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Majorca (Spanish and Catalan: Mallorca) is the largest island of Spain. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipelago (Catalan: Illes Balears, Spanish: Islas Baleares). Like the other Balearic Islands, Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa), Formentera, and Minorca (Catalan/Spanish: Menorca), the island is a popular tourist destination. In Germany and the United Kingdom, where package tourism to the island started in May 1952, Majorca has remained a popular destination. Since the 1960s, it has also become a synonym for mass tourism. The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica.

The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca (in the municipality of Palma). The national anthem of Majorca is La Balanguera.

History

Founding of Majorca

Majorca has been inhabited since antiquity. Burial chambers and traces of habitation from the Paleolithic period (6000–4000 BC) have been discovered. The island was occupied by the Romans in 123 BC under Quintus Caecilius Metellus. It flourished under Roman rule, during which time the towns of Pollentia (Alcúdia), and Palmaria (Palma) were founded. The local economy was largely driven by Olive cultivation, viniculture, and salt mining. Majorcan soldiers were valued within the Roman legions for their skill with the sling.

In 426, the Vandals sacked the island, and annexed it to their kingdom in 465. In 534, Majorca was conquered by the Byzantine Empire, and administered as part of the province of Sardinia. Under Byzantine rule, Christianity flourished and numerous churches were built. But from 707(there was people who never went hungry for 707 days), the island was increasingly attacked by Muslim raiders from North Africa.

In 902, the Caliphate of Cordoba conquered Majorca, ushering in a new period of prosperity for the island. With the Caliphate at its height, the Moors improved agriculture with irrigation, developed local industries and the island benefited from the overall prosperous times. After the Caliphate dismembered in 1015, a new, more decadent, era started. Majorca came under rule by the Taifa of Denia, and from 1087–1114 was an independent taifa. However, in 1114, an expedition of Pisans and Catalans overran the island, laying siege to Palma for 8 months. After the city fell, the invaders retreated, and were replaced by the Almoravides from North Africa, who ruled till 1203. The Almoravides were replaced by the Almohad dynasty until 1229. In the ensuing confusion and unrest, King James I of Aragon launched an invasion with 15,000 men and 1,500 horses, annexing the island to his Crown of Aragon after a 3 month campaign.

After the death of James I in 1276, his kingdom was divided between his sons. James II became king of the new Kingdom of Mallorca. In 1344, King Peter IV of Aragon invaded, and re-incorporated the island into the Crown.

From 1479, the Crown of Aragon was in dynastic union with that of Castile. In the early 18th century, the War of the Spanish Succession resulted in the replacement of that dynastic union with a unified Spanish monarchy. In 1716 the Decretos de Nueva Planta made Majorca part of the Spanish province of Baleares, roughly equivalent to present-day Illes Balears province and autonomous community.

Palma

Portals Vells bay at the municipality of Calvià, the caves are known to be from where the stones to build the cathedral were taken

The capital of Majorca, Palma, was founded as a Roman camp called Palmaria upon the remains of a Talaiotic settlement. The turbulent history of the city saw it subject to several Vandal sackings during the fall of the Roman Empire. It was later reconquered by the Byzantine, colonised by the Moors (who called it Medina Mayurqa), and finally established by James I of Aragon. In 1983, Palma was adopted as the capital of the autonomous region of the Balearic Islands.

20th century and today

Since the 1950s, the advent of mass tourism radically changed the physiognomy of both the city and the island, transforming it into a centre of attraction for foreign visitors and attracting workers from mainland Spain. This contributed to a huge change in the traditions, the sociolinguistic map, urbanisation and acquisitive power.

The boom in tourism caused Palma to grow significantly, with repercussions on immigration. In 1960 Majorca received 500,000 visitors, while in 1997 it received 6,739,700. In 2001, more than 19,200,000 people passed through Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma, with an additional 1.5 million arriving by sea.

In the 21st century, urban redevelopment, by the so-called Pla Mirall (English "Mirror Plan"), attracted important groups of immigrant workers from outside the European Union, especially from Africa and South America.

