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History

In 654 BC Phoenician settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim (from the Phoenician iboshim dedicated to the goddess of the music and dance Bes ^[2]. 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 Pitiusas ("pine-covered islands"; a translation of the Phoenician name^{[citation needed]}). 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^{[citation needed]}.

A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Culleram, 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 Mallorca such as Na Guardis, from which large quantities of renowned Balearic slingers were hired as mercenaries who fought for Carthage^{[citation needed]}.

During the Second Punic War, the island was assaulted by the two Scipio brothers 209 BC but remained loyal to Carthage^{[citation needed]}. 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 Menorca and then to Liguria^{[citation needed]}. Ibiza negotiated a favorable treaty with the Romans^{[citation needed]}, 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^{[citation needed]} 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^{[citation needed]}, the island was conquered by the Moors^{[citation needed]}, as well as much of the Iberian peninsula. Under Islamic rule, Ibiza came in close contact with the city of Dénia^{[citation needed]} (the closest port in the nearby Iberian peninsula, located in the Land of Valencia) as the two areas were administered jointly by the same taifa. Moreover, the tribes who lived in Ibiza and Denia during the period 1060–1085 were Moorish tribes named Bno-Alaglab & Bano-Mujahed^{[citation needed]}.

The island was put back in Christian hands by Aragonese King James I of Aragon in 1235^{[citation needed]}. Since then, the island has had its own self-government in several forms^{[citation needed]} but in 1715 King Philip V of Spain abolished the local government's autonomy^{[citation needed]}. The arrival of democracy in the late seventies led to the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands^{[citation needed]}. Today the island is part of the Balearic Autonomous Community, along with Mallorca, Minorca and Formentera^{[citation needed]}.

Climate

The climate of Ibiza is Mediterranean and has milder winters but slightly cooler summers than Majorca. The winters are generally mild with temperatures around 15° during the day Celsius (60° Fahrenheit) and 8 at night. The hottest time of the year is July and August with temperatures reaching 30°C (85°F) most afternoons. The lowest recorded temperature in Ibiza is -5, the highest is 37.^[3]

Tourism

Ibiza is considered a popular tourist destination^{[citation needed]}, especially due to its legendary^{[citation needed]} and at times riotous^{[citation needed]} nightlife centered around two areas: Ibiza Town, the island's capital on the eastern shore and Sant Antoni to the West^{[citation needed]}. Well-known^{[citation needed]} nightclubs are Privilege (the largest club in the world)^{[citation needed]}, Eden (the busiest nightclub in Sant Antoni)^{[citation needed]}, Es Paradís (noted for its water parties)^{[citation needed]}, Amnesia (known for foam parties)^{[citation needed]}, Space (an afterparty club)^{[citation needed]}, Pacha, and DC10. These clubs have become the centre of the worldwide electronic music movement^{[citation needed]}. During the summer, well-known DJs perform at the various clubs on weekly schedules, in between touring to other international destinations^{[citation needed]}. Many of these DJs use Ibiza as an outlet for presenting new songs within the house and trance genres of electronic dance music^{[citation needed]}. The season traditionally begins at the start of June^{[citation needed]} with Space and DC10's opening parties and finishes on the first weekend of October with the Closing Parties^{[citation needed]}. A typical ^{[citation needed]} schedule for clubbers going to Ibiza includes waking at noon, early evening naps, late night clubbing, and "disco sunrises"^{[citation needed]}. Due to Ibiza's notable ^{[citation needed]} tolerance toward misbehavior from young adult tourists, it has acquired the sobriquet "Gomorrah of the Med"^{[citation needed]}. Also well-known is Café del Mar, a long-standing^{[citation needed]} bar where many tourists traditionally view the sunset made famous by José Padilla^{[citation needed]}. That and other bars close by have become an increasingly popular venue for club pre-parties after sunset, hosting such DJ performers as Roger Sanchez, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Judge Jules, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Sasha, John Digweed, Erick Morillo and David Guetta.

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

However, any time other than summer, the whole island is empty of tourists and most clubs are not open (only Pacha is open all year round). Tourists who plan to travel to the island prior to June or after September should expect a quieter time with more unsettled weather. The island is still considered to be beautiful, but tourists coming for the night life may be disappointed, though it's arguably a better time to explore the island.

El Vedrà can be seen from all over the island, and some claim it is the third most magnetic point on Earth (after the North Pole and the Bermuda Triangle).^{[citation needed]}

Administration

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

• Sant Josep de sa Talaia
• Sant Antoni de Portmany
• Sant Joan de Labritja
• Santa Eulària des Riu
• Ibiza Town (Eivissa/Vila)

These municipalities had a total population of 88,076 inhabitants (as of the 2001 census) and have a land area of 572.56 km² (221.07 sq mi).

In popular culture

books:

The Ibiza Syndicate by Bill Reade^[4]
Soma Blues by Robert Sheckley^[5]
A Short Life on a Sunny Isle: An Alphonse Dantan Mystery by Hannah Blank^[6]
They Are Ruining Ibiza by A.C. Greene ^[7]

There also exists a genre of dance music named after Ibiza dubbed Balearic Beat, similarly to the way Goa trance is named after Goa, India.^[8] The style tries to reflect the atmosphere of Ibiza.^[9] The atmosphere is brought on with the use of synthesized string instruments, the sound of waves, mandolins and guitars, and wispy vocals.^[10] Popular tracks in this genre include:

• Seven Cities (Solarstone)
• Offshore (Chicane)
• Spanish Fly (Wayne Numan)
• Beachball (Nalin & Kane)
• The Devil Went Down to Ibiza (Alabama 3)
• First State (First State)
• "Café del Mar" (Energy 52)
• Return to Ibiza (Brad Smith)
• This is Ibiza (Sander Kleinenberg)
• Ibiza (Delta Dreams)
• Seize-Strike (Ibiza 2007 Remix (Rachel loren)
• People from Ibiza (Sandy Marton)
• "Hold You" (ATB)
• " Ibiza Dreams DJ HMX

Cites*

for city:

"Ibiza (ee-VEE-thah), Catalan Eivissa, chief city (1990 pop. 33, 776) of Ibiza isl. Balearic Isls., Spain, port on SE coast, 80 mi/129 km SW of Palma (Majorca), 105 mi/169 km ESE of Valencia; 38 55'N 01 25'E. Bishopric. Ships chiefly salt, wool, fruit. Diverse industry includes construction; transformers, metals, and lumber. Lobster fisheries. The picturesque city is a favorite avant-garde tourist site. Whitewashed houses are grouped around old castle which once protected the city against pirate attacks. Has fine collegiate church (former cathedral) and renowned archaeological mus. [museum], best of its kind in Spain for Phoenician and Carthaginian remains. In vicinity are several remarkable Phoenician necrolises. Also spelled Ivisa."^[11]

for island:

"Ibiza (ee-VEE-thah), Catalan Eivissa, island (221 sq. mi/572 sq km; 1990 est. pop 33,776), Baleares prov., Spain, 3rd largest of the Balearic Isls., in the W Mediterranean Sea; Ibiza 39 00'N 01 25'E. Fisheries, saltworks, and subsistence farming have been the traditional occupations. Now largely devoted to tourists and artists. Pictaresque isl. with Roman Phoenician and Carthaginian remains."^[12]

for Balearic Islands:

"Balearic Islands (ba-lee-A-rik), Span. Baleaeres (bah-lai-AH-rais), archipelago, off Spain, in the western Mediterranean, forming Baleares prov. (1990 pop. 767, 918) of Spain; also an autonomous region since 1983; ... The chief isls. are Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza. Noted for their scenery and their mild climate, the Balearics are major tourist destination. After tourism, , agr. and fishing are the major economic activities; fruit, wine, olive oil, majolica ware and silver filagree are exported. Both Catalan and Castillian Spanish are spoken. Inhabited since prehistoric times - there are numerous Cyclopean remains - the isls,. were occupied by Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans and Byzantines. The Moors, who first came in the 8th cent., est. (11th cent.) an independent kingdom, whoch became the seat of powerful pirates, harassing Mediterranean coastal cities and trade. James I of Aragon conquered (1229-1235) the isls. They were included (12776-1343) in the independent kingdom of Majorca and reverted to the Aragonese crown under Peter IV. At the outbreak of the Span. Civil War (1936), Majorca and Ibiza were seized by insurgent forces - Majorca becoming the base of the Ital. fleet - while Minorca remained in the hands of the Loyalists until 1939." ^[13]

"Ibizan hound", ee-BEE-zuhn, (also spelled Ibicine) is a rare breed of dog from the island of Ibiza, off the eastern coast of Spain. It is descended from hunting dogs of ancient Egypt brought to Ibiza by merchants. The people of Ibiza use it primarily to hunt rabbits and other game. The breed became popular on the Spanish mainland and eventually spread throughout Europe. It was introduced into the United States in 1956. Today, it is used chiefly for hunting and exhibition.
The Ibizan hound resembles the greyhound. Its most prominent features are a long head; large, upright ears; a pink nose; and amber eyes. It has a long neck and a long, slender tail. Its short, silky coat may be red, white, brown or a mix of these colors. Some of the dogs have longer coats that are thicker and wiry. The dog stands from 23-27"/58-69 cm high at the shoulder and weighs 42-50 lbs/19-23 kg."^[14]

filed story about the killing of a Ibizan hound by a foreigner, from Assassination in Ibiza ^[15]

The Balearic Islands ^[16]

Ibiza and Formentera ^[17]

The Balearics: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza by Eric Whelpton ^[18]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ibiza.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ibiza.

• Consell Insular d'Eivissa (local government)
• Official tourism portal of Ibiza - Consell Insular d'Eivissa
• Official City Council Site
• Map of Ibiza (Google Maps Mashup)

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[[Category:Ibiza| ]]
[[Category:Islands of Balearic Islands]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Spain]]
[[Category:Tourism in Spain]]