Majorca

Majorca (Mallorca in Catalan and Spanish (sometimes also encountered in English), from Latin insula maior, later Maiorica "major island") is one of the Balearic Islands (Catalan: Illes Balears, Spanish: Islas Baleares), which are located in the Mediterranean Sea and are a part of Spain. Like the other Balearic Islands Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa), Formentera and Minorca (Catalan and Spanish: Menorca), the island is a popular tourist destination. In Germany, it has become a synonym for mass tourism and also for birdwatchers.

Majorca
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Majorcaflag.gif
The flag of Majorca
Official languages Catalan and Spanish
Capital Palma de Mallorca
Largest city Palma de Mallorca
Population (2004) 767,253
Currency Euro (€)
Time zone
 - in summer 		CET (UTC+1)
CEST (UTC+2)
National anthem La Balanguera
Internet TLD .es
Calling code 34
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The capital of the island is Palma de Mallorca, which 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).

Typical dishes of Majorca are ensaïmada, a pastry made with pork lard (saïm) and sobrassada, sausage with lard and paprika.

Contents
1 History
2 Language
3 Politics
4 External links

History

The island was conquered by James I of Aragon in 1229; prior to that, it was under Moorish or Arab domination.

Language

The local language is Catalan, with a great deal of dialectal variety when compared to the Catalan of other areas (Catalonia, Valencia) or even the other Balearic islands. There is also a relatively large amount of variation between Majorcan localities. In view of the diversity, the local language is often termed "Majorcan" (mallorquí) or Balearic (balear) rather than the general term Catalan (català).

Despite numerous differences between Majorcan and Central Catalan, islanders generally agree that they are varieties of the same language, whereas Valencians very often deny that their language is Catalan, and the matter is often hotly disputed.

Spanish also has the status of an official language, and many Spanish speakers moved from other parts of Spain to the island in the twentieth century. Young Majorcans are typically bilingual in Catalan and Spanish, with some knowledge of English or German as a foreign language, especially due to the large number of tourists on the island.

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Mallorca.jpg
Satellite image

Politics

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Mapa_camarques2.jpg
Map of the municipalities of Majorca

The island is administratively divided in these municipalities:

External links

See also: Majorca, .es, 1229, Autonomous communities in Spain, Balearic Islands, Birdwatching, Cabrera, Capital