Mallorca

Mallorca (Catalan) or Majorca (Spanish) is the biggest island in Spain. The name is derived from Latin insula maior, meaning "larger island". Mallorca is a part of the Balearic Island archipelago; and is located in the Mediterranean Sea. Palma is the capital of the island and is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Governmentally grouped with Mallorca (in the municipality of Palma) is the Cabrera archipelago. Mallorca is a famous tourist destination; similar to the other Balearic Islands of Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. Package tourism begun in May 1952, in United Kingdom and Germany, Mallorca has remained a famous spot. It has also turned into a synonym for mass tourism. Mallorca prides its citizenry with La Balanguera, their national anthem.

Early history of Mallorca

During the ancient times, Mallorca was colonized. In 123 BC under Quintus Caecilius Metallus, Mallorca was inhabited by the Romans. Traces of occupancy and burial chambers have been discovered from the Paleolithic period (6000-4000 BC). During the period which the towns of Palmaria (Palma) and Pollentia (Alcúdia) were founded, Mallorca flourished under the Roman rule. The local financial system was mostly motivated by salt mining, viniculture, and olive farming.

Geography of Mallorca

Mallorca has two mountainous regions bearing about 70 km each in length. These occupy the eastern thirds, and the north-western (Serra de Tramuntana or Tramuntana range) of the island. In the Serra de Tramuntana is where the highest point in Mallorca is located, named Puig Major (1,445 m). The nearby peak at Puig de Massanella is considered the highest reachable peak (1,364 m) as this is a military zone. The northeast coast of Mallorca comprises two wide bays: the Badia de Pollenca and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. The northern coast of Mallorca is normally rugged and has many cliffs. In the central zone of Mallorca extending from Palma is usually flat productive land known as Es Pla.

With cold and gentle rainy winters, and warm sunny summers, the climate here in Mallorca is a Mediterranean Climate. Markedly higher rainfall in the Serra de Tramuntana, getting colder in the Tramuntana range; in this area of Mallorca short episodes of snow throughout the winter are not typical.

Renowned writer and philosopher Junípero Serra and Ramon Llull, the Franciscan friar who founded the operation chain in Alta California are all from the state of Mallorca. The main languages of Mallorca are Spanish and Catalan. Although the dialects are not the same in every island and in major villages, the local language of Catalan is Mallorquín. Usually, young people in Mallorca are bilingual in Spanish and Catalan, with little knowledge of English or German as a foreign dialect, particularly due to the huge number of tourists and overseas inhabitants on the island.

Mallorca (3640 square kilometer) is recognized as an easy-to-reach mecca for friends of sun-drenched beaches, with a shoreline of more than 550 km. During the peak of summer time in each year, Mallorca is flooded by millions of tourists from all over Europe. This is equally a blessing and a nuisance for the residents of Mallorca, however they are well set for the season and offer a very well-organized tourist infrastructure.