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Ibiza

Coordinates: 38°59′N 1°26′E / 38.98°N 1.43°E / 38.98; 1.43
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For the town, see Ibiza Town. For the car, see SEAT Ibiza.
For other uses, see Ibiza (disambiguation).
Ibiza / Eivissa
Map
Geography
LocationMediterranean Sea
Coordinates38°59′N 1°26′E / 38.98°N 1.43°E / 38.98; 1.43
ArchipelagoBalearic Islands, Pine Islands
Demographics
Population132,637

Ibiza (Template:Lang-ca, IPA: [əjˈvisə]; Phoenician: אִיבּוֹסִים, Ibosim) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza Town (Template:Lang-ca), Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany. Its highest point, called Sa Talaiassa (or Sa Talaia), is 475 m/1,558 ft above sea level.

The island is well known for its summer club parties which attract large numbers of tourists, but the island and the Spanish Tourist Office have been working to promote more family-oriented tourism, although some doubt the island's professional ability to attract more affluent tourism, in part due to a lack of hospitality standards and service.[citation needed] Noted clubs include Space, Privilege, Amnesia, DC10, Eden, and Es Paradis. Ibiza is also home to the legendary "port" in Ibiza Town, a popular stop for many tourists and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]

Name

The official name of the island is in Catalan Eivissa (pronounced [əjˈvisə]). The name in Spanish is Ibiza (pronounced [iˈβiθa]). In British English, the name is usually pronounced in an approximation of the Spanish (/ɪˈbiːθə, ɪˈviːθə/),[2] while in American English the pronunciation is more anglicized, or closer to Latin American Spanish (/ɪˈbiːzə/,[3] /iːˈbiːsə/[4]).[5][6]

History

Old city of Ibiza Town.
Ancient Greek aryballoi found in the necropolis of Puig des Molins. Museo de Puig des Molins, Ibiza.
Ancient Greek coin from Ibiza, depicting a squatting Kabeiros and a bull, circa 210 BC.
Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture
UNESCO World Heritage Site

View of the port from the ramparts
CriteriaMixed: ii, iii, iv, ix, x
Reference417
Inscription1999 (23rd Session)

In 654 BC Phonecian settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim (from the Phoenician iboshim dedicated to the god of the music and dance Bes).[7] It was later known to Romans as "Ebusus." The Greeks, who came to Ibiza during the time of the Phoenicians, were the first to call the two islands of Ibiza and Formentera the Pityûssai (Greek: Πιτυοῦσσαι, "pine-covered islands").[8] With the decline of Phoenicia after the Assyrian invasions, Ibiza came under the control of Carthage, also a former Phoenician colony. The island produced dye, salt, fish sauce (garum), and wool.

A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Cuieram, and the rest of the Balearic Islands entered Eivissa's commercial orbit after 400 BC. Ibiza was a major trading post along the Mediterranean routes. Ibiza began establishing its own trading stations along the nearby Balearic island of Majorca such as Na Guardis, from which large quantities of renowned Balearic slingers were hired as mercenaries who fought for Carthage.

During the Second Punic War, the island was assaulted by the two Scipio brothers in 209 BC but remained loyal to Carthage. With Carthaginian military luck running out on the Iberian mainland, Ibiza was last used by the fleeing Carthaginian General Mago to gather supplies and men before sailing to Minorca and then to Liguria. Ibiza negotiated a favorable treaty with the Romans, which spared Ibiza from further destruction and allowed it to continue its Carthaginian-Punic institutions well into the Empire days, when it became an official Roman municipality. For this reason, Ibiza today offers excellent examples of late Carthaginian-Punic civilization. During the Roman Empire, the island became a quiet imperial outpost, removed from the important trading routes of the time.[citation needed]

After the fall of the Roman empire and a brief period of first Vandal and then Byzantine rule, the island was conquered by the Moors, along with most of the Iberian peninsula. Under Islamic rule, Ibiza came in close contact with the city of Dénia—the closest port in the nearby Iberian peninsula, located in the Valencian Community—and the two areas were administered jointly by the Taifa of Dénia.

