| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
 Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, seen from the Moroccan coast in 2007. | |
 Interactive map ofPeñón de Vélez de la Gomera Hajar Badis | |
| Geography | |
| Location | North African coast |
| Coordinates | 35°10′20″N4°17′59″W / 35.17222°N 4.29972°W /35.17222; -4.29972 |
| Adjacent to | Mediterranean Sea |
| Area | 1.9 ha (4.7 acres) |
| Administration | |
| Plazas de Soberanía | |
| Claimed by | |
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (Spanish pronunciation:[peˈɲondeˈβeleθðelaɣoˈmeɾa]), also known asHajar Badis (Arabic:حجر بديس,romanized: Hajar Badis), is a Spanishexclave and rockytidal island in the westernMediterranean Sea. It is connected to theMoroccan shore by a sandyisthmus, and to a smaller islet to the east, La Isleta, by a rocky isthmus. The tidal island was historically namedHajar Badis (Rock of Badis), referring to its proximity to thetown ofBadis.
Vélez de la Gomera, along with La Isleta, is a historic overseas possession known as aplaza de soberanía. It is administered by theSpanish central government[1] and has a population consisting only of a small number of Spanish military personnel.
Its border with Morocco is 85 m (279 ft) long, making it the shortest international land border in the world.[2][3] Morocco asserts a claim to the peninsula as part of its territory, alongside otherSpanish plazas de soberanía in Northern Africa.[4]
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is located 119 km (74 mi) southeast ofCeuta. It was a natural island in theAlboran Sea until 1930, when a hugethunderstorm washed large quantities of sand into the short channel between the island and the African continent. The channel was turned into atombolo[5] and the island became a peninsula,connected to the Moroccan coast by an 85 m (279 ft) long sandyisthmus, which is the world's shortest single land-border segment.[6][citation needed] With a length of 400 m (1,300 ft) northwest-southeast and a width of up to 100 m (330 ft), it covers about 1.9 ha (4¾ acres).
Portugal andSpain passed an agreement in 1496 in which they effectively established their zones of influence on theNorth African coast. As a result, Spain could occupy territory only east ofPeñón de Vélez. This restriction ended with theIberian Union of Portugal and Spain in 1580 underPhilip II after the 1578Battle of Alcácer Quibir, when Spain started to take direct actions inMorocco, as in the occupation ofLarache.[7]
In 1508, Spain launched a successful expedition under the command ofPedro Navarro to take thepeñón located nearBadis, held bypirates who were constantly attacking and looting the coast of southern Spain.
In 1522, Spain lost thepeñón to a Moroccan Berber attack that resulted in the deaths of the entire Spanish garrison.Ali Abu Hassun, the newWattasid ruler of Morocco in 1554, then gave thepeñón to theOttoman troops who had assisted him in gaining the throne.[7]
The Ottomans used it as a base for corsairs operating in the region of theStrait of Gibraltar. TheSa'di sultanAbdallah al-Ghalib was alarmed by this activity, fearing that the Ottomans might use the town ofBadis as a base from which to undertake the conquest of Morocco. In 1564, he forced the Moroccans to evacuate the town and thepeñón, which he handed over to the Spaniards. The Moroccan population relocated to thekasbah ofSenada.[8]
In 2012, the territorywas briefly assaulted by seven Moroccan activists belonging to theCommittee for the Liberation of Ceuta and Melilla, whose leader wasYahya Yahya.[9]
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is administered directly from Madrid.[10][11]
The territory is reached primarily by helicopter via a helipad located on the upper sections. A landing area is located on the south end near the land entrance toPeñón de Vélez de la Gomera.
Countries and territories ofNorth Africa | |||||||||||||||||
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1Entirely claimed by both Morocco and theSADR.2Spanish exclaves claimed by Morocco.3Portuguese archipelago claimed by Spain.4Disputed between Egypt and the Sudan.5Unclaimed territory located between Egypt and the Sudan.6Disputed between South Sudan and the Sudan.7Part of Chad, formerly claimed by Libya.8Disputed between Morocco and Spain | |||||||||||||||||
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