Menorca
Monte Toro | |
Administration | |
---|---|
Spain | |
Autonomous Community | Balearic Islands |
Province | Balearic Islands |
Capital and largest city | Mahón (pop. 30,006) |
Government | Island Council of Menorca |
President | Adolfo Vilafranca (PP) |
Demographics | |
Demonym | Menorcan |
Population | 99,005 (1 January 2023) |
Pop. density | 142.3/km2 (368.6/sq mi) |
Menorca
Menorca had a population of 96,733 at the Census of 1 January 2021, which rose to an official estimated total of 99,005 at 1 January 2023.
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
The island is known for its collection of
The end of the
In 13 BC, Roman emperor
Jews of Menorca
The island had a Jewish population.
When Menorca became a British possession in 1713, they actively encouraged the immigration of foreign non-Catholics, which included Jews who were not accepted by the predominantly Christian inhabitants. When the Jewish community in Mahon requested the use of a room as a synagogue, their request was refused, and they were denounced by the clergy. In 1781, when
Middle Ages
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
The
Manûrqa (
In 1231, after Christian forces took Mallorca, Menorca chose to become an independent Islamic state, albeit one tributary to King
A
After the Christian conquest of 1287, the island was part of the
During the 16th century, Turkish naval attacks destroyed Mahon, and the then capital, Ciutadella. In Mahon, Barbary pirates from North Africa took considerable booty and as many as 6,000 slaves.[8] Various Spanish kings, including Philip III and Philip IV, styled themselves "King of Minorca" as a subsidiary title.
18th-19th centuries
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
In 1756, during the
As with the rest of the Balearic Islands, Menorca was not occupied by the French during the Peninsular War, as it was successfully protected by the Royal Navy, this time allied to Spain.
A quarantine station (lazaretto), Llatzaret (Catalan), was constructed from 1793 to 1807 next to the entrance to the Port Mahon. It served ships from North Africa wishing to reach the Iberian Peninsula or the ports of the Balearic Islands. Lazarettos confined the crews of ships that were suspected of carrying infectious diseases such as the plague. The crew needed to spend up to 40 days within its walls until it was clear there was no infection or until the sick recovered. It is now a national monument and can only be reached as part of an official tour. [9]
From 1815 until the mid-century, the U.S. Navy developed its Mediterranean headquarters at Port Mahon,
Since 1900
During the
In October 1993, Menorca was designated by
Climate
As the major part of Balearic Islands, Menorca has a
Climate data for Mahón – Minorca Airport 91m (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1965–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) |
21.6 (70.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.7 (81.9) |
30.7 (87.3) |
34.4 (93.9) |
39.6 (103.3) |
39.0 (102.2) |
34.5 (94.1) |
31.3 (88.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
21.6 (70.9) |
39.6 (103.3) |
Mean maximum °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.6 (69.1) |
22.5 (72.5) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.2 (88.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.2 (91.8) |
29.7 (85.5) |
26.4 (79.5) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
34.0 (93.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.1 (57.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.6 (70.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.9 (84.0) |
29.2 (84.6) |
26.2 (79.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.8 (71.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.4 (77.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
19.4 (66.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
17.2 (63.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
21.5 (70.7) |
18.9 (66.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
9.0 (48.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
Mean minimum °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) |
3.2 (37.8) |
4.6 (40.3) |
6.6 (43.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
4.5 (40.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
1.6 (34.9) |
6.4 (43.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
13.6 (56.5) |
13.6 (56.5) |
9.4 (48.9) |
5.2 (41.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52 (2.0) |
54 (2.1) |
38 (1.5) |
45 (1.8) |
37 (1.5) |
14 (0.6) |
3 (0.1) |
20 (0.8) |
61 (2.4) |
78 (3.1) |
88 (3.5) |
61 (2.4) |
546 (21.5) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 64 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 144 | 146 | 202 | 222 | 270 | 311 | 347 | 312 | 225 | 183 | 142 | 130 | 2,632 |
Source 1: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[11]
| |||||||||||||
Source 2: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[12]
|
Climate data for Menorca | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average sea temperature °C (°F) | 14.6 (58) |
13.8 (57) |
14.1 (57) |
15.7 (60) |
18.7 (66) |
22.2 (72) |
24.4 (76) |
25.8 (78) |
25.1 (77) |
22.9 (73) |
20.4 (69) |
17.1 (63) |
19.4 (67) |
Average Ultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5.3 |
Source #1: seatemperature.org[13] | |||||||||||||
Source #2: Weather Atlas[14] |
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.[15] 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.[citation needed] While many of the locals have adopted modern attitudes they still uphold certain old traditions.[16]
Traditional celebrations
Minorca is especially well known for its traditional summer "festes", which intrigue many visitors. The Saint John's Feast is held annually in Ciutadella de Menorca, during 23–25 June. The festes last for three days. On the first day, a man bears a well-groomed sheep upon his shoulders and parades around the local streets. In the late evening, main streets are closed, and bonfires held upon them.
