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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 ...
, which are part of Spain 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 ...
, 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 Amade ...
". Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca,
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 la ...
, 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 ''insula maior'', "larger island". Later, in Medieval Latin, 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 t ...
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 Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age. Arising from ar ...
. 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 ''Hypnomys'', otherwise known as Balearic giant dormice, is an extinct genus of dormouse (Gliridae) in the subfamily Leithiinae. Its species are considered examples of insular gigantism. They were endemic to the Balearic Islands in the western Me ...
,'' 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 The Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period is the name used to describe the society that existed on the Gymnesian Islands (the easternmost Balearic Islands) during the Iron Age. Its origins date from the end of the second millennium BC, when the i ...
. A non-exhaustive list of settlements is the following: *
Capocorb Vell Capocorb Vell is a talayotic site located about 12 km from Llucmajor on the island of Mallorca. It is one of the most highly excavated talayotic sites in the Balearic islands. Another such site is Ses Païsses. There are a number of talay ...
(
Llucmajor Llucmajor (; es, Lluchmayor) is the largest municipality (in terms of surface area) of the Balearic Island of Mallorca. There are sixteen urban settlements in the municipality, including the town of Llucmajor and the coastal areas of s'Aren ...
municipality) * Necròpoli de Son Real (east of Can Picafort,
Santa Margalida Santa Margalida is a municipality with a population of 10,204 located in the northeast of the Spanish Balearic Island Majorca. The residents are divided over three settlement areas, the principal one being Santa Margalida, 10 km inland fro ...
municipality) * Novetiforme Alemany (
Magaluf Magaluf (, , ) is a major holiday resort on the Spanish island of Majorca, primarily catering to the British, Russian, Irish, German, and Scandinavian package holiday market. Magaluf is in the municipality of Calvià and is situated within a gr ...
fa, Calvià, Miconio) * Poblat Talaiòtic de S'Illot ( S'Illot,
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)(Eng ...
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 ag ...
,
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 muni ...
municipality) * Ses Païsses (
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 muni ...
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 ...
municipality) * S'Hospitalet Vell (road to Cales de Mallorca,
Manacor Manacor () is a town and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second largest town in Mallorca, after the capital of Palma. The municipality has tourist areas such as ...
municipality)


Phoenicians, Romans, and Late Antiquity

The Phoenicians, a seafaring people from the Levant, 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, Carthage lost all of its overseas possessions and the
Romans 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 let ...
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), 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 ...
) were founded. In addition, the northern town of Bocchoris, dating back to pre-Roman times, was a federated city to Rome. The local economy was largely driven by olive 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, ra ...
, 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 ...
and the Vandals captured the island.
Geiseric Gaiseric ( – 25 January 477), also known as Geiseric or Genseric ( la, Gaisericus, Geisericus; reconstructed Vandalic: ) was King of the Vandals and Alans (428–477), ruling a kingdom he established, and was one of the key players in the di ...
, 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, led by Apollinarius. Under Roman rule, Christianity thrived and numerous churches were built. From 707, the island was increasingly attacked by Muslim 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 Em ...
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 Po ...
. 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 Muslims improved agriculture with irrigation and developed local industries. The caliphate was dismembered in 1015. Mallorca came under rule by the Taifa of Dénia, 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, ...
, 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 Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that st ...
from North Africa, who ruled until 1176. The Almoravides were replaced by the
Almohad dynasty The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fo ...
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 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 ...
, 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 Ba ...
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. This area was known in Europe as the ...
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 and his advisors were considering complete evacuation of the Balearic islands. In the early 18th century, the War of the Spanish Succession 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 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 ...
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 (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
stronghold at the start of the Spanish Civil War, 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. Although the Republicans heavily outnumbered their opponents and managed to push inland, superior Nationalist air power, provided mainly by Fascist Italy 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 ini ...
. Since the 1950s, the advent of mass tourism 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 workers from outside the European Union, 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 prin ...
sword 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 ...
. Specialists assumed that the weapon was made when the
Talaiotic culture The Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period is the name used to describe the society that existed on the Gymnesian Islands (the easternmost Balearic Islands) during the Iron Age. Its origins date from the end of the second millennium BC, when the i ...
