Balearic Islands

Comunitat Autònoma de les
Illes Balears
Comunidad Autónoma de las Illes Balears

Capital	Palma de Mallorca
Official languages	Catalan and Castilian
Area  - total  - % of Spain	Ranked 17th 4 992 km² 1,0%
Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density	Ranked 14th 916 968 2,2% 183,69/km²
Demonym  - English  - Catalan  - Spanish	Balearic balear balear
Statute of Autonomy	March 1, 1983
ISO 3166-2	IB
Parliamentary representation  Congress seats  Senate seats	7 1
President	Jaume Matas Palou (PPIB)
Govern de les Illes Balears

The Balearic Islands (Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish) are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, forming an autonomous community of Spain. The capital of the autonomous community is Palma de Mallorca. The autonomous community consists of one province.

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.

Minor islands include Cabrera.

• List of municipalities in the Balearic Islands

Historically they have been invaded by the Romans, the Vandals, the Byzantines, the Arabs, and the Catalan-Aragonese. Minorca was a British dependency in the 18th century.

Autonomous communities of Spain
Andalusia	Aragon	Asturias	Balearic Is.	Basque Country	Canary Is
Cantabria	Castile-La Mancha	Castile-Leon	Catalonia	Extremadura	Galicia
La Rioja	Madrid	Murcia	Navarre	Valencia	Plazas de soberanía