On the second day, locally bred black horses are dressed with ribbons and rosettes. The riders, or "caixers", ride the horses through the streets and, along with a tumultuous crowd of people, encourage them to rear up on their hind legs. The brave can be found running underneath them in an attempt to touch the horses hearts for good luck. [citation needed]
The third day sees intense competition between the riders in a harmless form of jousting that involves spearing a suspended ring with a lance at considerable speed. The festes are brought to a close with a firework display.
Sports
As a small island, Menorca offers limited opportunities to see top-level sport competitions in. Football in Menorca is played at the fifth level of the Spanish football pyramid. There are currently 11 clubs contesting the Regional Preferente de Menorca, the champion of which progresses to the Tercera División Grupo XI playoffs. The winner of this playoff is promoted to Tercera División; the last Menorquí club to do so was CF Sporting Mahonés in 2009.
CV Ciutadella are a professional women's volleyball club who play in the Superliga Femenina, the top league of Spanish volleyball, having won the league championship in 2011 and 2012. They play at Pavelló Municipal d'Esports in Ciutadella.
A semi-pro basketball club, CB Menorca, play in the LEB Plata, the third level of Spanish basketball. Their home court is Pavelló Menorca in the Bintaufa neighborhood just outside of Maó.
In recent years, some sport events that gather hundreds of participants are successfully held on a yearly basis, such as the triathlon race Extreme Man Menorca or the single-staged ultramarathon race Trail Menorca Camí de Cavalls. In 2014, it was announced that the island would host the 18th editions of the Island Games in 2019, however, Menorca later pulled out of hosting the event, citing a change of government as the main reason.[17]
Language
The two official languages are Catalan and Spanish.[18] Natives to the island speak the variety of Catalan called Menorquí, and Spanish as well; many residents originating from the mainland are monolingual in Spanish. The language of education and of government is Catalan, with Spanish taught alongside it.
A 2014 survey carried out by the Government of the Balearic Islands found that 53.5% of participants identified themselves as Catalan speakers, 36.7% as Spanish speakers, and 7.7% as bilingual speakers.[19]
The Catalan spoken in Menorca is a variety known as Menorquí. Between Menorquí and standard Catalan, as with most
Menorquí also has a few English
Food and drink
Wine production has been known on the island since ancient times, but it went into a heavy decline over the last century. Now, several new, small wineries have started up, producing wines locally.[21]
Lingering British influence is seen in the Menorcans' taste for gin, which during local festes honoring towns' patron saints is mixed with lemonade (or bitter lemon) to make a golden liquid known as Pomada. Gin from Menorca is not derived from grain alcohol but from wine alcohol (eau de vie de vin), making it more akin to brandy. It has the distinction to have geographical identity protection. Probably the best known gin is Gin Xoriguer which is named after the typical Menorcan windmill which was used to make the first gin. One of the reasons it is also known as Gin de Minorca or Gin de Mahón.