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 ...
ic settlement. The turbulent history of the city had it subject to several Vandal sackings during the fall of the Western Roman Empire. 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 ...
. 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 (
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''), 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 Puig Major is the highest peak on the Spanish island of Majorca. With an elevation of above sea level. It is situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. As the mountain is located in a military zone, the neighbouring peak Puig de Massanella (1 ...
. 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 of
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost 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 "historical nationality". The ...
. They consist primarily of sediments deposited in the
Tethys Sea The Tethys Ocean ( el, Τηθύς ''Tēthús''), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean that covered most of the Earth during much of the Mesozoic Era and early Cenozoic Era, located between the ancient continents ...
during the Mesozoic era. These marine deposits have given rise to calcareous rocks which are often fossiliferous. 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, ...
of the
African plate The African Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes much of the continent of Africa (except for its easternmost part) and the adjacent oceanic crust to the west and south. It is bounded by the North American Plate and South American Plat ...
beneath the Eurasian plate 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 ...
. 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 minerals ...
. 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 in the Canary Islands). 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 Puig Major is the highest peak on the Spanish island of Majorca. With an elevation of above sea level. It is situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. As the mountain is located in a military zone, the neighbouring peak Puig de Massanella (1 ...
, 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 milita ...
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 se ...
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 The Coves dels Hams (; es, Cuevas dels Hams; en, "Fishhook Caves") are a Solutional cave system on the east coast of the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca. The caves are in the municipality of Manacor, about 1 km to the west of the town o ...
and the
Coves del Drach The Caves of Drach (modern Catalan spelling: ; es, Cuevas del Drach; ) are four great caves that are located in the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, extending to a depth of 25 m and reaching approximately 4 km in length. The ...
, also contain underground lakes and are open to tours. Both are located near the eastern coastal town of
Porto Cristo Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of Mallorca. It is from the town of Manacor and is within the Manacor municipality. Geography The village is located in a major tourist area between Costa de los Pinos and Cala Murada. Its sma ...
. Small uninhabited islands lie off the southern and western coasts; the
Cabrera Archipelago Cabrera (, , la, Capraria) is an island in the Balearic Islands, Spain, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Majorca. It is a National Park. The highest point is Na Picamosques (172 m). Cabrera is the largest island of the ...
is administratively grouped with Mallorca (in the municipality of Palma), while
Dragonara Torremaggiore is a town, '' comune'' (municipality) and former seat of a bishopric, in the province of Foggia in the Apulia (in Italian: ''Puglia''), region of southeast Italy. It lies on a hill, over the sea, and is famous for production of w ...
is administratively included in the municipality of Andratx. Other notable areas include the Alfabia Mountains, Es Cornadors and
Cap de Formentor Cap de Formentor () is the northernmost point of Majorca, on the Formentor peninsula. Location Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of the Balearic Island Majorca in Spain. Its highest point, ''Fumart'', is 384m above sea lev ...
. The
Cap de Formentor Cap de Formentor () is the northernmost point of Majorca, on the Formentor peninsula. Location Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of the Balearic Island Majorca in Spain. Its highest point, ''Fumart'', is 384m above sea lev ...
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 Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria ( it, Luigi Salvatore Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Dominico Raineri Ferdinando Carlo Zenobio Antonino, german: Ludwig Salvator Maria Joseph Johann Baptist Dominicus Rainerius Ferdinand Carl Zenobius Antonin) ...
( 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 Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, bein ...
), resided in
Valldemossa Valldemossa is a village and municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is famous for one landmark: the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built at the beginning of the 14th centu ...
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, Op. 28, that he started writing in 1835. He was also able to undertake work on his Ballade No. 2, Op. 38; two Polonaises, Op. 40; and the Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39.


Literature

French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym:
George Sand Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, bein ...
), at that time in a relationship with Chopin, described her stay in Mallorca in ''
A Winter in Majorca ''A Winter in Majorca'' (whose original title in French is ''Un hiver à Majorque'') is an autobiographical travel novel written by George Sand, at the time in a relationship with Frédéric Chopin. Although published in 1842, it appeared for ...
