Misplaced Pages

#740259

52-584: The islands are situated approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of the island of Majorca , and approximately 80 km (50 mi) east of the Cap de la Nau in the Iberian Peninsula . The first known name of the islands was the Ancient Greek geonym Πιτυοῦσσαι Pityûssai ("covered in pine trees "). From about 200 BCE, the islands were used as a base by Cilician pirates . They and

104-513: A cave at Cap Ventos, in the northwest of the island, an area still littered with buttons from their disintegrated uniforms. Late in 1916, a malfunctioning Austro-Hungarian Navy submarine remained at Cabrera for several hours, and the Spanish government subsequently decided to expropriate the island for defense. It is alleged that Juan March Ordinas , avoiding the blockade , had been selling supplies, including fuel, to submarine personnel, from

156-641: 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 ). The Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin , together with French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand ), resided in Valldemossa in the winter of 1838–39. Apparently, Chopin's health had already deteriorated and his doctor recommended that he go to

208-518: 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 that the newspaper El País named "caso Andratx". A main reason for illegal building permits, corruption and black market construction

260-529: A landscape characterised by a series of mountain ranges. The highest peak, Puig Major , stands at approximately 1,445 meters (4,741 feet) above sea level. Other notable peaks include Puig de Massanella , Puig Tomir , Puig de l'Ofre , and Puig des Teix , all exceeding 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in elevation. These mountains are part of the Serra de Tramuntana range with numerous peaks over 1,000 meters, offering opportunities for hiking and exploration with views of

312-723: A relationship with Chopin , described her stay in Mallorca in A Winter in Majorca , published in 1855. Other famous writers used Mallorca as the setting for their works. While on the island, the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío started writing the novel El oro de Mallorca , and wrote several poems, such as La isla de oro . The poet Miquel Costa i Llobera wrote in 1875 his famous ode, the Pine of Formentor , as well as other poems concerning old Mallorcan traditions and fantasies. Many of

364-517: A renegade Roman general, Quintus Sertorius , who had formed an alliance with the pirates, were driven out by a large Roman fleet, commanded by Caius Annius Luscus . The two largest of the islands, under the names Ebyssus (Ibiza) and Ophiusis (Formentera), were listed in Claudius Ptolemy 's Geography (2nd century CE). Ptolemy noted that Ebyssus had a town by the same name . The Pine Islands are sometimes grouped together as part of

416-863: Is " La Balanguera ". Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca , Ibiza , and Formentera , the island is a highly popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from the Netherlands , Germany , and the United Kingdom . The international airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport , is one of the busiest in Spain; it was used by 28 million passengers in 2017, with use increasing every year between 2012 and 2017. 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

468-818: Is an island in the Balearic Islands , Spain located in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Mallorca . A National Park , its highest point is Na Picamosques (172 m). Uninhabited, it’s administratively part of the city of Palma in Mallorca . Cabrera is the largest island of the small archipelago that includes (from south to north) the islands of Estells de Fora, L'Imperial, Illa de ses Bledes, Na Redona, Conillera, L'Esponja, Na Plana, Illot Pla, Na Pobra and Na Foradada. In December 1530, Hayreddin Barbarossa , an Ottoman admiral of

520-492: Is golden and very thin. The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. 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: Mallorca is the most populous island in

572-484: 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 caves both above and below the sea – two of the caves, the above sea level Coves dels Hams and the Coves del Drach , also contain underground lakes and are open to tours. Both are located near the eastern coastal town of Porto Cristo . Small uninhabited islands lie off

SECTION 10

#1732766177741

624-409: 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. Data from Institute of Statistics of Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands, of which Mallorca forms part, are one of the autonomous communities of Spain . As a whole , they are currently governed by

676-639: Is the following: 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 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 took over. The island was occupied by

728-460: Is the largest of the Balearic Islands , which are part of Spain , and the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . The capital of the island, Palma , 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 (west of Palma). The anthem of Mallorca

780-525: The Balearic Islands , or else considered separate with the Balearics proper being Mallorca and Menorca (which together with their islets form the Gymnesian Islands ). Politically, they are part of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Initially, they were administratively part of the same insular council (of Ibiza and Formentera), but since 2007 they are now separated between

832-690: The European Union , especially from Africa and South America. In September 2019, A 3,200-year-old well-preserved Bronze Age sword was discovered by archaeologists under the leadership of Jaume Deya and Pablo Galera on the Mallorca Island in the Puigpunyent from the stone megaliths site called Talaiot . Specialists assumed that the weapon was made when the Talaiotic culture was in critical decline. The sword will be on display at

884-678: The Mediterranean . While not towering in comparison to some mountain ranges globally, the Mallorcan mountains provide visitors with diverse outdoor experiences and panoramic views of the island's rugged terrain and coastline. 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 and Serres de Llevant. Both are about 70 km (43 mi) in length and occupy

