| Andratx | |||
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| — Municipality and town — | |||
| Town of Andratx | |||
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| Municipal location | |||
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Andratx
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous Community | Balearic Islands | ||
| Province | Balearic Islands | ||
| Island | Majorca | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2009-) | Isabel Alemany Moyá | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 31.5 sq mi (81.46 km2) | ||
| Population (2009) | |||
| • Total | 11,685 | ||
| • Density | 371.5/sq mi (143.44/km2) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Andratx (Catalan pronunciation: [ənˈdɾatʃ]) is a municipality on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, along the Mediterranean east coast of Spain. It is located on the southwest tip of the island.
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The town of Andratx is ancient and until recently was mainly inhabited by local Majorcan people. It has undergone a transformation since 2004, following the input of EU finance which has resulted in a facelift for the town and also brought in foreign investment.
On 10 October 2009 Stephen Gately, of Boyzone fame, died of natural causes in the town, aged just 33. His death was due to pulmonary oedema. Also on 11 October 2009, the rest of Boyzone arrived in the town to pay their respects to Gately and to help his family with taking his body back to Dublin, Ireland (Gately's origin) for his funeral on 17 October 2009.
The municipality also includes the towns of Port d'Andraitx, Sa Coma, S'Arracó, Sant Elm and Camp de Mar. It also includes the uninhabited islet Sa Dragonera.
Andratx municipality is located in the southwestern corner of the Sierra de Tramontana, the most important mountains of the island of Majorca.
In the southern part are a number of valleys, which are the most densely populated areas. The northern part of the municipality is mountainous and rugged, and is virtually uninhabited. The highest point is at 927 metres.
Off the coast of the municipality is the islet of Dragonera, declared a Natural Park in 1995. It can be accessed by sea from Puerto de Andrach.
The main activity in Andratx today is tourism. During the summer months there are many celebrities, such as the former model Claudia Schiffer, the former president Felipe Gonzalez and Adolfo Suarez, film directors Guy Hamilton and Fernando Trueba and opera singer Regine Crespin, among others. Other notable people who have properties in the area include TV presenters John Noakes and Selina Scott whose 2009 book, a Long Walk in the High Hills, is based on her early experiences in Andratx.
The agriculture and fishing has become virtually obsolete, mostly for consumption and for recreation purposes. The main crops are almonds, carob, figs and citrus (fruit). It also produces "Santa Catarina" wine.
| 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,516 | 6,262 | 6,113 | 5,778 | 5,077 | 3,768 | 4,113 | 6,043 | 6,336 | 6,869 | 9,034 | 9,906 | 10,939 |
Throughout the twentieth century the population gradually declined to a low in the 1950s. Since then the population has been recovering steadily except in 1960 when the population increased by 2,000 people. In the early twenty-first century the pace of growth has accelerated again. with 2,200 new inhabitants between 2001 and 2005 and increasing urban pressure on the environment, especially in the capital-population centers Andratx and Puerto de Andratx.
Andrach is one of the municipalities of Mallorca with the highest percentage of foreign residents. According to the 2001 census about 15% of the population was foreign and among them 43% were nationals, including roughly 15% German, 15% British and 10% French.
The main monuments in the municipality are Church of Santa Maria de Andrach, Iglesia de la Virgen del Carmen del Puerto de Andratx, Church of s'Arracó, the Castell de Son Mas (Now City Hall), the Andratx Castle, and the former Trappist monastery, now in ruins. The legendary Teatro Argentino, dating back to 1912, belongs to former symbols of the municipality that have disappeared.
Contemporary art is shown in the CCA Andrax Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Andratx), north of Andratx; in the Liedtke Museum in the Port; and in the architectonically remarkable Studio Weil.