Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
| Disputed island | |
|---|---|
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, seen from the Moroccan coast in 2007. | |
| Geography | |
| Location | North African coast |
| Coordinates | 35°10′20″N 4°17′59″W / 35.17222°N 4.29972°W |
| 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: [peˈɲon de ˈβeleθ ðe la ɣoˈmeɾa]) also known as Hajar Badis (Arabic: حجر بديس, romanized: Hajar Badis) is a Spanish exclave and rocky tidal island in the western Mediterranean Sea connected to the Moroccan shore by a sandy isthmus. It is also connected to a smaller islet to the east, La Isleta, by a rocky isthmus. The tidal island was named Hajar Badis (Rock of Badis) and was connected to the town of Badis.
Vélez de la Gomera, along with La Isleta, is a premodern overseas possession known as a plaza de soberanía. It is administered by the Spanish central government 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. Morocco asserts claim the peninsula as part of its territory alongside other Spanish possessions in Northern Africa.