Native name: Mallorca | |
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Flag of Majorca
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Geography | |
Location | Mediterranean |
Coordinates | Coordinates: 39°37′N 2°59′E / 39.617°N 2.983°E |
Archipelago | Balearic Islands |
Total islands | 5 |
Major islands | Balearic Islands |
Area | 3,640.11 km2 (1,405.45 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,445 m (4,741 ft) |
Highest point | Puig Major |
Administration | |
Spain
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Province | Balearic Islands |
Capital and largest city | Palma (pop. 404,681) |
Demographics | |
Population | 859,289 (2015) |
Pop. density | 240.45 /km2 (622.76 /sq mi) |
Majorca or Mallorca (English pronunciation: /məˈjɔːrkə/;Catalan: Mallorca [məˈʎɔrkə], Spanish: Mallorca [maˈʎorka]) is the largest island in the Balearic Islands archipelago, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca (in the municipality of Palma). The anthem of Majorca is La Balanguera.
Like the other Balearic Islands of Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom. The international airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport, is one of the busiest in Spain; it was used by 23.1 million passengers in 2014.
The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica, "the larger one" in comparison to Minorca, "the smaller one".
Little is recorded of the earliest inhabitants of the island. Burial chambers and traces of habitation from the Neolithic period (6000–4000 BC) have been discovered, particularly the prehistoric settlements called talaiots, or talayots. They raised Bronze Age megaliths as part of their Talaiotic Culture. A non-exhaustive list is the following: