Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
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Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is one of the Spanish territories on North Africa off the Moroccan coast (Plazas de soberanía), along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Peñón de Alhucemas, Islas Chafarinas and the small islet of Isla Perejil.
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is located 119 km (72.7 mi) southeast of Ceuta, a larger Spanish enclave in continental Morocco. It was a natural island, but is now an artificial peninsula, permanently connected to the Moroccan coast by an 85 m (279 feet) long sand strip (one of the world's shortest land borders). It covers about 19,000 m².
It was conquered by Spain in 1508 in a battle with a group of pirates. It has been under effective Spanish control since 1564 and is administered from Melilla.
It is currently only occupied by a Spanish military garrison of roughly 60 men but has no civilian population.
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Autonomous communities
Andalusia · Aragon · Asturias · Balearic Islands · Basque Country · Canary Islands · Cantabria · Castile-La Mancha · Castile and León · Catalonia · Extremadura · Galicia · Madrid · Murcia · Navarre · La Rioja · Valencia
Autonomous cities | Plazas de soberanía
Ceuta · Melilla | Islas Chafarinas · Peñón de Alhucemas · Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
1 Sovereignity over territories in Antarctica currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System.
