Maó is a town located on the Eastern coast of Menorca. It has a natural harbour (one of the largest in the world) which, over the centuries, has been pursued by many civilizations.

History made Maó into a multicultural society through which Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Muslims, French, British and Spanish, among others, have passed. The permanent changes in sovereignty have shaped an open-minded, cosmopolitan town which is extremely rich in culture and traditions.

Among the most remarkable cultural elements, there is a varied gastronomic tradition, hand-made shoe manufacturing and the local festival of Maó (on the 7th, 8th and 9th of September), where the ---main characters are the Minorcan breed horses and the inhabitants’ party spirit. There are also local festivals in San Climent (3rd weekend in August) and in Llucmaçanes (1st weekend in August), two small villages that depend on Maó City Council.

Over the last century, the society in Maó has been enriched once again by two important migration movements: in the mid 60’s, a great expansion in the tourist industry caused the arrival of many immigrants both from the mainland and overseas; and the current migratory movement characterized mainly by people arriving from non-EU countries.

Currently, Maó’s population is 28.831 inhabitants, of whom 12 % are foreigners that correspond to 80 different countries.  The own language and the origin of the majority of the population menorquina is Catalan 

Citizen Participation:

For those who are interested in becoming an active citizen, Maó offers several activity and sports centres and associations.

a)      Residents’ associations, where people share their concerns and interests.

b)      Associations of people from different countries, where you can receive information on all kinds of procedures. These Associations also arrange cultural and sports activities and celebrate the most relevant festivals of their own countries or area of origin.

c)      Other entertainment and cultural centres are also available which are open to everyone.