Tiny island changes hands between Spain and France every year on this day

Pheasant Island located in a Basque border river is what’s officially known as a condominium in international relations

On 1 August, every year Spain cedes a small piece of its territory to France, but not to worry as France is kind enough to then give it back to the Iberian country on 1 February the following year. This unusual ritual that is quite unique on a global scale concerns the tiny Pheasant Island located in the Bidasoa River, which serves as a border between the two countries.

Fortunately, the island is only 200 metres long and only inhabited by several trees and no actual people. If that were not the case, it would’ve been a nightmare to figure out all sorts of daily governance issues.

The arrangement where two or more states have shared sovereignty over a piece of land or water is called a ‘condominium’, which makes Pheasant Island the smallest such in the world, and the only one where the sovereignty is regularly exchanged.

Despite its name, the islet actually contains no pheasants and according to historians the name is just a corruption of an old French word for “toll”. In practice, the island is administered in turn by the mayors of Irun (Spain) and Hendaye (France), however, at least on the French side, there’s a public official serving as the delegate for the sea and coast of the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department also gets to call himself a “viceroy of Pheasant Island”.

What’s the origin of this shared sovereignty ritual?

The only notable thing on the 3,000 m2 island is a stone monument bearing an inscription in Spanish (facing the Spanish side) and in French (towards the French side).

It commemorates the moment when the island made its grand entry on the historical scene. On 7 November 1659, it was the stage where the Treaty of Peace of the Pyrenees was signed between the kingdoms of France and Spain following a protracted conflict between the two polities.

The representatives of King Philip IV of Spain and King Louis XIV of France signed the 124 articles that made up this treaty. The following year, the two monarchs themselves stepped on the tiny islet to celebrate their new family union when the Spanish king gave his daughter Maria Theresa as wife to Louis XIV. The moment is famously depicted in paintings and tapestries from the period.

The actual swapping ritual dates back to 1866 when another treaty, that of Bayonne, was signed between the two countries in order to regulate disputes arising between fishermen operating in the area.

These days, the general public is only allowed to visit the island on special open days. The municipalities have the duty to take care of the greenery on Pheasant Island, however, it’s mostly visited by officers of the Naval Commands of the respective cities.