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Balearic Islands
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Balearic Islands
Balearic Islandsbălēăr'ĭk, Span. Balearesbälāä'rās, archipelago, off Spain, in the W Mediterranean, forming Baleares prov. (1990 pop. 767,918) of Spain; also an autonomous region since 1983. Palma is the capital. The chief islands are Majorca, Minorca, and Ibiza. Noted for their scenery and their mild climate, the Balearics are a major tourist destination. After tourism, agriculture and fishing are the chief economic activities; fruit, wine, olive oil, majolica ware, and silver filigree are exported. Both Catalan and Castilian Spanish are spoken. Inhabited since prehistoric times—there are numerous Cyclopean remains—the islands were occupied by Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Byzantines. The Moors, who first came in the 8th cent., established (11th cent.) an independent kingdom, which became the seat of powerful pirates, harassing Mediterranean coastal cities and trade. James I of Aragón conquered (1229–35) the islands. They were included (1276–1343) in the independent kingdom of Majorca and reverted to the Aragonese crown under Peter IV. At the outbreak of the Spanish civil war (1936), Majorca and Ibiza were seized by Insurgent forces—Majorca becoming a base of the Italian fleet—while Minorca remained in the hands of the Loyalists until 1939.

The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

Wikipedia search results for: Balearic Islands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The four largest islands are : Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain, of which the capital city is Palma. The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Spanish and Catalan. The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera, all of which are popular tourist destinations. Among the minor islands is Cabrera, which is the location of the Parc Nacional de l'Arxipèlag de Cabrera. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca,...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Balearic Islands
Results 1 - 10  of 14
  • Palma

    Palma or Palma de Mallorca, city (1990 pop. 325,120), capital of Majorca island and of Baleares prov., Spain, on the Bay of Palma. It is the chief port and commercial center of the Balearic Is...

  • Ibiza

    Ibiza, island (1990 pop. 33,776), 221 sq mi (572 sq km), Baleares prov., Spain, third largest of the Balearic Islands, in the W Mediterranean. The town of Ibiza is the capital. There are fishe...

  • Catalan language

    Catalan language, member of the Romance group of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. It is spoken by about 8 million people in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Isla...

  • Minorca

    Minorca, Span. Menorca, Spanish island (1991 pop. 65,109), 271 sq mi (702 km), Baleares prov., in the W Mediterranean Sea, the second largest of the Balearic Islands. Port Mahón is the chief c...

  • Majorca

    Majorca, Span. Mallorca, island (1991 pop. 602,074), 1,405 sq mi (3,639 sq km), Spain, largest of the Balearic Islands, in the W Mediterranean. Palma is the chief city. Majorca is mountainous ...

  • Ibizan hound

    Ibizan hound, also called Ibizan Podenco, breed of tall, swift dog of ancient origin now found chiefly in the Balearic Islands and other areas of Spain. It stands from 22 to 28 in. (55.8–71.1 ...

  • Mahón

    Mahón, Catalan Maó, town (1990 pop. 24,383), capital and chief town of Minorca island, Baleares prov., Spain, in the W Mediterranean Sea. A port with an excellent natural harbor defended by tw...

  • Spain

    Spain, Span. España, officially Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 40,341,000), 194,884 sq mi (504,750 sq km), including the Balearic and Canary islands, SW Europe. It c...

  • Gaiseric

    Gaiseric or Genseric, c.390–477, king of the Vandals and Alani (428–77), one of the ablest of the barbarian invaders of the Roman Empire. He led (429) his people from Spain into Africa, possib...

  • James I, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona

    James I (James the Conqueror), 1208–76, king of Aragón and count of Barcelona (1213–76), son and successor of Peter II. After a minority was disturbed by private wars among the nobles, James s...

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