Ibiza is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 km off the coast of Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands autonomous community . With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands. Its largest cities are Ibiza Town , Santa Eul?ria des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany.
Eivissa is the official Catalan name " class="IPA">[?i?vis?] and [?i??is?] in Standard Catalan), but the name in Spanish is Ibiza, usually pronounced using the standard Spanish variation [i???i?a]. In British English, the name is usually pronounced the Spanish way , while in American English the pronunciation is more varied .
The island of Ibiza is well-known for its summer club parties which attract large numbers of tourists, but the island and the Spanish Tourist Office have been working to shed the prevailing "sex-and-alcohol" image in order to promote more family-oriented tourism. Noted clubs include Space, Pacha, Privilege , Amnesia, DC10, Eden and Es Paradis. It is also home to the 'West End' party district of Sant Antoni, a popular stop for many tourists.
History
In 654 BC Phoenician settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim . It was later known to Romans as "Ebusus". The Greeks, who came to Ibiza during the time of the Phoenicians, were the first to call the two islands of Ibiza and Formentera the Pity?ssai . With the decline of Phoenicia after the Assyrian invasions, Ibiza came under the control of Carthage, also a former Phoenician colony. The island produced dye, salt, fish sauce , and wool.
A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Culleram, and the rest of the Balearic Islands entered Eivissa's commercial orbit after 400 BC. Ibiza was a major trading post along the Mediterranean routes. Ibiza began establishing its own trading stations along the nearby Balearic island of Majorca such as Na Guardis, from which large quantities of renowned Balearic slingers were hired as mercenaries who fought for Carthage
