Editing Formentera (section)

== History ==
The island's name is said to derive from the [[Latin]] word ''frumentarium'', meaning "granary". The island was occupied in prehistoric times, going back to 2,000–1,600 BC. Archaeological sites from that period remain in Ca na Costa,<ref>Ca na Costa, L’Enciclopèdia d’Eivissa i Formentera, http://www.eeif.es/veus/Costa-ca-na/, accessed 16/04/2017.</ref> [[Cape Barbaria|Cap de Barbaria]] (multiple sites)<ref>Cap de Barbaria, L’Enciclopèdia d’Eivissa i Formentera, http://www.eeif.es/veus/Barbaria-cap-de/, accessed 16/04/2017.</ref> and Cova des Fum.<ref>Cova des Fum, L’Enciclopèdia d’Eivissa i Formentera, http://www.eeif.es/veus/Fum-cova-des/, accessed 16/04/2017.</ref> The island had been occupied by the [[Carthaginians]] before passing to the [[ancient Romans]]. In succeeding centuries, it passed to the [[Visigoths]], the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], the [[Vandals]], and the [[Arabs]]. In 1109, Formentera was the target of [[Battle of Formentera (1109)|a devastating attack]] by the [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] king [[Sigurd I of Norway|Sigurd I]] at the head of the [[Norwegian Crusade]]. The island was conquered by [[James I The Conqueror|James I the Conqueror]], added to the [[Crown of Aragon]] and later became part of the medieval [[Kingdom of Majorca]].

From 1403 to the early 18th century, the threat of [[Barbary pirates|Barbary pirate]] attacks rendered the island uninhabitable.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uZbxkcaKFVMC&q=Formentera+uninhabited&pg=PA12|title=Ibiza and Formentera|last=Bryant|first=Sue|date=June 2007|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=9781845378141}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eACqCQAAQBAJ&q=Battle+of+A%C3%AFn-el-Turk&pg=PA453|title=Concise History of Islam|last1=Syed|first1=Muzaffar Husain|last2=Akhtar|first2=Syed Saud|last3=Usmani|first3=B. D.|date=2011-09-14|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789382573470|language=en}}</ref> On 17 June 1651, during the [[Franco-Spanish War (1635)|Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)]], a squadron of Spanish [[galley]]s under [[John of Austria the Younger]] [[Capture of the galleon Lion Couronné|captured the French galleon ''Lion Couronné'']] off this island.

The island and its surrounding islets became a separate insular council with the same territory as the eponymous municipality after 1977. Before that, it was administered in the former insular council of Ibiza and Formentera (covering the whole group of the Pityusic Islands), but in a separate [[Comarcas of Spain|comarca]] which already covered the current municipality of Formentera. This reform allowed Ibiza to unify its comarca of five municipalities with its new insular council, no longer administrating Formentera.