa'' (modern
Ciutadella). Most of the population lived in small farm communities organized under a
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
structure.
In 1231, after Christian forces took Majorca, Menorca chose to become an independent Islamic state, albeit one tributary to King
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 12 ...
. The island was ruled first by
Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd Hakam al Qurashi (1234–1282), and following his death by his son,
Abû 'Umar ibn Sa'îd (1282–1287).
A
Catalan-Aragonese invasion, led by
Alfonso III (also known as
Count of Barcelona Alfons II), came on 17 January 1287; its anniversary is now celebrated as Menorca's national day. Once the island was captured, most of its Muslim inhabitants were enslaved and sold in the
slave markets of Eivissa,
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, while others became Christians.
After the Christian conquest of 1287, the island was part of the
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 ...
. For some time it was ceded to the
Kingdom of Majorca, a vassal state of the Crown, but it was retaken by the king of Aragon in 1343. Eventually the
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 ...
merged with the
Crown of Castile, and so Menorca became part of Spain.
During the 16th century,
Turkish naval attacks
destroyed Mahon, and the then capital,
Ciutadella. In Mahon,
Barbary pirates
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 ...
from North Africa took considerable booty and as many as 6,000 slaves. Various Spanish kings, including
Philip III and
Philip IV, styled themselves "King of Minorca" as a subsidiary title.
18th-19th centuries
Captured by Britain's Royal Navy in 1708 during 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 ...
, Minorca temporarily became a British possession.
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
took possession in 1713, under the terms of
Article XI of the
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne ...
. Under the governorship of
General Richard Kane, this period saw the island's capital moved to
Port Mahon
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
and a naval base established in that town's harbour.
In 1756, during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, France captured the island after the
Siege of Fort St Philip and a
failed British relief attempt. The 1763
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
enabled the British to return to the island after
Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War. In 1781, during the
American War of Independence, the British were
defeated for a second time, in this instance by a combination of French and Spanish forces, and on 5 January 1782 the Spanish regained control of the island, after a long siege of
St. Philip's Castle in Port Mahon. The British ceded the island back to Spain the next year in the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
. Menorca was
invaded by the British once again in 1798, during the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...
, but it was finally repossessed by Spain by the terms of the
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...
in 1802. The British influence can still be seen in local architecture, with elements such as
sash windows
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass.
History
T ...
.
As with the rest of the
Balearic Islands, Menorca was not occupied by the French during the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
, as it was successfully protected by the Royal Navy, this time allied to Spain.
From 1815 until the mid-century, the U.S. Navy developed its Mediterranean headquarters at Port Mahon, leaving behind the
English Cemetery, Menorca, which was restored by the
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
in 2008 and is maintained in the 21st century.
Since 1900
During 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, link ...
, Menorca stayed loyal to the
Republican Spanish Government, while the rest of the Balearic Islands supported the Spanish
Nationalists
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 ...
. The island did not see ground combat, but it was a target of aerial bombing by the pro-Nationalist Italians of the
Corpo Truppe Volontarie
The Corps of Volunteer Troops ( it, Corpo Truppe Volontarie, CTV) was a Fascist Italian expeditionary force of military volunteers, which was sent to Spain to support the Nationalist forces under General Francisco Franco against the Spanish ...
Air Force. Many Menorcans were also killed when taking part in a failed
invasion of Majorca. During the Pedro Marqués Barber era (July–December 1936) some Mallorcans and a priest were executed on the island. After the Nationalist victory in the
Battle of Minorca
The island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea has been invaded on numerous occasions. The first recorded invasion occurred in 252 BC, when the Carthaginians arrived. The name of the island's chief city, Mahón (now Maó), appears to derive from t ...
in February 1939, the British Navy assisted in a
peaceful transfer of power
A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...
in Menorca and the evacuation of some political refugees aboard .
In October 1993, Menorca was designated by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
. In July 2005, the island's application to become the 25th member of the
International Island Games Association
The International Island Games Association (IIGA) is the organising body for the Island Games, a friendly biennial multi-sport competition between teams from several European islands and other small territories (24 Members from 7 Nations). The ...
was approved.
Climate
As the major part of Balearic Islands, Menorca 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 Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''
Csa
CSA may refer to:
Arts and media
* Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
* Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics
* Crime Syndicate of Amer ...
''), with mild winters and hot summers. Menorca is generally wetter than Mallorca, with rainfall peaking in late autumn. Average annual highs range between in winter to in summer. Due to its offshore position and the small size of the island, temperatures are generally quite stable.
Culture
![Mahon-Hafen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Mahon-Hafen.jpg)
The location of Minorca in the middle of the western Mediterranean was a staging point for the different cultures since prehistoric times. This Balearic Island has a mix of colonial and local architecture.
The ''festes'' take place throughout the summer in different towns around the island, and have their origins in the early 14th century. The international opera week and international organ festival in Mahon, and the summer music festival and Capella Davidica concerts in Ciutadella are the main events of the island.
Minorca's cuisine is dominated by the
Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. When initially formulated in the 1960s, it drew on the cuisines of Greece, Italy, France and Spain. In decades since, it has also incor ...
which is known to be very healthy. While many of the locals have adopted modern attitudes they still uphold certain old traditions.
Traditional celebrations
![Menorca jaleo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Menorca_jaleo.jpg)
Minorca is especially well known for its traditional summer "festes", which intrigue many visitors. The
Saint John's Feast is held annually in
Ciutadella de Menorca
Ciutadella de Menorca () or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the western end of Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is one of the two primary cities in the island, along with Maó.
History
...
, during 23–25 June. The festes last for three days. On the first day, a man bears a well-groomed sheep upon his shoulders and parades around the local streets. In the late evening, main streets are closed, and bonfires held upon them.
On the second day,
locally bred black horses are dressed with ribbons and rosettes. The riders, or "caixers", ride the horses through the streets and, along with a tumultuous crowd of people, encourage them to rear up on their hind legs. The brave can be found running underneath them in an attempt to touch the horses hearts for good luck.
The third day sees intense competition between the riders in a harmless form of jousting that involves spearing a suspended ring with a lance at considerable speed. The festes are brought to a close with a firework display.
Sports
As a small island, Menorca offers limited opportunities to see top-level sport competitions in. Football in Menorca is played at the fifth level of the Spanish football pyramid. There are currently 11 clubs contesting the
Regional Preferente de Menorca, the champion of which progresses to the
Tercera División
Tercera División ( en, Third Division) was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segunda División'', and the semi-professional ''Segunda Di ...
Grupo XI playoffs. The winner of this playoff is promoted to Tercera División; the last Menorquí club to do so was
CF Sporting Mahonés
Club de Fútbol Sporting Mahonés was a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football team based in Mahón, Menorca, in the autonomous community of Balearic Islands prior to its 2012 dissolution. The club has a successor called ''Sporting Mah ...
in 2009.
CV Ciutadella are a professional women's volleyball club who play in the
Superliga Femenina
The Primera División de la Liga de Fútbol Femenino, currently known as Liga F (finetwork Liga F for sponsorship reasons), is the highest level of sports league, league competition for women's football in Spain. It is the women's equivalent of t ...
, the top league of Spanish volleyball, having won the league championship in 2011 and 2012. They play at Pavelló Municipal d'Esports in
Ciutadella.
A semi-pro basketball club,
CB Menorca
Club Bàsquet Menorca is a Spanish basketball club based in Mahón, Balearic Islands.
History
Bàsquet Menorca was founded in 2016 with the aim to reach again the professional basketball after the dissolution of former Liga ACB team Menorca B ...
, play in the
LEB Plata
The LEB Plata is the third basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system and the second basketball division organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation. Since 2019, three teams are promoted to LEB Oro and six teams are relegated t ...
, the third level of Spanish basketball. Their home court is
Pavelló Menorca in the Bintaufa neighborhood just outside of Maó.
In recent years, some sport events that gather hundreds of participants are successfully held on a yearly basis, such as the triathlon race
Extreme Man Menorca or the single-staged ultramarathon race
Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls. In 2014, it was announced that the island would host the 18th editions of the
Island Games
The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...
in 2019, however, Menorca later pulled out of hosting the event, citing a change of government as the main reason.
Language
The two official languages are
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
and Spanish. Natives to the island speak the variety of Catalan called ''Menorquí'', and Spanish as well; many residents originating from the mainland are monolingual in Spanish. The language of education and of government is
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
, with Spanish taught alongside it.
A 2014 survey carried out by the Government of the Balearic Islands found that 53.5% of participants identified themselves as Catalan speakers, 36.7% as Spanish speakers, and 7.7% as bilingual speakers.
The Catalan spoken in Menorca is a variety known as ''Menorquí''. Between ''Menorquí'' and standard Catalan, as with most
Balearic dialect
Balearic ( ca, balear) is the collective name for the dialects of Catalan spoken in the Balearic Islands: in Mallorca, in Ibiza and in Menorca.
At the last census, 746,792 people in the Balearic Islands claimed to be able to speak Catalan, th ...
s, the most distinctive difference is the word used for the article "the", where ''Menorquí'' uses "es" for masculine and "sa" for feminine. Menorquí thus shares the source of its article with many Sardinian varieties (masc. sing. ''su'', fem sing. ''sa''), rather than the standard Catalan "el" and "la", similar to other Romance languages (e.g. Spanish ''el'', ''la'', Italian ''il'', ''la''), corresponding to a form which was historically used along the
Costa Brava of
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
, from where it is supposed that the islands were repopulated after being conquered from the
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
.
