Majorca

Majorca JOSEPH E. WILLIAMS Los Angeles Junior College, Los Angeles, California Majorca, as indicated by its name, is the major island of the Baleario Archipelago . This Archipelago, like so many of the island groups of the Mediterranean, is an extension of tho mountains of the mainland into the sea. Tlie Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain extend in an easterly direction from Gibraltar to "Cabo do la Nao." Thoir structure is essentially Alpine. This Alpino structure consists of tho Atlas mountains of North Africa as the -southern element. The central section includes the crystalline Sierra Nevadas arid the crystalline rocks that sank below the Gulf of Alboran excopt for Alboran Island, a remnant, that stands above the water. And finally, Bettian Cordilleran limestone 'forms the northern element.' These limestone* of the north are sharply folded, broken and ovorthruntod to the north and northwest. The oxtension of the Bettian mountain system into the Mediterranean forms tho basic structure for the Island of Majorca. The island mayrbe divided into three distinct physiographic sections. First, the highly calcareous, rugge.d, karst landscape of the northwest mountainland; second, the'hilîy landscape of the. northeast coast, and third, the recent marine deposits of the -central valley and southeast const. The mountain of Puig Major reaches 4S00 feol^ the highest altitude on the island. The southeast hilly land has its highest elevation in Puig Morey (1400 feet). Tho climate is a pure Mediterranean type, hot, rainless summers and warm rainy winters. There are two mnxlmum perio'ds of precipitation, one in April and another in November. The total pr«'ipitation per year for Palma, the largest city, is twelve inches. However, the rainfall is much heavier on tho north and northwest coasts of the island. From the vegetation complex and the observations of private stations a climatic lino according to Koppen 's system could be drawn from Banalbufar , through Inca, to Manacor near tho southeast coast. This lino would divido the B S climate of thé southern part of the island from the O S northern section. Tho vegetation of Majorca is highly xerophytic in character and falls readily into natural and cultural forms. Under the natural vegetation . are many varieties of Chaparral or the French "Garrigues." The tree growth is mostly Mediterranean pine (Pinus halepensis) and live oak (Quercns ilex). The cultural vegetation consists of almonds, figs, olives, orangas, grapes and rice. Oranges grow woll only in the protected valleys of .the island and" particularly in the Soller valley on the northwest coast, The cultivation is mostly on the "terra rosa" soil of the central au luis roiiiuined over since in Spanish hands, The people of today aro greatly mixed with Catalonian and Moorish traits dominating , Tho rural districts still use tho Catalonian dialect, although Spanish is the official language. Geography in the Secondary Schools of the Pacific Coast States JAMES F. CHAMBERLAIN Pasadena, California Tho "Conference on Socondary School Geography" rocommoncled, in 1893, that physic.nl geography bo a required subject for all students in tho first year of high schools. As a result, increased attention was givon the subject and modern texts were written, the first of these by Tarr and the second by Davis and Snyder. In 1808 a second national committee made a report similar to that of the "Conference ." Physical geography was' to bo offered in tho first or second year, with laboratory and fiold work, but was to bo c.loctivo for students taking classical courses. The texts written and tho courses given in response to the recommendations of these committees, wcro too technical and presented too little of human interest. With a view to improving this condition, the Science Section of the National Education Association appointed anothor committee. In M)OO tho writer, as chairman , presented the report which recommended as follows: (1) That geography should bo a required subject in secondary schools. (2) That tho minimum · timo devoted to it should bo one year. (3) That there should be a minimum of five periods weekly. (4) That geography should be a first-year subject. (5) That approximately ono-fourth of the time should be dovoted to field and laboratory work. (6) That one-half year should...