Also famous is Mahón cheese, "formatge de Maó", a cheese typical of the island.
One origin story of
Sweets known as
Wildlife
Flowers
Menorca is rich in wild flowers with over 900 species of flowering plants recorded. Many are those typical of the Mediterranean, but some are endemic. There are 24 or 25 species of orchid found and of these most flower early in the year in late March, April and May.
Insects
30 species of butterflies have been recorded on Menorca and most are on the wing from March to late September. The species that occur include the Cleopatra, Lang's short tailed blue and the two-tailed pasha.
Despite not having many large wetlands dragonflies abound on Menorca. Seventeen species have been recorded including the
Reptiles and amphibians
There are three species of amphibia:
Birds
The birdlife of Menorca is very well known. Menorca is a well watched island which is on the migration route of many species and good number of passage migrants can be seen in spring.
Mammals
Menorca has no large native mammals. There are some small mammals including rabbits, bats, rats, mice,
Municipalities
The major towns are
- 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).
- 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.
The areas and populations of the municipalities (according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Spain) are:
Municipality | Area (km2) |
Census Population 1 November 2001 |
Census Population 1 November 2011 |
Census Population 1 January 2021 |
Estimated Population 1 January 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ciutadella de Menorca | 186.3 | 23,103 | 29,510 | 30,766 | 31,669 |
Ferreries | 66.1 | 4,048 | 4,667 | 4,903 | 5,056 |
Es Mercadal | 138.3 | 3,089 | 5,292 | 5,474 | 5,927 |
Es Migjorn Gran | 31.4 | 1,167 | 1,520 | 1,512 | 1,558 |
Alaior | 109.9 | 7,108 | 9,450 | 9,686 | 9,879 |
Port Mahon (Maó)
|
117.2 | 23,315 | 28,789 | 29,648 | 30,006 |
Es Castell | 11.7 | 6,424 | 7,895 | 7,688 | 7,763 |
Sant Lluís | 34.8 | 3,270 | 7,275 | 7,056 | 7,147 |
Totals | 695.7 | 71,524 | 94,398 | 96,733 | 99,005 |
Politics and government
Insular government
Results of the elections to the Island Council of Menorca
Elections are held every four years concurrently with local elections. From 1983 to 2007, councilors were indirectly elected from the results of the election to Parliament of the Balearic Islands for the constituency of Menorca. Since 2007, however, separate direct elections are held to elect the Council.
Island Councilors of the Island Council of Menorca since 1978 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Election | Distribution | President | ||||||
1979[24] |
|
Francesc Tutzó Bennàsar (UCD) | ||||||
1983 |
|
Tirso Pons (PSIB–PSOE) | ||||||
1987 |
| |||||||
1991 |
|
Albert Moragues (PSIB–PSOE) (1991) | ||||||
Joan Huguet (PP) (1991-1995) | ||||||||
1995 |
|
Joan Huguet (PP) (1995) | ||||||
Cristòfol Triay (PP) (1995-1999) | ||||||||
1999 |
|
Joana Barceló (PSIB–PSOE) | ||||||
2003 |
| |||||||
2007 |
|
Joana Barceló (PSIB–PSOE) (2007-2008) | ||||||
Marc Pons (PSIB–PSOE) (2008-2011) | ||||||||
2011 |
|
Santiago Tadeo (PP) | ||||||
2015 |
|
Maite Salord (MpM) (2015-2017) | ||||||
Susana Mora (PSIB–PSOE) (2017-2019) | ||||||||
2019 |
|
Susana Mora (PSIB–PSOE) | ||||||
2023 |
|
Adolfo Vilafranca (PP) |
Transport
Gallery
-
Taula from the site of Talatí de Dalt about 4 km (2 mi) west of Maó.
-
Cales Coves of Menorca. Note the hand-hewn entrances to the caves.
