History And Geography

History

The recorded history of Ibiza dates back to the 7th century, around the time of the Phoenicians, who were the first settlers on the island. Trade flourished with the whole of the Mediterranean region. The city of Ibiza was founded in 654 BC and its name at that time was Ibosim. After the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians ruled the island. Under them, the island was transformed into a nerve center of trade and industry. Following the fall of Carthage, Ibiza fell to Rome and became a municipality of Rome in 1 AD.

Ibiza experienced continuous invasions from the Vandals, Byzantines, and Arabs who wanted to gain control of the island because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean region. The impact of the Arabs is most visible among all of them and is reflected in the names of different places and the agricultural methods.

In 1235, King James I, who was also known as ‘The Conqueror', ordered an attack on Ibiza. This attack was to wrest control of the island from the Arabs. Guillem de Montgri, the Archbishop of Tarragona, and Peter of Portugal together led the Christian expedition in Ibiza. A monument honoring Guillem de Montgri was erected and it still stands near the Town Hall of the city. They were victorious and control of the island fell into their hands. They then divided the island into four districts or quartons. After being divided into quartons, reorganization of the island was carried out and the parish of Santa Maria was established. The first church of the parish was at the same place where at present the Ibiza Cathedral stands, in the upper part of the old city known as the Dalt Vila

Even after it was conquered, pirates and privateers continued their attacks on the island. This made defense of the religious buildings on the island a priority. That is the reason why many churches on Ibiza are protected by fortified walls. There is a wide network of towers on the coast, which served the dual purposes of providing refuge as well as serving as a lookout point. Even today, many of these towers are still there on the island.

The island was named as the city of Ibiza in 1782. Three years after being christened as Ibiza, the city was divided into parishes. In 1830, the city was made a part of the Balaeric province, which was also created that same year. The Balaeric province had five municipalities, which are included in present day Ibiza. These five municipalities are San Juan de Labritja, San José de sa Talaia, San Antonio de Portmany, Santa Eulalia del Río, and Ibiza town. Each of these places in Ibiza has its own charm, and it is worth the time and effort if you go and explore all of them individually.

The so-called final ‘invasion' that Ibiza has undergone recently is from tourism.

Tourism is the primary industry of the island. The transformation of the city of Ibiza started around the 1970s with the arrival of the hippies or flower children. This brought about a significant cultural change on the island. The roots of this change were in the large influx of refugee artists from central Europe, at the time of World War II. These are the reasons due to which Ibiza gets its multiethnic and tolerant character.

Geography

The island of Ibiza is located 82 km to the south east of its biggest neighbor, Majorca, and about 87 km away from the coast of Alicante. Besides being the third largest island on the Balearic archipelago, it is a melting pot of different cultures. It is well connected by air with all of Europe. It is also connected to Spain and Majorca via sea.

The total surface are of the island is 572.6 sq. km. It has a 210.1 km long coastline. There are three low-lying mountain ranges on the island and between them there are beautiful valleys that house over a 1000 different plants and 23 types of orchids.