Mahon Maó (Catalan) Mahón (Spanish)
—  Municipality  —
Maó (official)
Port of Mahon
Flag
Mahon Location in Spain
Coordinates: 39°52′N 4°18′E / 39.867°N 4.3°E / 39.867; 4.3Coordinates: 39°52′N 4°18′E / 39.867°N 4.3°E / 39.867; 4.3
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Balearic Islands
Province	Balearic Islands
Judicial district	Mahon
Government
• Mayor	Vicenç Tur i Martí (PSOE)
Area
• Total	117.20 km2 (45.25 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	29,125
• Density	250/km2 (640/sq mi)
Demonym	maonès, maonesa (ca) mahonés, mahonesa (es)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	07700-07714
Website	Official website

Mahon (Catalan: Maó [məˈo], Spanish: Mahón [maˈon]), conventionally known as Port Mahon in English, is a municipality and the capital of Minorca, located in the eastern part of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, Spain. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbour in the world: 5 km long and up to 900 metres wide. The water is deep but it remains mostly clear due to it being slightly enclosed.

Its population in 2009 was estimated to be 29,495 inhabitants.^[1]

History[link]

The name's origin is attributed to the Carthaginian general Mago Barca, brother to Hannibal, who is thought to have taken refuge there in 205 BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was part of the Byzantine Empire; it suffered raids from Viking and Arabs, until the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba conquered it in 903.

Mahon was captured in 1287 from the Moors by Alfonso III of Aragon and incorporated into the Kingdom of Majorca, a vassal kingdom of the Kingdom of Aragon. Its harbour, one of the most strategically important in the western Mediterranean, was re-fortified.

In 1535, the Ottomans under Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked Mahon and took 6,000 captives as slaves back to Algiers, in the Sack of Mahon.

British rule[link]

Minorca was captured by the British during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1708, and its status as a British possession was confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. During the island's years as a British dependency in the 18th century, Mahon served as its capital and residence for the governor, the most famous being General Richard Kane.

The island changed hands several times during the eighteenth century, with France and Spain both capturing it. In 1783 the Peace of Paris returned the town to control of the Spanish but it was occupied for a final time by the British during the Capture of Minorca in 1798 before being returned to Spain for good in 1802.

Modern era[link]

Historic centre of Mahon.

Today it serves as the seat of the Island Council of Minorca (Consell Insular de Menorca).

Towards the end of the 20th century, the renovation of its historic centre was made possible by income from tourism.

A traditional cheese made on the island (formatge de Maó) is named after the city. Some believe that the origin and name of mayonnaise are found in this Minorcan city.^[2] In Spanish mahón is also the name of nankeen, especially the blue cloth.

Spelling controversy[link]

There is some debate over what the correct spelling of the city's name in English should be; due to the general tendency in English to ignore accent marks in foreign words, many dictionaries refer to the city by an adaptation (Mahon) of its Spanish (Mahón) and Catalan-language name (Maó, archaically: Mahó, Mahón and Mahon), while many other sources vouch for using the Spanish and Catalan spelling (i.e. with diacritics) in English-language publications.

Nevertheless, despite this, Maó (in Catalan) is the only official form according to Catalan orthography and approved by the local, regional and national government. Before spelling standardization, the forms Mahó, Mahón and Mahon were alternatively used in Catalan.

The Catalan language is itself subject to regional variation, with each of the Balearic islands having its own subdialect. In Minorca, the local variety called menorquí (Minorcan) was somewhat influenced by English as result of the British occupation of Minorca.

Climate[link]

Twin towns[link]

• Cervia, Italy

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mahon

• Official website
• Municipality of Mahon, WebMenorca site: walking tour Mahon
• Note about the toponomy From the Onomastics office of Universitat de les Illes Balears (Catalan)

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