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Mahón (alternately, Maó in Catalan), 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 port in the world, 5km long and up to 900m wide. The water is deep but it remains very clear.
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.
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.
Minorca was captured by the British during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1707, 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 (references to General Kane as "Sir" are erroneous; he was never knighted 1).
Today it serves as the seat of the Island Council of Minorca (Consell Insular de Menorca).
Towards the end of the 20th century, a refurbishment 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. Mayonnaise is argued to have its origin and name in this Minorcan city2. 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 accents in foreign words, many dictionaries refer to the city by an adaptation (Mahon) of its Spanish name (Mahón), while many other sources vouch for using the Catalan spelling (Maó) in English-language publications.
Related to this, there is controversy around the correct official toponomy: (Maó) is the proper form according to Catalan orthography and approved by local, regional and national government, but (Mahón), is preferred by some conservatist 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.
References
- ^ Sloss, Janet (1995). Richard Kane Governor of Minorca. The Bonaventura Press. ISBN 0-9508153-6-5.
- ^ A Small Affair - French Menorca (1756 - 1763)
External links
- Mahon airport
- Virtual tour through Maó
- Ajuntament de Maó
- 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)
- Guide to Mallorca: Maó
- Mahon is at coordinates Coordinates:
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