Mallorca Facts

Mallorca is a Spanish island in the western Mediterranean, which belongs to the autonomous archipelago of the Balearic Islands. The island is part of the European Union and its official currency is the euro. Further facts about the geography, the climate, the population and the tourism in Mallorca have been compiled below.

Geography

With an area of 3,603 km², Mallorca is the largest island in the Balearic Islands if we exclude the offshore islands of the Cabrera Island on the south coast of Mallorca islands and the island of Sa Dragonera on the southwest coast of Mallorca. It has a coastline of about 550 km and is located about 170 km from the Spanish mainland. 180 Bays in Mallorca are spread fairly evenly along the coast of the island. In the northwest, the Serra de Tramuntana in the north of Mallorca mountain range extends for about 90 km. The mountains boat an impressive 11 peaks of over 1,000 m. The highest mountain is called Puig Major and is 1,445 m high. Administratively, the uninhabited island of Sa Dragonera off the west coast and the Cabrera Islands off the South coast Mallorca also belong to Mallorca.

Climate

The Weather in Mallorca is subtropical with warm to hot summers and mild winters. The sun shines on average 7.9 hours a day. In the summer months of July and August, daytime temperatures on the coast regularly rise above the 30 degree mark. Inland Mallorca temperatures of up to 40 °C are not unrealistic. October is the wettest month according to the long-term statistical averages. Up to 68 mm of rain may fall in this month. With just 7mm, July is the wettest month in Mallorca. The water temperature of the Mediterranean reaches up to 25 °C in the summer. In winter, the water temperature does not fall below 14 °C. With almost 11 hours of sunshine, July is the sunniest month of the year.

Population

The last census in Mallorca was in 2012. At that time a good 876,000 inhabitants lived on the island - 400,000 of whom live in the island's capital, Palma de Mallorca, making up almost 50% of the island's population. In terms of population, the municipality of Calvià is the second largest municipality on the island, followed by Manacor. Overall, the island is divided into 53 municipalities. The official language in Mallorca is the Mallorcan variant of Catalan. Castillian Spanish is the second official language. Mallorcans are seen as descendants of Catalans and the island's flag pays tribute to this. About 21% of the permanent population are foreign nationals, with Germans making up the largest immigrant group with a share of 3.5 percent.

Tourism

Tourism accounts for 75% of the island's total economic output. While in 1960 around 360,000 visitors visited the island by 2016 this had risen to about 14 million while the number of registered hotel beds in Mallorca is around 290,000. Most of the tourists come from Germany or the UK (23% and 22% respectively). Growing mass tourism and the associated increase in demand for water have repeatedly led to water shortages in the past.