Menorca, Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

🇪🇸 Menorca or Minorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its largest city and capital is Mahón, situated on the island's eastern side, although Menorca is not a province and forms a political union with the other islands in the archipelago.

Ciutadella and Mahon are the main ports and largest towns. The port of Mahon is the second biggest natural port in the world.

Its highest point, called El Toro (from Catalan "turó" meaning hill), is 358 metres (1,175 feet) above sea level.

History The island is known for its collection of megalithic stone monuments: navetes, taules and talaiots, which indicate very early prehistoric human activity. Some of the earliest culture on Menorca was influenced by other Mediterranean cultures, including the Greek Minoans of ancient Crete. For example, the use of inverted plastered timber columns at Knossos is thought to have influenced early peoples of Menorca in imitating this practice.

The end of the Punic wars saw an increase in piracy in the western Mediterranean. The Roman occupation of Hispania had meant a growth of maritime trade between the Iberian and Italian peninsulas. Pirates took advantage of the strategic location of the Balearic Islands to raid Roman commerce, using both Menorca and Majorca as bases. In reaction to this, the Romans invaded Menorca. By 123 BC both islands were fully under Roman control, later being incorporated into the province of Hispania Citerior.

In 13 BC Roman emperor Augustus reorganised the provincial system and the Balearic Islands became part of the Tarraconensis imperial province. The ancient town of Mago was transformed from a Carthaginian town to a Roman town.

Culture The location of Minorca in the middle of the western Mediterranean was a staging point for the different cultures since prehistoric times. This Balearic Island has a mix of colonial and local architecture.

The festes take place throughout the summer in different towns around the island, and have their origins in the early 14th century. The international opera week and international organ festival in Mahon, and the summer music festival and Capella Davidica concerts in Ciutadella are the main events of the island.

Minorca's cuisine is dominated by the Mediterranean diet which is known to be very healthy. While many of the locals have adopted modern attitudes they still uphold certain old traditions.

Municipalities The major towns are Port Mahon and Ciutadella de Menorca. The island is administratively divided into eight municipalities (from west to east): • Ciutadella de Menorca (or just Ciutadella locally) – the ancient capital of Menorca until 1722. • Ferreries • Es Mercadal ◦ Fornells, which belongs to the municipality of Es Mercadal. Famous for its lobster stew (caldereta). • Es Migjorn Gran (or Es Mitjorn Gran) – hometown of Joan Riudavets. • Alaior ◦ Cala En Porter – a tourist and residential area • Port Mahon (officially Maó in Catalan, Mahón in Spanish) – became the capital in 1722 during British rule due to its strategic natural harbour. ◦ Llucmassanes – a small hamlet which belongs to the municipality of Maó. ◦ Sant Climent, which belongs to the municipality of Maó. • Es Castell – Founded by the British and originally named as Georgetown. • Sant Lluís – Founded by the French and originally named Saint-Louis.