Ibiza together with the islands of Formentera and Menorca were invaded by the Norwegian king Sigurd I of Norway in the spring of 1110 on his crusade to Jerusalem. The king had previously conquered the cities of Sintra, Lisbon and Alcácer do Sal and given them over to Christian rulers, in an effort to weaken the Muslim grip on the Iberian peninsula. King Sigurd continued to Sicily where he visited King Roger II of Sicily. [citation needed]

The island was conquered by Aragonese King James I in 1235. The island maintained its own self-government in several forms until 1715, when King Philip V of Spain abolished the local government's autonomy. The arrival of democracy in the late 1970s led to the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands. Today the island is part of the Balearic Autonomous Community, along with Majorca, Minorca and Formentera.

Geography

See also: Pine Islands

Ibiza is the larger of a group of the western Balearic archipelago called the "Pityuses" or "Pine Islands" composed of itself and Formentera. The Balearic island chain includes over fifty islands, many of which are uninhabited. The highest point of the island is Sa Talaiassa, at 475 metres.

Climate

Climate data for Eivissa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 15.5
(59.9) 		16.0
(60.8) 		17.2
(63.0) 		19.0
(66.2) 		22.2
(72.0) 		26.1
(79.0) 		29.3
(84.7) 		30.0
(86.0) 		27.6
(81.7) 		23.4
(74.1) 		19.3
(66.7) 		16.7
(62.1) 		21.9
(71.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.8
(53.2) 		12.2
(54.0) 		13.2
(55.8) 		15.0
(59.0) 		18.2
(64.8) 		22.0
(71.6) 		25.0
(77.0) 		25.9
(78.6) 		23.6
(74.5) 		19.6
(67.3) 		15.6
(60.1) 		13.1
(55.6) 		17.9
(64.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 8.1
(46.6) 		8.4
(47.1) 		9.3
(48.7) 		10.9
(51.6) 		14.2
(57.6) 		17.8
(64.0) 		20.7
(69.3) 		21.8
(71.2) 		19.5
(67.1) 		15.9
(60.6) 		12.0
(53.6) 		9.6
(49.3) 		14.0
(57.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 38
(1.5) 		33
(1.3) 		36
(1.4) 		33
(1.3) 		26
(1.0) 		14
(0.6) 		6
(0.2) 		19
(0.7) 		48
(1.9) 		69
(2.7) 		51
(2.0) 		54
(2.1) 		439
(17.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 2 4 6 5 5 46
Mean monthly sunshine hours 161 167 207 243 277 297 335 302 237 198 164 148 2,732
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[9]

People

Demographically, Eivissa displays a very peculiar configuration, as census agencies diverge on exact figures. According to the 2001 national census, Ibiza had 88,076 inhabitants (against 76,000 in 1991, 64,000 in 1981, 45,000 in 1971, and 38,000 in 1961). However, two years later, this figure jumped to 108,000 (Govern de les Illes Balears - IBAE 2004), and by the start of 2010 had reached 132,637. This rapid growth stems from the amnesty which incorporated a number of unregistered foreign migrants. In terms of origin, about 55 percent of island residents were born in Ibiza, 35 percent are domestic migrants from mainland Spain (mostly working-class families from Andalusia, and the remainder from Catalonia, Valencia and Castile), and the remaining 10 to 15 percent are foreign, dual and multi-national citizens of the EU and abroad (Govern de les Illes Balears - IBAE 1996). In decreasing order, foreigners are Germans, British, Latin Americans, Moroccans, French, Italians, Dutch, in addition to a myriad of other nationalities. This mosaic reflects the fluidity of foreigners living and moving across the island, in ways that render impossible to exactly quantify the expatriate population (Rozenberg 1990).

The Spanish composer and music theorist Miguel Roig-Francolí was born in Ibiza,[10] as was the politician and Spain's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abel Matutes.[11] Notable former residents of Ibiza include English punk musician John Simon Ritchie (Sid Vicious),[12] the psychedelic rock band Philiac, comic actor Terry-Thomas[13] Hungarian master forger Elmyr de Hory.[14] American fraudster Clifford Irving and film director Orson Welles[15]

Language

Eivissenc is the native dialect of Catalan that is spoken on Ibiza and nearby Formentera, though Catalan also shares co-official status with Spanish."[16] Additionally, because of the influence of tourism and expatriates living in or maintaining residences on the island, other languages like German, English and Italian, are also spoken. Polylinguality is the norm, not the exception.

