Balearic Islands of the rest of Spain, but have their own distinctive features. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain, with Palma de Mallorca as the capital. The 2007 Statute of Autonomy declares the Balearic Islands as one "nationality" of Spain. The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Catalan and Spanish. The official name of the Balearic Islands in Catalan is "Illes Balears", while in Spanish, they are known as the "Islas Baleares". The term "Balearic" derives from Greek (/"Gymnesiae" and /"Balliareis"). In Latin, it is "Baleares". Of the various theories on the origins of the two
Ottoman invasion of the Balearic Islands (1558) Sorrento, then part of the possessions of Spain in southern Italy, where they took 3,000 captives. In July, the fleet then started to ravage the Balearic islands. The Ottoman force consisted of 15,000 soldiers on 150 warships. The Ottomans, after repulsing an attack on Mahón, attacked the citadel of Ciutadella in Menorca, which was only garrisoned with 40 soldiers. On 9 July 1558, the Ottomans under Piyale Pasha and Turgut Reis put the town under siege for eight days, then entered and decimated the town. After the fall of the citadel, the city was ravaged and the population enslaved. All