936-507: 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 , overran

988-589: The People's Party of the Balearic Islands (PP), with Marga Prohens as their President. The specific government institution for the island is the Insular Council of Mallorca  [ ca ] commonly known as Council of Mallorca , created in 1978. It is responsible for culture, roads, railways (see Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca ) and municipal administration. As of September 2023, Llorenç Galmés  [ es ] ( PP ) serves as president of

1040-710: The Tethys Sea 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 of the African Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate with eventual collision. Tectonic movements led to different elevation and lowering zones in the late Tertiary period, which is why

1092-483: 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 a Census population of 920,605 inhabitants at the start of 2021, and an official estimate of 940,332 at the start of 2023. Since the 1950s, Mallorca has become a major tourist destination, and

SECTION 20

#1732766177741

1144-562: 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. French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand ), at that time in

1196-602: 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 last episode of

1248-567: The Conqueror, launched an invasion which landed at Santa Ponça , Mallorca, on 8–9 September 1229 with Catalan forces consisting of 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 under the name Regnum Maioricae . From 1479, the Crown of Aragon was in dynastic union with that of Castile . The Barbary corsairs of North Africa often attacked

1300-537: The Insular Council. Elections are held every four years concurrently with local elections . From 1983 to 2007, councilors were indirectly elected from the results of the election to Parliament of the Balearic Islands for the constituency of Mallorca . Since 2007, however, separate direct elections are held to elect the Council. Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria ( Catalan : Arxiduc Lluís Salvador )

1352-672: The Roman legions for their skill with the sling ( Balearic slingers ). In 427, Gunderic and the Vandals captured the island. Geiseric , son of Gunderic, governed Mallorca and used it as his base to loot and plunder settlements around the Mediterranean until Roman rule was restored in 465. In 534, Mallorca was recaptured from the Vandals by the Eastern Roman Empire , led by Apollinarius . Under Roman rule, Christianity thrived and numerous churches were built. From 707,

1404-493: The Romans in 123 BC under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus . It flourished under Roman rule, during which time the towns of Pollentia ( Alcúdia ), and Palmaria ( Palma ) 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 , and salt mining . Mallorcan soldiers were valued within

1456-693: The Suñer Mas family) were taken to Menorca and executed in a harbour place named S'Hort d'en Morillo (Mahón). After the failure of Captain Alberto Bayo Column landing in Mallorca, from 15 August to 4 September, the Republican troops left Cabrera. Bayo's plan was for the CNT column, stationed in Cabrera, to appear at Dragonera Island just southwest of Mallorca and simulate a false landing. But

1508-651: 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 province and autonomous community. A Nationalist stronghold at the start of the Spanish Civil War , Mallorca

1560-548: The anarchist CNT command refused this tactic and later went to Mallorca. A bloody battle destroyed them in Porto Cristo. The rest of this column failed before it arrived and was killed on Sa Cabana, just outside their point of entry at Manacor. Cabrera, which had been a former Santa Catalina, Palma de Mallorca district, was declared a National Park in April 1991. The Cabrera National Park is now administratively grouped with

1612-566: The area of Cala Ganduf and S'Olla. There was strong international protest, particularly by the British Admiralty, as Spain was officially neutral during the First World War . Cabrera remained a military zone until the 1980s, although from the 1920s some Mallorcan civilians rented out their Cabrera land for agriculture. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War , a Republican Air Force Dornier Wal D-1 airplane crashed near

Pityusic Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-488: The capital of the autonomous region of the Balearic Islands . 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 sea. Mallorca has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ), with mild and relatively wet winters and hot, bright, dry summers. Precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana is markedly higher. Summers are hot in

1716-510: 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 . 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 ,

1768-422: The dwarf goat-antelope Myotragus balearicus , the giant dormouse Hypnomys morpheus , and the shrew Nesiotites hidalgo , all three of which had been continuously present on Mallorca for over 5 million years. The island's prehistoric settlements are called talaiots or talayots . The people of the islands raised Bronze Age megaliths as part of their Talaiotic culture . A non-exhaustive list of settlements

1820-514: The fleet , captured the Castle of Cabrera, and started to use the island as a logistic base for his operations in the area. Barbarossa's naval victories secured Ottoman dominance over the Mediterranean during the mid-16th century, from 1530 until the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Cabrera was used to house French prisoners of war following the 1808 Battle of Bailén . Of the 9,000 sent to Cabrera during

