Alborán Island
The
Isla de Alborán is a small
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.
While Morocco claims the Spanish-held
plazas de soberanía enclaves and islands on or within a few kilometers of the Moroccan coast as part of
Greater Morocco, it has never filed a formal claim to Alborán.
Today, the island administratively belongs to the
city council () of
Almería and is part of the Almería Pescadería (fish market) district.
General Data
- Area: About 71,200 m². Close to the island there is another called Cloud Islet.
- Altitude: The island is a flat platform about 15 m above sea level.
- Curiosities: Owing 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.
