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MINORCA(Menorca)

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Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 554 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MINORCA(Menorca) , the second in See also:size of the See also:group of See also:Spanish islands in the Mediterranean See also:Sea, known as the Balearic Islands (q.v.), 27 M. E.N.E. of See also:Majorca. Pop. (1900), 371,512; See also:area, 26o sq. m. The See also:coast is deeply indented, especially on the See also:north, with numerous creeks and bays—that of See also:Port Mahon (17,144) being one of the finest in the Mediterranean, if not the best of them all, according to the popular See also:rhyme " Junio, Julio, Agosto y puerto Mahon Los mejores puertos del Mediterraneo son " " See also:June, See also:July, See also:August and Port Mahon are the best harbours of the Mediterranean " (see PORT MAIION). The ports Addaya, Fornelle, Ciudadela and Nitja may also be mentioned. The See also:surface of the See also:island is uneven, See also:flat in the See also:south and rising irregularly towards the centre, where the See also:mountain El See also:Toro—probably so called from the Arabic tor, a height, though the natives have a See also:legend of a See also:Coro or See also:bull—has an See also:altitude of 1207 ft. The See also:climate is not so equable as that of Majorca, and the island is exposed in autumn and See also:winter to the violence of the north winds. Its See also:soil is of very unequal quality; that of the higher districts being See also:light, See also:fine, and fertile, and producing See also:regular harvests without much labour, while that of the plains is chalky, scanty, and unfit for pasture or the plough. Some of the valleys have a See also:good alluvial soil; and where the hills have been terraced they are cultivated to the See also:summit. The See also:wheat and See also:barley raised in the island are sometimes sufficient for See also:home See also:consumption; there is rarely a surplus. The Hedysarum coronarium, or zulla, as it is called by the Spaniards, is largely cultivated for See also:fodder.

See also:

Wine, oil, potatoes, See also:hemp and See also:flax are produced in moderate quantities; See also:fruit of all kinds, including melons, pomegranates, See also:figs and almonds, is abundant. The See also:caper plant is See also:common throughout the island, growing on ruined walls. Horned See also:cattle, See also:sheep and goats are reared, and small See also:game abound. See also:Stone of various kinds is plentiful. In the See also:district of Mercadal and in See also:Mount See also:Santa Agueda are found fine See also:marbles and porphyries; See also:lime and See also:slate are also abundant. See also:Lead, See also:copper and See also:iron might be worked were it not for the scarcity of See also:fuel. There are manufactures of the See also:wool, hemp and flax of the island; and formerly there was a good See also:deal of See also:boat-See also:building; but See also:agriculture is the See also:chief See also:industry. An excellent road, constructed in 1713-1715 by Brigadier-See also:General See also:Richard See also:Kane, to whose memory a See also:monument was erected at the first milestone, runs through the island from south-See also:east to north-See also:west, and connects Port Mahon with Ciudadela. Ciudadela (8611), which was the See also:capital of the "island till Port Mahon was raised to that position by the See also:English, still possesses considerable remains of its former importance.

End of Article: MINORCA(Menorca)

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