Balearic Islands

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Comunitat Autònoma de les
Illes Balears
Comunidad Autónoma de las Illes Balears
Image:Balearen.gif
Image:Locator map of Balearic.png
Capital Palma de Mallorca
Official languages Catalan and Castilian
Area
 – Total
 – % of Spain
Ranked 17th
 4 992 km²
 1,0%
Population
 – Total (2003)
 – % of Spain
 – Density
Ranked 14th
 916 968
 2,2%
 183,69/km²
Demonym
 – English
 – Catalan
 – Spanish

Balearic
balear
balear
Statute of Autonomy March 1, 1983
ISO 3166-2 IB
Parliamentary
representation

 Congress seats
 Senate seats
 8
 5
President Jaume Matas Palou (PP)
Govern de les Illes Balears
The Catalan-speaking world
Language
Grammar
Phonology and orthography
Institut d'Estudis Catalans
Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua
History
History of Catalonia · Counts of Barcelona
Crown of Aragon · Treaty of the Pyrenees
War of the Spanish Succession
Geography
Catalan Countries
Catalonia · Valencia · Balearic Islands
Northern Catalonia · Franja de Ponent
Andorra · Alghero
Government
Generalitat de Catalunya
Generalitat Valenciana
Consell General de les Valls (Andorra)
Traditions
Castells · Correfocs
Myths and legends
Arts
Catalan literature · Antoni Gaudí · Modernisme
La Renaixença · Noucentisme
Salvador Dalí · Joan Miró
Sports
FC Barcelona · Valencia CF · RCD Mallorca
Vila-real CF · RCD Espanyol · Llevant UD
USA Perpinyà
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The Balearic Islands (Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish) are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of Spain. They form one of the Autonomous Communities of Spain, the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. The Community's capital city is Palma de Mallorca. Its only province is Palma de Mallorca Province.

The official languages are Catalan and Spanish.

The Balearic Islands are one of the catalan-speaking teritories designed by the cultural term of Catalan Countries.

The main islands are Majorca (Mallorca), Minorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa), and Formentera, all popular tourist destinations.

Among the minor islands is Cabrera, which is the location of the Parque Nacional del Archipiélago de Cabrera.

Majorca and Minorca are the Balearic Islands proper, while the other islands are included in the appelation as part of the Autonomous Community. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Minorca, and Cabrera as the Illes Gimnesias, and Ibiza and Formentera as the Illes Pitiüses.

In ancient times, the islanders were famous for their skill with the sling. Historically they have been invaded by the Romans, the Vandals, the Byzantines, the Arabs, and the Catalan-Aragonese. The Catalan-Aragonese initially ruled the Balearics as the vassal Kingdom of Mallorca, and in 1344 incorporated it directly into the Aragonese kingdom, which was later absorbed into Spain.

Minorca was a British dependency in the 18th century.

Illes Balears sponsors a professional cycling team in the UCI ProTour.

Catalan-Aragones Kingdom on the VIII century
Enlarge
Catalan-Aragones Kingdom on the VIII century
Map of the Balearic Islands
Enlarge
Map of the Balearic Islands

See also

Commons
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Andalusia | Aragon | Asturias | Balearic Islands | Basque Country | Canary Islands | Cantabria | Castile–La Mancha | Castile–Leon | Catalonia | Extremadura | Galicia | Madrid | Murcia | Navarre | La Rioja | Valencia | Ceuta | Melilla | Plazas de soberanía
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