Menorquí also has a few English
loan word
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because the ...
s dating back to the period of British rule, such as "grevi", "xumaquer", "boinder" and "xoc" taken from "gravy", "shoemaker", "bow window" and "chalk", respectively.
Food and drink
![Gin Xoriguer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Gin_Xoriguer.jpg)
Wine production has been known on the island since ancient times, but it went into a heavy decline over the last century. Now, several new, small wineries have started up, producing wines locally.
Lingering British influence is seen in the Menorcans' taste for
gin, which during local ''festes'' honoring towns'
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
s is mixed with
lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage.
There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...
(or
bitter lemon
Bitter lemon is a bitter lemon flavoured soft drink. Its signature taste is a result of inherently bitter lemon pith being reinforced by the bitter alkaloid quinine.
The principal difference between tonic water and bitter lemon is the lemon ...
) to make a golden liquid known as ''Pomada''. Gin from Menorca is not derived from grain
alcohol but from wine alcohol (
eau de vie de vin), making it more akin to
brandy. It has the distinction to have
geographical identity protection. Probably the best known gin is Gin Xoriguer which is named after the typical Menorcan windmill which was used to make the first gin. One of the reasons it is also known as Gin de Minorca or Gin de Mahón.
Also famous is
Mahón cheese
Maó cheese (''formatge de Maó'' in the original Catalan, ''queso de Mahón'' in Spanish) is a soft to hard white cheese made from cattle, cows' milk, named after the town and natural port of Maó (known as Mahón in Spanish), on the island of Men ...
, "formatge de Maó", a cheese typical of the island.
One origin story of
mayonnaise is that it was brought back to France from
Mahon, Menorca, after
Louis-François-Armand du Plessis de Richelieu's victory over the British at the city's port in 1756.
Sweets known as
flaons are one of the typical gastronomic products of Menorca.
Wildlife
Flowers
Menorca is rich in wild flowers with over 900 species of flowering plants recorded. Many are those typical of the Mediterranean, but some are endemic. There are 24 or 25 species of orchid found and of these most flower early in the year in late March, April and May.
Insects
![Cleopatra butterfly menorca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Cleopatra_butterfly_menorca.jpg)
30 species of butterflies have been recorded on Menorca and most are on the wing from March to late September. The species that occur include the
Cleopatra,
Lang's short tailed blue and the
two-tailed pasha.
Despite not having many large wetlands dragonflies abound on Menorca. Seventeen species have been recorded including the
emperor dragonfly
The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor (''Anax imperator'') is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, averaging in length. The generic name ''Anax'' is from the ancient Greek , "lord"; the specific epithet ''imperator'' is ...
.
*
List of butterflies of Menorca
*
List of dragonflies of Menorca
Reptiles and amphibians
There are three species of ''amphibia'':
green toad (''Bufo viridis''),
marsh frog
The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia.
Description
The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...
and
stripeless tree frog (''Hyla meridionalis'').
The common lizard seen all over the island is the
Italian wall lizard
The Italian wall lizard or ruin lizard (''Podarcis siculus'', from the Greek meaning agile and feet) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. ''P. siculus'' is native to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro ...
(''Podarcis siculus'') although the
Moroccan rock lizard (''Scelaris perspicillata'') also occurs. The Balearic endemic
Lilford's wall lizard
Lilford's wall lizard (''Podarcis lilfordi'' ) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain.
Its natural habitats are temperate Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, and r ...
(''Podarcis lilfordi'') can be found on many of the offshore islands. Two species of
gecko can be found on Menorca, the
Moorish (''Tarentola mauritanica'') and the
Turkish (''Hemidactylus turcicus'') also called the Mediterranean house gecko.
Four species of snake occur: the
viperine snake (''Natrix maura''),
grass snake
The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.
Subspecies
Many subspecies are recognized ...
,
false smooth snake (''Macroprotodon cucullatus'') and the
ladder snake
The ladder snake (''Zamenis scalaris'') is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southwestern Europe.
Distribution
The geographic range of the ladder snake includes Portugal, Spain, southern France ...
(''Rhinechis scalaris'').
Hermann's tortoise
Hermann's tortoise (''Testudo hermanni'') is a species of tortoise. Two subspecies are known: the western Hermann's tortoise (''T. h. hermanni'' ) and the eastern Hermann's tortoise (''T. h. boettgeri'' ). Sometimes mentioned as a subspecies, ...
(''Testudo hermanni'') is quite common and can be found all over the island. Two terrapin species are also found, the native
European pond terrapin
The European pond turtle (''Emys orbicularis''), also called commonly the European pond terrapin and the European pond tortoise, is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the Western Palearc ...
(''Emys orbicularis'') and the introduced American
red-eared slider
The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, ...
'' (Trachemys scripta'').
