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, the location of the Parque Nacional del Archipiélago de Cabrera.

Strictly speaking, Majorca and Minorca are the Balearic Islands proper, with Ibiza and Formentera being the Illes Pitiüses; but both groups are usually referred to as the Balearic Islands.

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, later incorporating it directly into the Aragonese kingdom in 1344; that kingdom was later absorbed into Spain.

Minorca was a British dependency in the 18th century.

See also

• List of municipalities in the Balearic Islands