'', published in 1855. Other famous writers used Mallorca as the setting for their works. While on the island, the Nicaraguan poet
Rubén Darío Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (January 18, 1867 – February 6, 1916), known as Rubén Darío ( , ), was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as ''modernismo'' (modernism) that flourished at the end of ...
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 Baltasar Porcel i Pujol (; Andratx, Majorca, 14 March 1937 – Barcelona, 1 July 2009) was a Spanish writer, journalist and literary critic. His enormous legacy credited him as one of the greatest authors in Catalan literature from the 20th century ...
take place in Mallorca.
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
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 ''Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories'' is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in the UK only in November 1991 by HarperCollins. It was not published in the US but all the stories contained within it had previously been p ...
'', a collection of short stories, of which the first one takes place in
Port de Pollença Port de Pollença (Balearic ; es, Puerto Pollensa) is a small town in northern Majorca, Spain, on the Bay of Pollença about 6 km east of Pollença and two kilometres southeast of Cala Sant Vicenç. Cap de Formentor is connected to Port d ...
, 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 Cathedral of Palma. Nobel prize winner
Camilo José Cela Camilo José Cela y Trulock, 1st Marquess of Iria Flavia (; 11 May 1916 – 17 January 2002) was a Spanish novelist, poet, story writer and essayist associated with the Generation of '36 movement. He was awarded the 1989 Nobel Prize in Liter ...
came to Mallorca in 1954, visiting
Pollença Pollença (Balearic Catalan: ; es, Pollensa) is a town and municipality in the northern part of the island of Majorca, near Cap de Formentor and Alcúdia. It lies inland, about west of its port, Port de Pollença. History The name "Polle ...
, 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 ...
, where he settled permanently. In 1956, Cela founded the magazine ''Papeles de Son Armadans''. He is also credited as founder of
Alfaguara Alfaguara is a Spanish-language publishing house that serves markets in Latin America, Spain and the United States. It was founded by the Spanish writer and Nobel prize winner Camilo José Cela. History and profile Alfaguara was established in ...
. 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 Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), ''The Stepford Wives'' (1972), '' This Perfe ...
set part of his dystopian novel ''
This Perfect Day ''This Perfect Day'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Ira Levin, about a technocratic dystopia.David Pringle,''The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction''. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, 1990. (p.318). Levin won a Promet ...
'' in Mallorca, making the island a centre of resistance in a world otherwise dominated by a computer.


Music and dance

The
Ball dels Cossiers The Ball dels Cossiers ( Catalan for "Dance of the Cossiers") is the most popular traditional dance on the island of Majorca, in the Spanish Balearic Islands. In the dance, three pairs of dancers, who are typically male, defend a representation of ...
is the island's traditional dance. It is believed to have been imported from Catalonia in the 13th or 14th century, after the Aragonese conquest of the island under 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 A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...
. Another Mallorcan dance is
Correfoc ''Correfocs'' (); literally in English "fire-runs") are among the most striking features present in Valencian and Catalan festivals. In the ''correfoc'', a group of individuals will dress as devils and light up fireworks – fixed on devil's p ...
, 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 The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in th ...
-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 Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma, located in Palma and inaugurated on 30 January 2004, has a reserve of more than 700 works of art linked to artists from the Balearic Islands and/or of international renown. As well as cons ...
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 "Majorcan cartographic school" is the term coined by historians to refer to the collection of predominantly Jewish cartographers, cosmographers and navigational instrument-makers and some Christian associates that flourished in Majorca in the 13th ...
or the "
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 ...
school" refers to a collection of
cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
s,
cosmographer The term cosmography has two distinct meanings: traditionally it has been the protoscience of mapping the general features of the cosmos, heaven and Earth; more recently, it has been used to describe the ongoing effort to determine the large-scal ...
s, and
navigational instrument Navigational instruments are instruments used by nautical navigators and pilots as tools of their trade. The purpose of navigation is to ascertain the present position and to determine the speed, direction, etc. to arrive at the port or point of d ...