Tourism

Nightlife

Sant Antoni, West End
Cala Bassa Beach

Ibiza is considered a popular tourist destination, especially due to its legendary and at times riotous nightlife centred around two areas: Ibiza Town, the island's capital on the southern shore and Sant Antoni to the West.[1] Well-known nightclubs are Privilege, Amnesia, Space, Pacha, Eden, Es Paradís, Underground, Gala Night and DC10.[1] During the summer, the top producers and DJs in dance come to the island and play at the various clubs, in between touring to other international destinations. Some of the most famous DJs run their own weekly nights around the island. Many of these DJs use Ibiza as an outlet for presenting new songs within the house, trance and techno genres of electronic dance music.

Since 2005 live music event Ibiza Rocks has helped to redefine the Ibiza party landscape. Bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Prodigy and the Kaiser Chiefs have played in the courtyard of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel. For the last 3 years the UK's BBC Radio 1 has focused its Ibiza Weekend[17] broadcast from the venue and as a result the island is now seen as a more diverse place.

The season traditionally begins at the start of June with Space and DC10's opening parties and finishes on the first weekend of October with the Closing Parties. A typical schedule for clubbers going to Ibiza includes waking at noon, early evening naps, late night clubbing, and "disco sunrises." Due to Ibiza's notable tolerance toward misbehaviour from young adult tourists, it has acquired the sobriquet "Gomorrah of the Med." Also well-known is Café del Mar, a long-standing bar where many tourists traditionally view the sunset made famous by José Padilla. That and other bars close by have become an increasingly popular venue for club pre-parties after sunset, hosting popular DJ performers.

The island's government is trying to encourage a more cultured and quieter tourism scene, passing rules including the closing of all nightclubs by 6 a.m. at the latest, and requiring all new hotels to be 5-star.[18] The administration is wanting to attract a more international mixture of tourists.[19]

World Heritage Site

Though primarily known for its party scene, large portions of the island are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and thus protected from the development and commercialization of the main cities. A notable example includes "God's Finger" in the Benirràs Bay as well as some of the more traditional Ibizan cultural sites. Because of its rustic beauty, companies and artists alike frequently use the island for photographic and film shoots. A monument ("The Egg") erected in honour of Christopher Columbus can be found in Sant Antoni; Ibiza is one of several places purporting to be his birthplace.

Overdevelopment

Since the early days of mass tourism on the island there have been a large number of development projects ranging from successful ventures, such as the super clubs at Space and Privilege, to other failed development projects, such as Josep Lluís Sert's abandoned hotel complex at Cala D'en Serra,[20] the half completed and now demolished "Idea" nightclub in Sant Antoni[21] and the ruins of a huge restaurant/nightclub in the hills near Sant Josep called "Festival Club" that only operated for three summer seasons in the early 1970s.[22]

Since the global economic crisis and the end of the Spanish property bubble in 2008 a large number of housing and tourist developments have been abandoned or put on hold as developers have struggled to get more credit from the banks and the projected profit margins fell significantly due to the slump in property prices and falling number of visitors to the island.[23]

  • Eivissa, Cala Salada, at north of Sant Antoni de Portmany
    Eivissa, Cala Salada, at north of Sant Antoni de Portmany
  • Staircase in Eivissa
    Staircase in Eivissa
  • Cala d'Hort, Eivissa
    Cala d'Hort, Eivissa
  • Sant Antoni de Portmany from afar
    Sant Antoni de Portmany from afar
  • The Egg of Columbus in Sant Antoni
    The Egg of Columbus in Sant Antoni
  • The Platja d'en Bossa looking north towards Ibiza Town
    The Platja d'en Bossa looking north towards Ibiza Town
  • Puig de Missa in Santa Eulària
    Puig de Missa in Santa Eulària
  • Marina of Santa Eulària des Riu
    Marina of Santa Eulària des Riu

Transport

Ibiza is served by Ibiza Airport.

Administration

Municipalities of Ibiza and Formentera. Ibiza Town is highlighted.

Ibiza is administratively part of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, whose capital is Palma, on the island of Majorca. Ibiza comprises 5 of the community's 67 municipalities. Clockwise from the south coast, these are:

Municipality Area in
square kms. 		Census population
1 November 2001 		Estimated population
1 January 2010
Sant Josep de sa Talaia 159.4 14,267 22,871
Sant Antoni de Portmany 126.8 15,081 22,136
Sant Joan de Labritja 121.7 4,094 5,477
Santa Eulària des Riu 153.6 19,808 32,637
Vila d'Eivissa 11.1 34,826 49,516
Totals 572.6 88,076 132,637

These municipalities had a total population of 88,076 inhabitants (as of the 2001 census), which had risen to an estimated 132,637 by the start of 2010, and have a land area of 572.56 km2 (221.07 sq mi).

Cuisine

Ibiza's local cuisine is typically Mediterranean. One of the typical culinary products of the island is sweets known as flaons.

Pacha, a nightclub in Ibiza

A number of novels have been written using Ibiza as the setting, including Joshua Then and Now by Mordecai Richler, Soma Blues by Robert Sheckley,[24] Vacation in Ibiza by Lawrence Schimel,[25] A Short Life on a Sunny Isle: An Alphonse Dantan Mystery by Hannah Blank,[26] They Are Ruining Ibiza by A.C. Greene[27] and The Python Project by Victor Canning.[28] The 1960 novel Out of the Red into the Blue by the English novelist Barbara Comyns Carr is based on the island.

The song 'We're Going to Ibiza' by Vengaboys also featured the island's notorious nightlife as the ideal location for vacations. In Jennifer Lopez's song, "On the Floor", the lyrics state "Brazil, Morocco, London to Ibiza". Also the song One Night In Ibiza (by Mike Candys) gives the island a central role. Swedish House Mafia also has a song called "Miami 2 Ibiza."

The 1969 film More was filmed on location in Ibiza, and the soundtrack by Pink Floyd features a song titled "Ibiza Bar." The 2004 film It's All Gone Pete Tong was also filmed in Ibiza. Also the 2001 film Kevin and Perry Go Large was filmed on location in Ibiza. In addition there is the 1995 french hit 'Mélissa, métisse d'Ibiza' by Julien Clerc.

The 2011 video game Test Drive Unlimited 2 is set upon two islands: Ibiza and Oahu (one of the Hawaiian Islands). Both islands have been modeled most accurately by using satellite data.

Symbol

The Lizard is the unoffinical symbol of Ibiza,used very often on T-Shirts,Necklets etc.


Notes

Sunset at Café del Mar, Sant Antoni de Portmany
  1. ^ a b c Armstrong, Stephen (1 July 2006). "Ibiza unplugged". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Ibiza". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ Random House dictionary
  4. ^ American Heritage dictionary
  5. ^ Jones, Daniel (2003). English Pronouncing Dictionary (16th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunuciation Dictionary (2nd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
  7. ^ Ibiza Literature,Literature in Ibiza
  8. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
  9. ^ "Valores Climatológicos Normales. Ibiza / Aeropuerto". June 2011.
  10. ^ Enciclopèdia d'Eivissa i Formentera. "Roig-Francoli Costa, Miguel Angel"
  11. ^ Who's Who at NATO. "Abel Matutes"
  12. ^ Sid Vicious history
  13. ^ Bounder! The Biography of Terry-Thomas by Graham McCann, serialised in The Times
  14. ^ Sant Agustí
  15. ^ Clifford Irving Ibiza
  16. ^ "Introduction to Ibiza". Frommer's. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/events/ibiza/2010/
  18. ^ Robbins, Tom (18 November 2007). "Is the party over in Ibiza?". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  19. ^ http://bbs.clubplanet.com/chicago/27508-ibiza-changing.html
  20. ^ Abandoned hotel at Cala D'en Serra
  21. ^ An abandoned Idea
  22. ^ Festival Club
  23. ^ Ibiza tourism statistics 2009
  24. ^ Sheckley, Robert (1997). Soma Blues. New York: Forge/Tom Doherty Associates. p. 222. ISBN 0-312-86273-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Schimel, Lawrence (2003). Vacation in Ibiza. Eurotica. ISBN 1-56163-377-1.
  26. ^ Blank, Hannah (2002). A Short Life on a Sunny Isle: An Alphonse Dantan Mystery. New York: Hightrees/Prism Corporation. p. 221. ISBN 0-9652778-4-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  27. ^ Greene, A.C. (1998). They Are Ruining Ibiza. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press. p. 123. ISBN 1-57441-042-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ Canning, Victor (1967). The Python Project. London, UK: Heinemann. p. 284. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

See Also

Media related to Ibiza at Wikimedia Commons

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