-
Menorcan countryside
-
Cala Trebalúger
-
Martello tower, Alcaufar with Illa de l'aire lighthouse in the distance.
-
Cala Galdana
-
Arenal d'en Castell
See also
- Gymnesian Islands
- Illa de l'Aire
- List of butterflies of Menorca
- List of dragonflies of Menorca
- Menorca Airport
- Menorca Sun
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Menorca
Notes
- ^ Local pronunciation:
- Balearic Catalan: [məˈnɔɾkə]
- Spanish: [meˈnoɾka]
- ^ English pronunciation: /mɪˈnɔːrkə/, min-OR-kə
References
- ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid, 2023.
- ^ C. Michael Hogan (2007) Knossos fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian
- ^ Henry Christmas, The Shores and Islands of the Mediterranean, Published 1851, R. Bentley
- ^ a b Elukin, Jonathan M. (2007). Living Together, Living Apart: Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Ancient to the Modern World. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
- ISBN 978-0-19-826764-5.
- ISBN 0-8386-3389-7.
- JSTOR 40350668.
- ISBN 90-04-09790-2.
- ^ https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llatzeret_(Maó)
- ^ Dickon, Chris (2011). The Foreign Burial of American War Dead. McFarland. ISBN 9780786446124, pp. 20-23
- ^ "Valores Climatológicos Normales. Minorca / Aeropuerto". November 2015.
- ^ "Valores Climatológicos Extremos. Minorca / Aeropuerto". December 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "Menorca Sea Temperature". seatemperature.org. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- ^ "Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- ^ Fiestas Mean Summertime in Menorca
- ^ "Minorca Geography – Information, climate and weather in Minorca". minorca.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ "Island Games: Menorca pull out of hosting 2019 event". BBC Sport. 6 July 2015.
- ^ Article 4, Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands, 2007: "The Catalan language, typical of the Balearic Islands, will have official consideration, together with Spanish."
- ^ Diario de Ibiza: Las Pitiusas son las islas de Balears en las que menos se conoce y se usa el catalán (In Spanish)
- ^ "Menorquin English words". Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-983-77187-6
- ISBN 9780805033892.
- ^ "Migrant Birds of Menorca". 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ https://ibdigital.uib.es/greenstone/sites/localsite/collect/mayurqa/index/assoc/Mayurqa_/2021v03p/107.dir/Mayurqa_2021v03p107.pdf
Further reading
- Burns, Robert I., (1990) "Muslims in the Thirteenth Century Realms of Aragon: Interaction and Reaction", p. 67, In: Powell, J.M. (ed.) Muslims under Latin Rule, 1100–1300, p. 57–102, Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-05586-6.
- Fernandez-Arnesto, F. Before Columbus: Exploration and Colonisation from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic 1229–1492; Mac Millan, 1987. p. 36.* Hearl, G., (1996). A Birdwatchers guide to Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Arlequin Press. pp56. ISBN 1-900159-20-1
- Ginzburg, Carlo. "The Conversion of the Jews of Minorca (A.D. 417–418)," in Idem, Threads and Traces: True False Fictive (Berkeley, University of California Press, 2011)
- Laurie, John Bruce (1994) The Life of Richard Kane, Britain's First Lieutenant-Governor of Menorca ISBN 84-606-3275-X
- Moll Mercadal, B. Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd ibn Hakam, Ra'îs de Manûrqa (631/1234-680/1289) Publicacions des Born nº5. 1999
- Pons, G., (2000). Les papallones diurnes de les balears., pp87. Edicions Documenta Balear, Palma de Mallorca.
- Taylor, David Wilson (1975). Minorca. ISBN 0 8117 1032 7 (United States) First full account of Minorca in English since John Armstrong's memoirs of 1740. Minorca: The White and Blue Island
External links
- UNESCO's Minorca Biosphere Reserve
- Talayotic Menorca UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture
- Manûrqa's society at the Ecomuseum Cap de Cavalleria of Menorca