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 Portolan charts are nautical charts, first made in the 13th century in the Mediterranean basin and later expanded to include other regions. The word ''portolan'' comes from the Italian ''portulano'', meaning "related to ports or harbors", and w ...
", 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 Sobrassada in Balearic or Sobrasada in Spanish, is a raw, cured sausage from the Balearic Islands (Spain) made with ground pork, paprika and salt and other spices. Sobrassada, along with , are traditional Balearic meat products prepared in ...
'', ''arròs brut'' (saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables), and the sweet pastry ''
ensaïmada The ensaimada is a pastry product from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. It is a common cuisine eaten in Southwestern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. The first written references to the Mallorcan ensaïmada date back to the 17t ...
''. Also Pa amb oli is a popular dish.
Herbs de Majorca Herbs de Majorca ( Catalan: Herbes de Mallorca; Spanish: Hierbas Mallorquinas) is a Majorcan herbal liqueur of medicinal origin. A form of the generic Hierbas, Herbs de Majorca has a protected designation of origin and can only be made in Major ...
is a herbal liqueur.


Language

The two official languages of Mallorca 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 Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
,Article 4 of the the former being the
autochthonous language An indigenous language, or autochthonous language, is a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous peoples. This language is from a linguistically distinct community that originated in the area. Indigenous languages are not neces ...
. The local dialect of Catalan spoken in the island is ''
Mallorquí 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, ...
'', 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 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 linguistics, diglossia () is a situation in which two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled "L ...
in favour of the Spanish language. , with the 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, in the Canary Islands, 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 ...
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 build illegally caused a scandal in 2006 in Port
Andratx Andratx () is a municipality on Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands, along the Mediterranean east coast of Spain. It is located on the southwest tip of the island. Port d'Andratx, located a few miles south of Andratx, is an exclusive resort. ...
that the newspaper ''
El País ''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...
'' named "caso Andratx". A main reason for illegal building permits, corruption and
black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the s ...
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 eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administr ...
. As a whole, they are currently governed by the Balearic Islands Socialist Party (PSIB-PSOE), with
Francina Armengol Francesca Lluch Armengol i Socias, known as Francina Armengol (born 11 August 1971 in Inca), is a Spanish politician from the Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands. She has been the President of the Balearic Islands The president of the Bal ...
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 Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca () or SFM is a company which operates the metre gauge railway network on the Spanish island of Majorca. The total length, including Palma Metro, also operated by this company, is 85 km. Overview In 1977, ...
) and municipal administration. As of July 2019, ( 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 Catalan literature is the name conventionally used to refer to literature written in the Catalan language. The focus of this article is not just the literature of Catalonia, but literature written in Catalan from anywhere, so that it includes wri ...
; * Al-Humaydī, Moorish historian, born on the island in 1029. *
Abraham Cresques Abraham Cresques (, 1325–1387), whose real name was Cresques (son of) Abraham, was a 14th-century Jewish cartographer from Palma, Majorca (then part of the Crown of Aragon). In collaboration with his son, Jehuda Cresques, Cresques is credit ...
, a 14th-century Jewish
cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
of the
Majorcan cartographic school "Majorcan cartographic school" is the term coined by historians to refer to the collection of predominantly Jewish cartographers, cosmographers and navigational instrument-makers and some Christian associates that flourished in Majorca in the 13th ...
from Palma, believed to be the author of the
Catalan Atlas The Catalan Atlas ( ca, Atles català, ) is a medieval world map, or mappamundi, created in 1375 that has been described as the most important map of the Middle Ages in the Catalan language, and as "the zenith of medieval map-work". It was pr ...
; * Junípero Serra, the
Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
friar who founded the mission chain in
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
in 1769. * Miquel Costa i Llobera, a famous Mallorcan poet, who died in 1922. *
Joaquín Jovellar y Soler Joaquín Jovellar y Soler (28 December 1819 – 17 April 1892) was a Spanish general who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 12 September 1875 to 2 December 1875 and governor and captain-general of the Philippines from 7 April 1883 to 1 Ap ...
, 19th century military commander. *
Antonio Maura Antonio Maura Montaner (2 May 1853 – 13 December 1925) was Prime Minister of Spain on five separate occasions. Early life Maura was born in Palma, on the island of Mallorca, and studied law in Madrid. In 1878, Maura married Consta ...
, 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

* 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 Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist, life peer, convicted criminal, and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament (1969–1974), but did not ...
, English novelist, owns a villa in Mallorca *
Marco Asensio Marco Asensio Willemsen (; born 21 January 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spain national team. After starting out at Mallorca, Asensio signed with ...
, Spanish footballer, plays for 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 ...
, Mallorca. *
Miquel Barceló Miquel Barceló Artigues (born 1957) is a Spanish painter. Career Barceló was born at Felanitx, Mallorca. After having studied at the Arts and Crafts School of Palma for two years, he enrolled at the Fine Arts School of Barcelona in 197 ...
, contemporary painter, created sculptures in
Palma Cathedral The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (Cathedral of St. Mary of Palma), more commonly referred to as La Seu (a title also used by many other churches), is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. Description Built b ...
. *
Concha Buika María Concepción Balboa Buika (born 11 May 1972), known as Concha Buika or Buika, is a Spanish singer. Her album '' Niña de Fuego'' was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and ''La Noche Más Larga'' was nominated ...
, contemporary flamenco singer. Concha Buika was born on 11 May 1972, in Palma de Mallorca. *
Jean Batten Jane Gardner Batten (15 September 1909 – 22 November 1982), commonly known as Jean Batten, was a New Zealand aviator, making a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world. She is notable for completing the first solo flight fro ...
, the New Zealand aviator, died in Mallorca in 1982. *
Conor Benn Conor Nigel Benn (born 28 September 1996) is a British professional boxer who has held the WBA Continental welterweight title since 2018. He is the son of former two-division world champion of boxing, Nigel Benn. As of May 2022, Benn is ranke ...
, British professional boxer, spent twelve years of his childhood living in Mallorca. *
Nigel Benn Nigel Gregory Benn (born 22 January 1964) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990 and the WBC super-middleweight t ...
, 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 Catalan (; autonym: , ), known in the Valencian Community and Carche as ''Valencian'' (autonym: ), is a Western Romance language. It is the official language of Andorra, and an official language of three autonomous communities in eastern Sp ...
group
Els Setze Jutges Els Setze Jutges (, meaning "The Sixteen Judges") was a group of singers in the Catalan language founded in 1961 by Miquel Porter i Moix, Remei Margarit, and Josep Maria Espinàs. The name comes from a well known tongue-twister in the Catalan lang ...
in the 1960s with brother Joan Ramon Bonet. *Samuel Bouriah, better known as
DJ Sammy Samuel Bouriah (born 19 October 1969), better known by his stage name DJ Sammy, is a Spanish DJ and record producer. He has released five albums and has had five top-10 hits, including a cover of Bryan Adams' "Heaven", which reached number one ...
, dance artist and producer. *
Faye Emerson Faye Margaret Emerson (July 8, 1917 – March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show ...
and Anne Lindsay Clark, divorcees of
Elliott Roosevelt Elliott Roosevelt may refer to: * Elliott Roosevelt (general) (1910–1990), American general * Elliott Roosevelt (socialite) (1860–1894), American socialite {{hndis, Roosevelt, Elliott ...
and
John Aspinwall Roosevelt John Aspinwall Roosevelt II (March 13, 1916 – April 27, 1981) was an American businessman and the sixth and last child of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. Early life John Aspinwall Roosevelt II was the yo ...
(US Officials and sons of Franklin Delano Roosevelt) respectively, retired to Mallorca in 1965. Emerson died in Deià in 1983. *
Sheila Ferguson Sheila Diana Ferguson (born October 8, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was the second longest-serving member of the 1970s American female soul music group The Three Degrees, singing lead vocals on most of the g ...
, resident, a former member of the Three Degrees. * Rudy Fernández basketball player. *
Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player and activist. He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, a ...
, baseball player, purchased a bar in Palma, Majorca after leaving the Washington Senators in 1971. *
Antònia Font Antònia Font () is a Majorcan band, formed in 1997. They are characterized by their festive music and their humorous and fantastic lyrics. The group's creative universe includes elements such as outer space and astronautics, combined with themes ...
, contemporary pop band in the Mallorcan dialect of Catalan. *
Toni Kroos Toni Kroos (born 4 January 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Kroos plays mainly as a central midfielder, but has also been deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in his career. He is kn ...
, footballer for Real Madrid and
German national football team The Germany national football team (german: link=no, Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft) represents Germany in men's international football and played its first match in 1908. The team is governed by the German Football Association (''Deutsch ...
. *
Cynthia Lennon Cynthia Lennon (born Powell; 10 September 1939 – 1 April 2015) was the first wife of John Lennon and the mother of Julian Lennon. Born in Blackpool and raised in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, she attended the Liverpool College of Art where ...
(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 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A ...
,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gath ...
& 2015
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start o ...
World Championships. *
Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ga, Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He has guest-starred on many T ...
, Irish actor, resides in the town of
Sóller Sóller () is a town and municipality near the north west coast of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, 3 km inland from Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Binia ...
. * Mads Mikkelsen, Danish actor, purchased a vacation home in Mallorca, where he spends most of his time. *
Joan Mir Joan Mir Mayrata () (born 1 September 1997) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer riding for the Repsol Honda Team, who is best known for winning the 2020 MotoGP World Championship with Suzuki. He is the fourth Spanish rider to win the premi ...
, professional motorcycle road racer and 2020
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start o ...
World Champion. *
Carlos Moyá Carlos Moyá Llompart (; born 27 August 1976) is a Spanish former world No. 1 tennis player. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he was part of his country's succ ...
, former world No.1 tennis player and coach of Rafael Nadal. *
Xisco Muñoz Francisco Javier Muñoz Llompart (born 5 September 1980), known as Xisco, is a Spanish football manager and former player who played mainly a left winger. He is the current manager of Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis Famagusta. He played ...
, former footballer and coach (
FC Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi ( ka, დინამო თბილისი, ) is a Georgian professional football club based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that competes in the Erovnuli Liga, the top flight of Georgian football. Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the mos ...
,
Watford F.C Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club’s original foundation is 1881, aligned with that of its antecede ...
), was born in
Manacor Manacor () is a town and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second largest town in Mallorca, after the capital of Palma. The municipality has tourist areas such as ...
. * Rafael Nadal, 22-time major champion and former world No. 1 tennis player, lives in Manacor. *
Toni Nadal Antonio "Toni" Nadal Homar (; born 21 February 1961) is a Spanish tennis coach. Toni Nadal is the uncle and ex-coach of tennis player Rafael Nadal, the elder brother of Spanish professional footballer Miguel Ángel Nadal, and the current coach of ...
, Rafael Nadal's uncle and his former coach. *
Miguel Ángel Nadal Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar (, ca, Miquel Àngel Nadal Homar; born 28 July 1966) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a versatile defender and midfielder. He began and ended his career with Mallorca, but his greatest achievements came ...
, Rafael Nadal's uncle, former FC Barcelona and Spanish international footballer. *
John Noakes John Noakes (born John Wallace Bottomley; 6 March 1934 – 28 May 2017) was an English television presenter and former actor. He co-presented the BBC children's magazine programme ''Blue Peter'' in the 1960s and 1970s and was the show's longe ...
, former British TV presenter, lived in
Andratx Andratx () is a municipality on Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands, along the Mediterranean east coast of Spain. It is located on the southwest tip of the island. Port d'Andratx, located a few miles south of Andratx, is an exclusive resort. ...
. * 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 José María Sicilia (born 1954) is a Spanish abstractionist painter who currently resides in Paris and Sóller. Background Sicilia was born in Madrid and grew up in Francoist Spain. He spent his holidays in the monastery town of Escorial ne ...
, painter, resides in the town of
Sóller Sóller () is a town and municipality near the north west coast of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, 3 km inland from Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Binia ...