1872-1335: The insular council of Ibiza and the insular council of Formentera (each one is also assimilated to a single comarca), which are two of the four main administrative subdivisions of the province (and autonomous community) of the Balearic Islands. This article about a location in the Balearic Islands is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Majorca [REDACTED]   Carthage 4th century BC– 201 BC [REDACTED]   Roman Republic 123 BC–27 BC [REDACTED]   Roman Empire 27 BC–455 Vandal Kingdom 455–534 Byzantine Empire 534–628 Umayyad state of Córdoba 903–1015 Taifa of Dénia 1015–1076 Taifa of Majorca 1076–1115 Almoravid Dynasty 1115–1158 Taifa of Majorca 1158–1203 [REDACTED] Almohad Dynasty 1203–1229 [REDACTED]   Crown of Aragon 1229–1276 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Mallorca 1276–1343 [REDACTED]   Crown of Aragon 1343–1715 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Spain 1715–1808 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Spain 1813–1931 [REDACTED]   Second Spanish Republic 1931–1936 [REDACTED]   Spanish State 1936–1975/1982 [REDACTED]   Spain 1982–present [REDACTED] [REDACTED]   Balearic Islands 1983–present Mallorca , or Majorca ,

1924-475: The island completely by 12 September. Those events became known as the Battle of Majorca . 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

1976-534: The island was increasingly attacked by Muslim raiders from North Africa. Recurrent invasions led the islanders to ask Charlemagne for help. In 902, Issam al-Khawlani ( Arabic : عصام الخولاني ) conquered the Balearic Islands , and they became part of the Emirate of Córdoba . The town of Palma was reshaped and expanded, and became known as Medina Mayurqa. Later on, with the Caliphate of Córdoba at its height,

2028-536: 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 from North Africa, who ruled until 1176. The Almoravides were replaced by the Almohad dynasty until 1229. Abu Yahya was the last Moorish leader of Mallorca. In the ensuing confusion and unrest, King James I of Aragon , also known as James

2080-407: The island. The crew were captured by military nationalist forces, but two Republican submarines (a B2 and B3) sent by order of Pedro Marqués Barber (an old NCO and former military Menorca self-proclaimed governor) came immediately and the small Cabreran force surrendered. Facundo Flores Horrach (the chief military officer), Mariano Ferrer Bravo (a retired Spanish officer) and three civilians (males of

2132-496: 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 . 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. Mallorca features

Pityusic Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-626: The nearby Majorca Museum. The capital of Mallorca, Palma, was founded as a Roman camp called Palmaria upon the remains of a Talaiotic 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

2236-477: The northwestern and eastern parts of the island respectively. The highest peak in Mallorca is Puig Major , at 1,445 m (4,741 ft), in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at Puig de Massanella is the highest accessible peak at 1,364 m (4,475 ft). The northeast coast comprises two bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. The northern coast

2288-668: The plains, and winters are mild, getting colder and wetter in the Tramuntana range, where brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual, especially in the Puig Major . The two wettest months in Mallorca are October and November. Storms and heavy rain are not uncommon during the autumn. Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands are geologically an extension of the fold mountains of the Betic Cordillera of Andalusia . They consist primarily of sediments deposited in

2340-545: The southern and western coasts; the Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Mallorca (in the municipality of Palma), while Dragonara is administratively included in the municipality of Andratx. Other notable areas include the Alfabia Mountains , Es Cornadors and Cap de Formentor . The Cap de Formentor is one of the places where the tourists can enjoy the pleasure of its beach which

2392-429: The tourism business has become the main source of revenue for the island. 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

2444-468: The war, only 3,600 remained to be repatriated at its end in 1814, though 876 officers and sergeants were taken off in July 1810 and sailed to England. The island was to be supplied every two days with food and water but these ships often did not set sail. As well as dying of starvation, thirst and disease many were driven insane and some became cannibalistic. Inscriptions by the prisoners have been discovered in

2496-608: The works of Baltasar Porcel take place in Mallorca. Agatha Christie visited the island in the early 20th century and stayed in Palma and Port de Pollença. She would later write the book Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories , a collection of short stories, of which the first one takes place in Port de Pollença , starring Parker Pyne . Cabrera, Balearic Islands Cabrera ( Balearic Catalan: [kəˈbɾeɾə] , Spanish: [kaˈβɾeɾa] , Latin : Capraria )

2548-543: Was a pioneer 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 hiking 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 ,

2600-660: Was subjected to an amphibious 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 12 km (7.5 mi) inland, superior Nationalist air power, provided mainly by Fascist Italy as part of the Italian occupation of Majorca , forced the Republicans to retreat and to leave

2652-585: Was then hypercorrected to Mallorca by central Catalan scribes, which later came to be accepted as the standard spelling. The Balearic Islands were first colonised by humans during the 3rd millennium BC , around 2500–2300 BC from the Iberian Peninsula or southern France, by people associated with the Bell Beaker culture . The arrival of humans resulted in the rapid extinction of the three species of terrestrial mammals native to Mallorca,

SECTION 50

#1732766177741

2704-421: Was visited by nearly 9.5 million tourists, and the Balearic Islands 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

#740259