Isla de Alborán
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Isla de Alborán is a tiny island in the Alborán Sea, part of the western Mediterranean, about 50 kilometres north of the Moroccan coast and 90 kilometres south of the province of Almería, Spain. A Spanish possession since 1540, it was taken from the Tunisian pirate Al Borani in the Battle of Alborán. It is home today to a small Spanish Navy garrison and an automated lighthouse. It is claimed by Morocco along with other territories in or along the coast of the Alboran sea including Islas Chafarinas, Melilla, Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and Ceuta.
Today, the Island administratively belongs to the city council (ayuntamiento in Spanish) of Almería and is part of the Almería Pescadería (fish market) district.
[edit] General Data
- Location:
- Area: About 71,200 m². Close to the island there is another called Cloud Islet (islote de La Nube).
- Altitude: The island is a flat platform about 15 m above sea level.
- Curiosities: Due to its strategic value, in about 1960 a few supposed fishing vessels from the Soviet Union tried to install a stable base on the island. For this reason the Spanish army established a settlement on Alborán for its control and protection.
