Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands – of which Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera are
popular tourist destinations – have formed an autonomous community since 1983.
There are also a number of smaller islands, including particularly Cabrera,
which is a National Park. Palma De Mallorca is the administrative, judicial and
ecclesiastical centre of the community, as well as being by far the largest
city.
The Balearic Islands have long been amongst the most popular tourist
destinations for British and other Northern Europeans but they have largely
managed to maintain their individual identities and, during recent years, have
attracted visitors who had previously ignored the islands because of their ‘sun,
sand and sangria’ reputation.
Geography of the Balearic Islands
Although this archipelago between 50 and 200 miles away from the Spanish
mainland is always categorised as ‘The Balearic Islands’, there are, in fact,
two separate groups. The Balearics ‘proper’ consists of the eastern, largest
islands of Majorca and Menorca, along with Cabrera. These islands are often
referred to as the Gymnesian Islands, from the Greek word for naked – the
explanations for which are numerous. The westerly islands, including Ibiza and
Formentera, are known as the Pitiusas, or the Pine Islands. Geologically, the
islands can be seen as an extension of the sub-Baetic mountains of Spain, being
linked by a sill near Cape Nao, which is at the southern tip of the Bay of
Valencia. On the whole, the islands have undulating hills, plateaux and lowlands
although there are extended plains in Menorca. Map of the Balearic Islands
History of the Balearic Islands
Anyone driving from the airport in Menorca to the resorts in the west of the
island will not fail to see evidence that the island has been inhabited since
prehistoric times. Approaching Ciutadela one passes the Naveta des Tudoms, the
biggest and best preserved of the monumental stone constructions that have led
to the island being referred to as an ‘open air prehistoric museum’. However,
the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Carthagineans, Byzanthinians and Moors all left
their marks in the Balearics. From 1229, Jaime I began the Christian reconquest
and Mallorca and Menorca soon became part of the kingdom of Aragón.
As part of
the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, however, Menorca was handed over to the British,
as can be witnessed by much of the architecture in Mahón. It was returned to
Spain in 1802, by the Treaty of Amiens. During the times of the great seafaring
‘pirates’, the smaller islands were often used as bases, even resulting, at one
stage, in the entire population of Formentera abandoning the island because of
Barbary pirates there. The Balearic Islands were established as a Spanish
Province in 1833 and, although there was a nationalist movement at the end of
the 19th Century, it never emerged as a powerful force. At the beginning of the
Spanish Civil war, both Majorca and Ibiza were taken by Franco’s forces –
Mallorca becoming the base for the Italian fleet during the conflict. Menorca,
however, remained a Republican stronghold right up to 1939.
Language of the Balearic Islands
Catalan and Castilian Spanish are both recognised as co-official languages in
the islands and it has been estimated that over 700,000 of the population can
speak Catalan fluently and many more understand it. The local Catalan dialects
are known as Mallorquí, Menorquí and Eivessenc and there are significant
differences between them and the Catalan spoken on the mainland. Many
inhabitants are bilingual in Catalan and Spanish and many, the young especially,
can be expected to speak either German or English because of the tourist influx
of the past forty years.
Economy of the Balearic Islands
Obviously tourism dominates the economy of the Balearics, with over 4 million
visitors every year. Although there are many visitors during the autumn and
winter, much of the employment arising from tourism is still seasonal, leading
to greater unemployment at ‘off peak’ times. Citrus fruits, grapes, olives,
figs, almonds, wheat are the main products grown and pigs, cattle and sheep are
also farmed. The leading exports are majolica ware pottery, leather goods –
especially shoes, silver filigree and the famous Mallorcan pearls. There is a
small industry producing fine lace and embroidery for tourists. Map of the Balearic Islands
Climate of the Balearic Islands
The climate of the Balearic Islands is typically Mediterranean, with many
sunny days throughout the year. Winters are mild and usually dry, with most of
the rainfall during the autumn and winter. Annual precipitation, though, is
usually around 450 mm to 600 mm each year. Summer temperatures are not as
oppressive as on parts of the mainland because of the prevalent sea breezes,
with a maximum in August of around 28° (82°). In January, the visitor can expect
maximum daily temperatures of around 13°, with a minimum of 4° occasionally –
but still, on average, about 5 hours of sunshine per day.
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