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The France–Spain border was formally defined in 1659. It separates the two countries from Hendaye and Irun in the west, running through the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
to Cerbère and Portbou on 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. It runs roughly along the
drainage divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a single ...
defined by the Pyrenees, though with several exceptions.


Features


Main border

The Franco-Spanish border runs for between southwestern France and northeastern Spain. It begins in the west on the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...
at the French city of Hendaye and the Spanish city of Irun (). The border continues eastward along the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
to the sovereign nation of
Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
(). At this point, the small country interrupts the border between Spain and France for on the Spanish side and on the French side. Then the border continues eastward () to 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
at Cerbère in France and Portbou in Spain (). From west to east, crossing the border:


Llívia

Spain has an
exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
in France,
Llívia Llívia (; ) is a town in the '' comarca'' of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French '' département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is named after Livia, the wife of Augustus and matr ...
, in the
Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spain, Spanish ...
.


Pheasant Island

Near the western end of the border, following the course of the river Bidasoa, Pheasant Island (located in the middle of the river) has an unusual border regime: the island is a
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
whose sovereignty is shared between the two countries: one country in January–June each year, and the other country in July–December.


History


Background

The formal layout of the Franco-Spanish border dates back to the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees between the kingdoms of Spain and France in 1659. This was followed by the Treaty of Llivia the following year, which transferred to France the sovereignty of several villages in the valley of Querol. Later there were some further agreements covering specific areas: * the agreement signed in
Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...
in 1764, which established the boundaries between Empordà and Coll Pertús and * the Elizondo Treaty in 1785 establishing limits on the height of Aldudes is demarcated and Valcarlos.


Bayonne Treaties

The final definition, which for the most part is still in force, is set out in the Bayonne Treaties between 1856 and 1868. During the mandates of Queen Isabel II and the French emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
, several agreements were signed between the two countries by which the border was established:Treaties of Bayonne of 1856, 1862, 1866 and 1868
, Fama2.us.es
* The treaty of 1856, establishing the boundary between the provinces of Guipuzcoa is demarcated and
Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...
. * The treaty of 1862, which marked the boundaries in the provinces of Huesca and
Lleida Lleida (, ; ; '' see below'') is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It ...
. * The treaty of 1866, which did the same from the valley of
Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
to 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. * Final Act of borders, signed in 1868.


Subsequent amendments

Later both countries concluded agreements under the same point. In 1980 an agreement was signed to define the border into the Bielsa-Aragnouet tunnel, and 1984, during the construction of the road linking the Roncal Valley with Arette, a mutual transfer of land of 2710 m2 (29,170 sq ft) was agreed. In 1995, with the entry into force of the Schengen Agreement, border controls for people and goods were abolished, thus ensuring
freedom of movement Freedom of movement, mobility rights, or the right to travel is a human rights concept encompassing the right of individuals to travel from place to place within the territory of a country,Jérémiee Gilbert, ''Nomadic Peoples and Human Rights'' ...
across the border. A number of disused border stations remain.


Marking

Following the provisions of the treaties of Bayonne, the border is physically marked on the ground by 602 cairns showing the division between the two countries. These markers are numbered from west to east: the first located on the Bidasoa and the last in Cap Cerbère, marked with consecutive numbers and letters. Another 45 cairns mark the border around Llivia; they are numbered anticlockwise from the number 1 at the entrance of the French road RD-68 into the enclave. Maintaining this signaling runs either on behalf of both states.


Crossings


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:France-Spain border 1659 establishments in France 1659 in international relations 1659 establishments in Spain European Union internal borders Borders of Spain Borders of France International borders