Word: minorcas
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...this is not Majorca, the all-too-famous Mediterranean resort. It is Minorca, the lesser-known jewel of the Balearic Islands. Its attractions tend to be subtler but are often deeper. Over 4,000 years of its inhabited history, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, French and British have come and left their various imprints on Minorcan life, enriching its language and architecture. More than a beach vacation, Minorca is a 270-sq.-mi. museum, filled with ancient treasures. As many as 1,000 archaeological sites dot the countryside. Most of the monuments--including Bronze Age structures and early Christian basilicas...
...Minorca was ruled by Arabs from the 8th to the 18th century, then by Spaniards from the ancient city of Ciudadela (Ciutadella, in the Minorcan language), at the western end of the island. In 1713 the British moved their administrative capital to the town of Mahon (Mao) in the southeast, where it remains to this day. While Ciudadela boasts a Catholic cathedral and the imposing town houses of ancient nobility, Mahon is Georgian in flavor, with a commercial, matter-of-fact bustle. "Minorca is different in so many ways," observes a longtime resident, British-born historian Bruce Laurie...
...harborside cemetery, whose chipped slate gravestones carry pitifully meager details of the young seamen buried there--all that remains of an early 19th century American naval presence on the island. Elsewhere in the broad sweep of the harbor, several tiny islands, which formerly housed military and quarantine hospitals, highlight Minorca's colorful past...
...Minorca has largely avoided the excesses of other Mediterranean resorts. In 1993 UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve, thereby protecting some 50% of its remaining land from further development. It is hoped that the emphasis on quality, conservation and restoration will enable locals and visitors alike to enjoy the island's diverse heritage. The plan is to ensure that Minorca is not ravaged by modern-day invaders. But they, like many before them, remain in danger of being captivated by Minorca...
...Trebek: "Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza...