The island that switches countries every six months

Next week, france will give up three,000 squarem (nine,942 sq.Feet) of its territory to spain without a single shot being fired. However in six months' time spain will voluntarily hand back the land to france. As chris bockman reports, it is been that way for more than 350 years.

The french basque beach resort of hendaye is the final town before the border with spain. Out of season, its beautiful curved sandy bay seems to be occupied by using hundreds of seals. But look greater intently and they're, in fact, defiant wintry weather surfers in wetsuits.

Just beyond a protracted breakwater is the historic spanish city of hondarribia and its sprawling, constructed-up neighbour irun. The natural border is the river bidassoa, which flows into an estuary dividing the 2 nations.

As you go upstream from the river mouth, the view adjustments. Implementing and colorful basque homes give way to industrial warehouses on the french side, and unappealing residential tower blocks at the spanish.However what i have come to peer is the island of faisans. It's not clean to locate. Once I ask for instructions, no person is familiar with why i need to move there. They tell me there is nothing to look and warn me you cannot go to it - no-one lives there, it is now not a visitor destination like mont st michel.

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But there it's far - a non violent, inaccessible island within the center of the river, with tree cowl and neatly trimmed grass, and an antique monument which will pay tribute to a outstanding historic event that took place right here in 1659.

For three months, the spanish and french negotiated the cease to their lengthy war at the island, because it became taken into consideration neutral territory. Wood bridges were prolonged from each facets. The armies stood geared up as the negotiations started out.

A peace settlement became signed - the treaty of the pyrenees. Territory changed into swapped and the border demarcated. And the deal turned into sealed with a royal wedding, because the french king louis xiv married the daughter of the spanish king philippe iv.Find out more
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An extra element changed into that the island itself turned into to be shared between the two nations, with control rotating from one to the other. For 6 months of the yr, from february 1 to 31 july, it is below spanish rule - and for the subsequent six months it's french. This sort of joint sovereignty is referred to as a rental, and faisans island is one of the oldest in lifestyles.

The naval commander in the spanish metropolis of san sebastian and his french counterpart in bayonne act as governors or viceroys of the island. In reality they have larger fish to address, so it is up to the mayors of irun and hendaye to take turns searching after the island.

Benoit ugartemendia runs the parks division for the nearby council in hendaye. He told me he sends a small team once a year with the aid of boat to the island to cut the grass, trim the tree branches and that's about it. The river is tidal - you can on occasion reach the island with the aid of foot from spain - so as well as reducing the grass, the spanish police chase off unlawful campers.

The island is tiny - just over 200m long and 40m huge. Very sometimes, the general public is invited to visit on history open days, but benoit says it only pastimes older human beings and more youthful humans realize nothing of its ancient importance.

These days, crossing from france to spain with the aid of land is a seamless experience besides for the gridlocked site visitors - however under the franco dictatorship, the border changed into closely policed. The mayor of hendaye, kotte ecenarro, told me there was once sentry points every 100m along the river dealing with the island to save you combatants going in or out.Nowadays, the mayors of irun and hendaye meet about a dozen times a 12 months to speak about issues like water exceptional and fishing rights. Inside the past, spanish fishermen have complained approximately the shape of french boats and lately were disenchanted with french holiday makers in canoes disrupting their business.

The island itself is a low precedence. It is being eroded - it has misplaced nearly half of of its size over the centuries, as snow melt rushes down from the pyrenees and into the river. However neither u . S . A . Wants to spend cash building up the island's defences.

This 12 months, there could be no rite marking the handover. There has been an concept to fly the flag of whichever us of a become currently in - but mr ecenarro the mayor advised me that till lately, that might most effective have recommended the basque separatists to take it down or replace it with their personal. So in some days' time - possibly the world's most undisputed border island will trade possession once more. And in august spain will hand it lower back over again - until it  decides to renege on that 350-year-vintage treaty.