. * Jørn Utzon, an architect best known for designing the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
, designed and built two houses in Mallorca,
Can Lis Can Lis is a house the Danish architect Jørn Utzon built for his wife Lis and himself near Portopetro on the Spanish island of Majorca. Completed in 1971, it consists of four separate blocks linked together by walls and courtyards.
and
Can Feliz Can Feliz is a summer residence the Danish architect Jørn Utzon built for himself near Portopetro on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Completed in 1994 and located a few kilometres inland on a mountain side near S'Horta, it is the second house Utz ...
. *
Agustí Villaronga Agustí Villaronga Riutort (; 4 March 1953 – 22 January 2023) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed several feature films, a documentary, three projects for television and three shorts. His film '' Moon Child'' was ...
(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 The Majorca rail network consists of three separate electrified lines, which radiate north and east from Palma de Mallorca, the major city on the Spanish island of Majorca. Services on the main line and metro both originate/terminate at the Es ...
**
Palma de Mallorca Metro The Palma Metro ( ca, Metro de Palma, es, Metro de Palma []) is a Medium-capacity rail transport system, light metro system in Palma, Majorca, Spain. The initial line of the system, M1, is long and has nine stations. It was constructed between ...
**
Ferrocarril de Sóller The Ferrocarril de Sóller (; en, Railway of Sóller), acronym FS, is an interurban railway and the name for the company which operates the electrified narrow gauge tracks running between the towns of Sóller and Palma on the Spanish island of ...

Mallorca bus system (TIB)
A
trackless train A trackless train — or tram (U.S. English), road train, land train, or parking lot train is a road-going articulated vehicle used for the transport of passengers, comprising a driving vehicle pulling one or more carriages connected by draw ...
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 Trasmediterránea operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and northern Africa's Spanish territories. Since 2017 the majority of the company belongs to Naviera Armas. History Th ...
** Mainland- Baleares: regular lines, in both directions, from: *** Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca,
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 la ...
and Mahón. *** 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 The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (Cathedral of St. Mary of Palma), more commonly referred to as La Seu (a title also used by many other churches), is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. Description Built b ...
File:Castillo de Bellver.jpg,
Bellver Castle Bellver Castle ( ca, Castell de Bellver, Balearic Catalan: ; ) is a Gothic-style castle on a hill 3 km to the west of the center of Palma on the Island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. It was built in the 14th century for King James II o ...
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 Valldemossa is a village and municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is famous for one landmark: the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built at the beginning of the 14th centu ...
File:Torrente_de_Pareis_from_boat_02.jpg,
Sa Calobra Sa Calobra is a small village in the Escorca municipality on the northwest coast of the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. The port village is a popular destination for coach trips and road cyclists. It is accessed by a single winding road, d ...
,
Escorca Escorca () is a municipality in northwest Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. Hills * Puig Major Puig Major is the highest peak on the Spanish island of Majorca. With an elevation of above sea level. It is situated in the Serra de ...
File:Cap Formentor.jpg, ''
Cap de Formentor Cap de Formentor () is the northernmost point of Majorca, on the Formentor peninsula. Location Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of the Balearic Island Majorca in Spain. Its highest point, ''Fumart'', is 384m above sea lev ...
'' File:Porta Pollença Sunrise Bird.jpg, Sunrise across Pollensa Bay,
Port de Pollença Port de Pollença (Balearic ; es, Puerto Pollensa) is a small town in northern Majorca, Spain, on the Bay of Pollença about 6 km east of Pollença and two kilometres southeast of Cala Sant Vicenç. Cap de Formentor is connected to Port d ...
File:Cap de ses Salines.jpg, ''Cap de
Ses Salines Ses Salines is a small municipality in the south of Majorca, one 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 Pen ...
'' File:Spain mallorca cala agulla a.jpg, Cala Agulla,
Capdepera Capdepera is a small municipality on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. Capdepera is a historical village just 8 km from Artà. Originally there had been a watchtower where the Castle of Capdepera stands today which was used to gua ...
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 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 ...
* Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca *
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
– 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 Islands of the Balearic Islands Mediterranean islands