The capital of the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca (also known as Ciutat de Mallorca in Catalan), is the centre of the island and, despite its population of around 400,000, has a metropolitan character - it is impossible to escape the magic of this city with its multitude of fascinating hotspots. The capital of the island is the seat of the autonomous government of the Balearic Islands and was only called Palma between 2008 and 2011. The reason for this type of abbreviation was a request made in 1998, but the government, which has been in charge of the city since 2011, promptly reversed this change and the city has been back to its full name since 16 November 2011