Mahón facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mahón Mahón  (Spanish) Maó  (Catalan)
Municipality
Mahón Harbour
Flag Coat of arms
Mahón Location in Minorca Show map of Minorca Mahón Location in Balearic Islands Show map of Balearic Islands Mahón Location in Spain Show map of Spain
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Balearic Islands
Province	Balearic Islands
Island	Minorca
Judicial district	Maó
Area
• Total	117.20 km2 (45.25 sq mi)
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	28,592
• Density	243.959/km2 (631.85/sq mi)
Demonyms	maonès, maonesa (ca) mahonés, mahonesa (es)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	07700-07714

Mahón (also called Maó in Catalan) is the capital city of Menorca. It is the second largest city on this island. Menorca is part of the Balearic Islands, which is an autonomous community of Spain.

Mahón is famous for having one of the longest natural harbours in the world. It stretches about 5 kilometers (3 miles) long and is up to 900 meters (2,950 feet) wide. The water in the harbor is deep and usually very clear. Many people believe that Mayonnaise was first created in Mahón!

In 2021, about 29,125 people lived in Mahón.

Mahón's History

Early Times

The city's name, Mahón, might come from a Carthaginian general named Mago Barca. He was the brother of the famous general Hannibal. It is thought that Mago Barca found safety here around 205 BC.

After the Western Roman Empire fell, Mahón became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Over time, it faced attacks from Vikings and Arabs. In 903, the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba took control of the city.

In 1287, Alfonso III of Aragon captured Mahón from the Moors. The city then became part of the Kingdom of Majorca. Mahón's harbor was very important for ships in the western Mediterranean Sea, so it was made stronger.

In 1535, a famous Ottoman leader, Hayreddin Barbarossa, attacked Mahón. He took about 600 people as slaves back to Algiers. This event is known as the Sack of Mahon.

1890 map of Mahón and surrounding region

British Rule

In 1708, during the War of the Spanish Succession, British and Dutch forces captured Menorca. The British saw how useful the island's harbor could be as a naval base. So, they wanted to take full control. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 officially made Menorca a British possession.

During the time Menorca was British, the capital city moved from Ciutadella de Menorca to Mahón. Mahón then became the home of the island's governor. One of the most well-known governors was General Richard Kane. During this period, the harbor and nearby towns were often called "Port Mahon."

In 1756, the French took the island from the British after a naval battle and a siege. But after losing the Seven Years' War, France gave the island back to the British in 1763. Later, in 1782, French and Spanish forces worked together to take the island back. It was given to Spain in 1783 as part of the Peace of Paris.

The British captured the island again in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars. However, in 1802, the British and French signed the Treaty of Amiens. This agreement meant that Menorca would go back to Spain. It has been part of Spain ever since.

The Royal Navy Dockyard

The British built a small but important Royal Navy Dockyard in Mahón in 1715. It was a main base for the British Navy in the Mediterranean for much of the 1700s. Today, it is still used by the Spanish Navy.

You can still see some dockyard buildings from the 1760s on Illa Pinto (also called Saffron Island). These include a Naval Storehouse with a clock tower. There are plans to open a maritime museum here. The island itself has a unique octagonal shape. This was created in the 1760s when wharves were built around it. This allowed several warships to be repaired at the same time.

The remains of a former Royal Naval Hospital, started in 1711, are on another nearby island called Illa del Rei. These ruins have recently been restored. A modern art gallery, Hauser & Wirth, has also opened on this island.

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  Naval storehouse and careening wharf on Illa Pinto

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  The ruined Naval Hospital in 2008

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  and in 2011, following restoration

20th Century Changes

During the Spanish Civil War, Mahón stayed loyal to the Republic. But in 1939, it was captured by the Nationalists. During the fighting, Mahón was bombed by planes from Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces. They had help from Benito Mussolini's Italian government.

General Franco visited the city on May 11, 1960. He came to open a new power station. The government used this event to promote his rule.

Mahón Today

Historic centre of Mahón

Today, Mahón is where the Island Council of Menorca (Consell Insular de Menorca) meets. This council helps govern the island.

Towards the end of the 1900s, money from tourism helped to fix up the city's old historic center.

A traditional cheese made on the island is called Mahón cheese, named after the city. In Spanish, "mahón" also means a type of blue cloth.

Sports in Mahón

Mahón has many sports facilities. There is an athletics track and a sports center with a swimming pool. The city also has two tennis clubs.

Football Fun

Mahón has several football teams. These include UD Mahón, CD Menorca, and CF Sporting de Mahón. There was also a very famous club called Sporting Mahonés CF. This team was the most successful in Menorcan history. They were the only football club from Menorca to reach Segunda División B, a higher league. The team stopped playing in 2013, and Sporting de Mahón took its place. As of 2024, no team from Mahón is in the Tercera Federación league.

Basketball Excitement

Mahón is home to the Pavelló Menorca, a large basketball arena that can hold 5,000 fans. This venue is well-known because it was home to Menorca Bàsquet. This team was one of the few in the Balearic Islands to play in Spain's top basketball league, Liga ACB. After playing for five seasons in Liga ACB, the club closed down because of money problems.

Mahón had to wait five years for a new basketball club. That club is CB Menorca. Many people see it as the new version of Menorca Bàsquet. After playing for five seasons in LEB Plata, CB Menorca moved up to LEB Oro in the 2022-23 LEB Plata season. This meant that Menorca hosted second-division basketball games again after ten years. In their first LEB Oro season, the team finished in 12th place.

Famous People from Mahón

Traditional coat of arms of Mahón

• Juan Ramis (1746–1819), a lawyer and historian.
• Pasqual Calbó i Caldés (1752–1816), a painter.
• Mathieu Orfila (1787–1853), a scientist who studied poisons.
• Orestes Araújo (1853–1915), a historian and teacher from Uruguay.
• José María Martín Domingo (1889–1961), a composer and musician.
• Francesc de Borja Moll i Casasnovas (1903–1991), a linguist who studied languages.
• Sergio Llull (born 1987), a basketball player for Real Madrid.

Mahón's Climate

Mahón, like Menorca, has a Hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has mild, somewhat humid winters and dry, hot summers. Autumn is the wettest time of year. Heavy rain can often fall in October and November.

Other Interesting Facts

Municipality of Mahon in Menorca

Near Mahón, at coordinates 39.8565°N 4.2915°E, there is a large military antenna. It is a special type of antenna called a Wullenweber antenna. It is used to find the direction of radio signals.

Sister Cities

• Cervia, Italy

See also

In Spanish: Mahón para niños