Port Mahon

For the town in Ireland, see Mahon, County Cork. For other uses, see Mahon (disambiguation).

Mahón
—  Municipality  —
Mahón/Maó
Port of Mahón
Flag
Mahón 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	Mahón
Government
- Mayor	Vicenç Tur i Martí (PSOE)
Area
- Total	117.20 km2 (45.3 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population (2009)
- Total	29,125
- Density	248.5/km2 (643.6/sq mi)
Demonym	Maonèses
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	07700-07714
Website	Official website

Mahón (Catalan: Maó,^[1] IPA: [məˈo]; Spanish Mahón; often known in English as Port Mahon) is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca (the Balearic Islands form an autonomous Spanish community), located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. 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.^[2]

History

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

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

Historic centre of Mahón.

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 (Queso de Mahón) is named after the city. Some believe that the origin and name of mayonnaise are found in this Minorcan city.^[3] In Spanish mahón is also the name of nankeen, especially the blue cloth.

Spelling controversy

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 (Castillian)-language name (Mahón), while many other sources vouch for using the Catalan spelling (Maó) in English-language publications.

Traditional coat of arms of Maó

Related to this, there is controversy in Spain around the correct official toponomy: Maó is the proper form according to Catalan orthography and approved by the local, regional and national government, but Mahón is preferred by some conservative sectors. Some also prefer the old Catalan spelling (Mahó). The Catalan is itself subject to regional sub-dialects, with each of the Balearic islands having its own variations.

Climate

Climate data for Mahón - Menorca Airport
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	14.0 (57.2)	14.2 (57.6)	15.5 (59.9)	17.3 (63.1)	21.1 (70.0)	25.0 (77.0)	28.4 (83.1)	28.9 (84.0)	26.1 (79.0)	22.0 (71.6)	17.7 (63.9)	15.2 (59.4)	20.4
Daily mean °C (°F)	10.7 (51.3)	10.8 (51.4)	12.0 (53.6)	13.7 (56.7)	17.2 (63.0)	21.1 (70.0)	24.3 (75.7)	25.0 (77.0)	22.4 (72.3)	18.7 (65.7)	14.4 (57.9)	12.0 (53.6)	16.8
Average low °C (°F)	7.5 (45.5)	7.5 (45.5)	8.4 (47.1)	10.0 (50.0)	13.4 (56.1)	17.2 (63.0)	20.3 (68.5)	21.1 (70.0)	18.7 (65.7)	15.4 (59.7)	11.1 (52.0)	8.9 (48.0)	13.2
Precipitation mm (inches)	59 (2.32)	47 (1.85)	42 (1.65)	48 (1.89)	37 (1.46)	14 (0.55)	3 (0.12)	22 (0.87)	48 (1.89)	81 (3.19)	85 (3.35)	64 (2.52)	599 (23.58)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	7	6	7	7	5	2	1	2	5	8	8	8	66
Sunshine hours	148	153	200	222	275	313	352	314	235	192	154	136	2,694
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[4]

Twin towns

• Cervia, Italy

References

1. ^ The council calls itself Maó in Catalan and English.
2. ^ The World Gazetteer
3. ^ A Small Affair - French Menorca (1756 - 1763)
4. ^ "Valores Climatológicos Normales. Menorca - Mahon / Aeropuerto". http://www.aemet.es/es/elclima/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=B893&k=bal. 

External links

• Official website
• Municipality of Mahon, WebMenorca site: walking tour of Mahon/Maó
• Note about the toponomy From the Onomastics office of Universitat de les Illes Balears (Catalan)
• Es Diari Digital in reference to the Maó/Mahón spelling controversy (Spanish)