The Balearic Islands (Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish) are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of of Spain. They form one of the provinces of Spain, the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. The province's capital city is Palma de Mallorca.
The official languages are Catalan and Spanish. The Catalan name Illes Balears is used by the Spanish government.
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 province. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Minorca, and Cabrera as the Illes Gimnesias , and Ibiza and Formentera as the Illes Pitiüses.
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.
See also
Map of the Balearic Islands
