Isabel II Island ( es, Isla de Isabel II) is the central island of the

Chafarinas Islands The Chafarinas Islands ( es, Islas Chafarinas , ber, Igumamen Iceffaren, script=Latn or , ar, جزر الشفارين or ), also spelled Zafarin, Djaferin or Zafarani, are a group of three small Spanish islets located in the Alboran Sea off th ...

, in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. The island belongs to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is located only away from the North-African shore, in front of the Moroccan town of

Ras Kebdana Ras Kebdana or Ras El Ma (Tarifit: Qabuyawa, ⵇⴰⴱⵓⵢⴰⵡⴰ; Arabic: رأس الماء) is a town in Nador Province, Oriental, Morocco. It is a seaport, is located in the province of Nador. According to the 2014 census, it has a popul ...

. Its area is 0.153 km² (15.3 ha), and there is a military base and a church.

Name

The name of the island comes from

Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

Queen of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

from 1833 to 1868.

Geography

Displaying a rounded shape, it has a total area of . Substantially flatter than the Isla del Congreso, it reaches a maximum height of 35 metres above sea level.

History

Archeological remains found in the island suggest the existence of an outpost intended for sheltering ships by the 1st century BC, a time when the North-African coastline thrived during the reign of

Juba II Juba II or Juba of Mauretania (Latin: ''Gaius Iulius Iuba''; grc, Ἰóβας, Ἰóβα or ;Roller, Duane W. (2003) ''The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene'' "Routledge (UK)". pp. 1–3. . c. 48 BC – AD 23) was the son of Juba I and client ...

. Along the other two islands of the archipelago ( Isla del Rey and

Isla del Congreso The Isla del Congreso (in English: ''Congress Island'') is an island located in the Chafarinas Islands, an archipelago located 4 kilometers from the African shore. The island belongs to Spain, and has an area of 0.256 km2. Geography The islan ...

), it was occupied in 1848 by Spain, that alleged ''

terra nullius ''Terra nullius'' (, plural ''terrae nullius'') is a Latin expression meaning " nobody's land". It was a principle sometimes used in international law to justify claims that territory may be acquired by a state's occupation of it. : : ...

'', anticipating French intentions to do the same from Algeria. General Francisco Serrano took possession of the islands bringing two ships from

Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

. The works of conditioning of the island of Isabel II suffered a major setback after the passing of a strong storm in March 1849. Then the question arose of whether the stay in the archipelago was worth it or not. Between 1910 and 1915 the island was connected through a

dike Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes ...

with the Isla del Rey.

Electric light An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

ing was installed on the island in 1922.

Population

The island is the only inhabited island of the archipelago. It currently hosts a military garrison with personnel from the Ministry of Environment of Spain, as the islands are a National Reserve protected because of the wealth of their natural species.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Isla de Isabel II Plazas de soberanía Isabel II