Minorca

The island was conquered by Alfonso III of Aragon on January 17, 1287, Minorca's national day. It was for some 70 years a British dependency in the 18th century.

Spanish forces defeated British forces and captured the island on February 5, 1782.

Famous megalithic stone monuments: navetes and talaiots.

See also: sobrassada[?] (typical sausage with paprika), gin (strong liquor, a vestige of the British period), Maó cheese[?] (original cheese of the island).

The major towns are Ciutadella[?] and Mahon. The island is administratively divided into these municipalities:

• Alaior[?]
• Es Castell[?] (Spanish Villacarlos)
• Ciutadella de Menorca[?] (Spanish Ciudadela), previously the capital of Minorca
• Ferreries[?]
• Maó, the capital of Minorca and the city from which mayonnaise gets its name (English Mahon, Spanish Mahón), became the capital because of its deep-water harbour
• Es Mercadal[?]
• Es Migjorn Gran[?] or Es Mitjorn Gran (Spanish Sant Cristóbal but now little used)
• Sant Lluís[?]