Balearic Islands cut by a network of northwest to southeast faults. The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca ("Mallorca"), Menorca/Minorca ("Menorca"), Ibiza ("Eivissa/Ibiza"), and Formentera, all popular tourist destinations. Amongst the minor islands is Cabrera, the location of the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Menorca, and Cabrera as the Gymnesian Islands ("Illes Gimnèsies"), and Ibiza and Formentera as the Pityusic Islands ("Illes Pitiüses" officially in Catalan), also referred to as the Pityuses (or sometimes informally in English as the Pine Islands). Many minor islands or islets are close to the biggest islands,
Italian occupation of Majorca intentions of taking control of the Balearic islands. Mussolini wanted only an air base in Minorca, and in early 1939 he just made a little & informal request to Franco about it (receiving a denial). Successively in spring 1939 he ordered the withdrawal of all the Italian forces in Spain. Italian occupation of Majorca The Italian occupation of Majorca lasted throughout the Spanish Civil War. Italy intervened in the war with the supposed intention of annexing the Balearic Islands and Ceuta and creating a client state in Spain. The Italians sought to control the Balearic Islands because of their strategic