Birds
The birdlife of Menorca is very well known. Menorca is a well watched island which is on the migration route of many species and good number of passage migrants can be seen in spring.
Residents include
Audouin's gull
Audouin's gull (''Ichthyaetus audouinii'') is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''ikhthus'', "fish", and ''aetos'', "eagle", and
t ...
,
blue rock thrush and
Thekla lark
Thekla's lark (''Galerida theklae''), also known as the Thekla lark, is a species of lark that breeds on the Iberian Peninsula, in northern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia. It is a sedentary ( non-migratory) species. This ...
. Booted eagle and red kite are easy to see as is Egyptian vulture in the right habitat. In summer there are bee-eaters and Menorca has major colonies of Cory's shearwater and Balearic shearwater.
Mammals
Menorca has no large native mammals. There are some small mammals including rabbits, bats, rats, mice, pine martens and a subspecies of North African hedgehog.
Municipalities
![Menorca2021OSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Menorca2021OSM.png)
The major towns are
Port Mahon
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
and
Ciutadella de Menorca
Ciutadella de Menorca () or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the western end of Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is one of the two primary cities in the island, along with Maó.
History
...
. The island is administratively divided into eight municipalities (from west to east):
*
Ciutadella de Menorca
Ciutadella de Menorca () or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the western end of Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is one of the two primary cities in the island, along with Maó.
History
...
(or just ''Ciutadella'' locally) – the ancient capital of Menorca until 1722.
*Ferreries
*Es Mercadal
**Fornells, Minorca, Fornells, which belongs to the municipality of Es Mercadal. Famous for its lobster stew (''caldereta'').
*Es Migjorn Gran (or ''Es Mitjorn Gran'') – hometown of Joan Riudavets.
*Alaior
**Cala En Porter – a tourist and residential area
*
Port Mahon
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
(officially ''Maó'' in Catalan, ''Mahón'' in Spanish) – became the capital in 1722 during British rule due to its strategic natural harbour.
**Llucmassanes – a small Hamlet (place), hamlet which belongs to the municipality of Maó.
**Sant Climent, which belongs to the municipality of Maó.
*Es Castell – Founded by the British and originally named as Georgetown.
*Sant Lluís – Founded by the French and originally named Saint-Louis.
The areas and populations of the municipalities (according to the ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística'', Spain) are:
Transport
*Me-1 road (Spain)
Gallery
File:Taula-Menorca.jpg, Taula from the site of Talatí de Dalt about west of Maó.
File:Cales Coves.jpg, ''Cales Coves'' of Menorca. Note the hand-hewn entrances to the caves.
File:Minorcancountryside.JPG, Menorcan countryside
File:Cala Trebalúger.JPG, Cala Trebalúger
File:Alcaufar 2.jpg, Martello tower, Alcaufar with Illa de l'aire lighthouse in the distance.
File:Cala Galdana (30097216346).jpg, Cala Galdana
File:Arenal 2018.jpg, Arenal d'en Castell
See also
*
Gymnesian Islands
The Gymnesians ( ca, Illes Gimnèsies , es, Gimnesias ), or Gymnesic Islands ( ca, Illes Gimnèsiques), is a collective name given to the two largest (and easternmost) Balearic Islands, Mallorca and Menorca, distinguishing them from the Pityu ...
* Illa de l'Aire
*
List of butterflies of Menorca
*
List of dragonflies of Menorca
* Menorca Airport
* ''Menorca Sun''
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Menorca
Notes
References
Further reading
* Burns, Robert I., (1990) "Muslims in the Thirteenth Century Realms of Aragon: Interaction and Reaction", p. 67, In: Powell, J.M. (ed.) ''Muslims under Latin Rule, 1100–1300'', p. 57–102, Princeton University Press. .
* Fernandez-Arnesto, F. ''Before Columbus: Exploration and Colonisation from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic 1229–1492''; Mac Millan, 1987. p. 36.* Hearl, G., (1996). A Birdwatchers guide to Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Arlequin Press. pp56.
* Carlo Ginzburg, "The Conversion of the Jews of Minorca (A.D. 417–418)," in Idem, ''Threads and Traces: True False Fictive'' (Berkeley, University of California Press, 2011)
* Moll Mercadal, B. ''Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd ibn Hakam, Ra'îs de Manûrqa (631/1234-680/1289)'' Publicacions des Born nº5. 1999
* Pons, G., (2000). Les papallones diurnes de les balears., pp87. Edicions Documenta Balear, Palma de Mallorca.
* Taylor, David Wilson (1975). Minorca. (Great Britain) (United States) First full account of Minorca in English since John Armstrong's memoirs of 1740
*Laurie, John Bruce (1994) The Life of Richard Kane, Britain's First Lieutenant-Governor of Menorca
External links
UNESCO's Minorca Biosphere ReserveManûrqa's society at the Ecomuseum Cap de Cavalleria of Menorca
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