Wait... Spain Has a ROTATING Island?! The Wildest Border Facts Ever! 🇪🇸
The Quick Facts That'll Blow Your Mind! 🤯
- Spain literally has cities in AFRICA (yes, you read that right)
- There's an island that switches between Spain and France every 6 months
- Spain has a tiny town trapped inside France with 1,500 people
- The world's shortest border is Spanish - just 85 meters long!
Intro
Okay guys, I need you to sit down for this one because Spain's borders are absolutely UNHINGED. Like, someone really drew these lines after having too much sangria. You think your ex had complicated boundaries? Wait till you hear about Spain's territory drama!
The Island That Can't Make Up Its Mind
I'm not even kidding - there's an island called Pheasant Island that literally switches countries every 6 months! It's been changing hands between Spain and France since 1659. That's over 700 times!
From February to July, it's French. From August to January, it's Spanish. They even have a ceremony to transfer it! Imagine having to update your GPS settings twice a year just to know which country you're in. 🤦♀️
Spain's African Cities (Wait, What?)
Plot twist: Spain isn't just in Europe! They have TWO whole cities in Africa - Ceuta and Melilla. These places are literally surrounded by Morocco but they're 100% Spanish. They use Euros, speak Spanish, and everything!
Melilla: Home to 78,000 Spanish people, surrounded by a 6-meter high wall. It has its own airport and is technically part of the EU!
Ceuta: Slightly smaller with 76,000 people, no airport (you gotta take a boat to Spain), and also has that same massive wall.
The Town That Got Left Behind
There's this town called Llívia that's completely surrounded by France but belongs to Spain. In 1659, France got a bunch of Spanish territory but Llívia was "too important" to give up. Now 1,500 Spanish people live there, speaking Catalan (not even Spanish!), surrounded by French countryside. Talk about being the weird neighbor!
The Rock That Started Wars
Ever heard of Gibraltar? It's this British territory on Spain's southern coast that Britain snatched back in 1704. Spain's been asking for it back ever since, but 99% of people there are like "Nah, we're good with being British, thanks." Now with Brexit, things are even messier!
The World's Shortest Border
And here's the cherry on top - Spain has the world's shortest international border at Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera. It's literally just 85 meters long! That's shorter than a football field! It's basically a big rock with Spanish soldiers on it, connected to Morocco by a tiny strip of beach.
But Why Though?
All this weirdness happened because Spain went a bit overboard after kicking the Moors out of Spain. They were like "You know what? Let's keep going!" and grabbed some African cities too. Then they signed a bunch of treaties over the centuries that created these bizarre situations.
Final Thoughts
Spain's borders are basically what happens when you let history draw your map instead of common sense. But honestly? It makes the world way more interesting! Next time someone says borders are boring, just show them Spain's map and watch their brain explode.
And let's be real - living on an island that switches countries every 6 months would be the ultimate flex. "Oh, your house has a nice view? Mine changes nationality!" 😂