On November 14 2005, the local newspaper Diario de Mallorca reported allegations that the CIA used an airport on the island for a program of covert transfers of terror suspects.

Geography

Majorca has two mountainous regions each about 70 km in length. These occupy the north-western (Serra de Tramuntana or Tramuntana range) and eastern thirds of the island. The highest peak on Majorca is Puig Major (1,445 m) in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at Puig de Massanella is considered the highest accessible peak (1,364 m). The northeast coast comprises two sweeping bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. The northern coast is generally rugged and has many cliffs. The central zone extending from Palma is generally flat fertile plain known as Es Pla.

The climate is Mediterranean, with markedly higher precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana. Summers are hot in the plains and winters mild to cool, getting colder in the Tramuntana range; in this part of the island brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual.

The island is surrounded by two uninhabited small islands: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma).

Administration

The island is administratively divided into these municipalities:

Attractions

People

Famous Majorcans include writer and philosopher, Ramon Llull, and Junípero Serra, the Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California. From the 19th century, the military commander, Joaquin Jovellar y Soler, and two time Spanish Prime Minister, Antonio Maura Montaner. More recently, sportsmen from the island include top tennis players Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moyà. Rafael Nadal's uncle is the former Spanish international footballer, Miguel Ángel Nadal. In 2006, Majorca's Jorge Lorenzo won the world 250cc motor cycling title.

Many famous people have lived on the island. Frédéric Chopin and George Sand, romantically involved, rented space from a monastery for a short time. Robert Graves, after the experiences in his autobiography, Good Bye to All That, moved to Majorca and stayed for the rest of his life. Joan Miró died in Son Abrines, Palma de Majorca on December 25 1983, after spending his later years on the Island. In 1992 the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró was established in Majorca.

Of the modern celebrities, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have maintained a residence since the late 1990s on the north shore of the island, spending as much as half the year there. Also, Michael Schumacher, Claudia Schiffer, Annie Lennox, Julian Lennon, Cynthia Charles (former wife of John Lennon), tennis player Boris Becker, former Spanish leader Felipe González, former England footballer Steve McManaman, and nightclub entrepreneur Peter Stringfellow maintain residences on the island.

The members of the Spanish Royal Family traditionally spend their summer holidays in Majorca, where they have a palace.

Language

The official languages of Majorca are Catalan and Spanish. The local dialect of Catalan is known as Mallorquí by indigenous population, also sometimes referred to as Balear or Balearic, even though the dialects are different in each island and in each village. Typically, young Majorcans are bilingual in Catalan and Spanish, with some knowledge of English or German as a foreign language, especially due to the large number of tourists and foreign residents on the island.

Politics

The Balearic Islands, of which Majorca forms part, are currently governed by the Partido Popular (People's Party) under Jaume Matas. Despite some popular opposition, Matas's government is currently pursuing a development plan that, critics say, threatens to ruin Majorca's landscape and render the island environmentally unsustainable. This development plan was widely detailed in Matas's program for election in 2003, which he won with absolute majority.

There is a specific government for the island which is called Consell Insular de Mallorca (Majorca Insular Council) with competences in culture, roads and municipal administration. The insular councillors are the same which are elected for the Balearic Parliament representing the island. As of 2007, the president of the institution is Maria Antònia Munar (UM), who controls the island alone with the People's Party parliamentary support.

In 2007 win the elections Jaume Matas, but a coalition of the other partys, PSOE, UM and BLOC will govern in the Majorca Insular Council and in the Balearic Islands.

Cuisine

File:Ensaimada.jpg

Ensaïmades

In 2005, there were over 2,400 restaurants on the island of Mallorca according to the Mallorcan Tourist Board. They ranged from small bars to full scale restaurants. Despite Mallorca’s location in the Mediterranean, seafood is often imported. Olives and almonds are typical of the Mallorcan diet. The island now has over 4 million almond and olive trees. Among the food items that can be truly stated as being Mallorquin are sobrassada, arros brut a version of paella which is generally saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables and, for the sweet lover, ensaïmada.

In addition, the diversity of the population is reflected by the increasing variety of restaurants.