Resumen
This study analyses the changes in land use in the Balearic Islands during the 1956-2000 period and the growth potential generated by the planning policy, while examining the industrial and urban coverage of land caused by the tourism and real estate boom in the Islands. The land transformation stemming from the Balearic Islands? entry into global capitalism gave rise to the growth of urban and industrial land, which went from 7,416 ha. in 1956 to 28,746 ha. in 2000. Based on the current planning model, the urban and industrial coverage could potentially reach some 38,120 ha. by around 2015, with the following distribution: urban (32,360 ha.), roads (2966 ha.), railway (252 ha.), golf (1189 ha.) and quarries (1353 ha.).
