Mallorcan

Majorca

Native name: Mallorca
Flag of Majorca
Majorca Location in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands
Geography
Location	Mediterranean
Coordinates	Coordinates: 39°37′N 2°59′E / 39.617°N 2.983°E / 39.617; 2.983
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
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 (/məˈjɔːrkə/), also spelt Mallorca, as in Catalan ([məˈʎɔrkə]) and Spanish ([maˈʎorka]), is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, 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 Menorca, 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 26.3 million passengers in 2016.

The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica, "the larger one" in comparison to Menorca, "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: