Pheasant Island: Spanish half the year, French the other

Pheasant Island is Spanish from February 1 to July 31 and French from August 1 to January 31, every single year. The handover takes place on an islet about 200 metres long in the middle of the Bidasoa river, which marks the border between Irun in Spain and Hendaye in France.

In international law, a territory whose sovereignty is split between two countries is called a condominium. There are only a handful in the world, and Pheasant Island is usually described as the smallest.

How the island changes country

Day to day, the island is looked after by the neighbouring towns: Irun during the Spanish half of the year, Hendaye during the French half. According to the Hondarribia and Irun tourist office, protective works have been carried out to stop the river from eating away at its banks.

The switch is more than paperwork. On handover day, February 1 and August 1, there's an official ceremony on the island with flags, delegations and diplomats, Euronews reports.

Why the island belongs to both countries

The story starts in 1659. France and Spain had been at war since 1635 and needed neutral ground to negotiate peace. A small island in the middle of the border river was ideal: neither side had to set foot on the other's territory.

There, Spanish minister Luis de Haro and Cardinal Mazarin, who ran the French government, held 24 meetings before signing the Treaty of the Pyrenees. The deal was sealed with the engagement of Louis XIV to the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa. A monolith in the middle of the island commemorates the talks.

Over the centuries, the island was also used for hostage exchanges and for handing over princesses promised in marriage from one court to the other. Since the peace of 1659, it has been administered by both countries.

A name born from a translation mistake

The island has nothing to do with pheasants. In French it is usually called Île de l'Hôpital. The Spanish name, Isla de los Faisanes, apparently came from a mistranslation of an older French name, according to the Hondarribia and Irun tourist office. In Basque, some locals still call it Konpantzia, a nod to the 17th-century conferences.

Can you visit Pheasant Island?

Rarely. The island is closed to the public for most of the year. According to Euronews, visitors are allowed on only on a few occasions, such as handover days and heritage tours organised by the local towns.

The rest of the time, you see it from the banks of the Bidasoa. Don't expect a dramatic view: it's a narrow strip of land in the middle of the river. The appeal is the history.

Other territories shared between countries

Pheasant Island is the most famous condominium, but not the only one. According to Wikipedia, several others are still in place:

• The Moselle, between Germany and Luxembourg. The Moselle and two tributaries, the Sauer and the Our, have been a condominium between the two countries since an 1816 treaty. The shared sovereignty covers the bridges and about 15 river islands.
• Lake Constance, between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Germany and Austria consider the main part of the lake a condominium of the three countries. Switzerland disagrees and holds that the border runs through the middle of the water. No treaty defines where the line lies.
• The Gulf of Fonseca, in Central America. El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share sovereignty over part of the gulf’s waters.
• Lake Titicaca, between Bolivia and Peru. The two countries declared the lake’s waters their joint, indivisible and exclusive property, in an agreement Bolivia ratified in 1987.

What makes Pheasant Island special is the rotation. In the other cases, sovereignty is shared all the time. Here, each country is in charge on its own for six months.

Practical tips

• Where it is: on the Bidasoa river between Irun (Spain) and Hendaye (France), near the river mouth and the town of Hondarribia.
• To set foot on it: watch for February 1 and August 1, and for heritage tours announced by the local tourist offices.
• To see it from outside: any day works. The riverbanks on both sides of the border look out onto the island.

FAQ

Which country does Pheasant Island belong to?

Both. Spain administers it from February 1 to July 31, and France from August 1 to January 31.

Why is it called Pheasant Island?

The Spanish name seems to come from a mistranslation of an older French name. In French, it's called Île de l'Hôpital.

What happened on Pheasant Island?

In 1659, France and Spain negotiated the Treaty of the Pyrenees there, ending the war between the two countries. The deal was sealed with the engagement of Louis XIV to the Infanta Maria Theresa.

Can you go onto the island?

Only on rare occasions, such as handover days and heritage tours.

Are there other territories shared between two countries?

Yes. The Moselle river has been a condominium between Germany and Luxembourg since 1816, and Lake Titicaca is jointly owned by Bolivia and Peru. But only Pheasant Island changes country every six months.

European borders hide other oddities like this. In Baarle, between Belgium and the Netherlands, the line runs right through houses, cafés and shops.

Sources

• Spanish or French? Pheasant Island is about to swap nationalities — again, Euronews, July 30, 2024: the handover dates, the island's size, the ceremony and the rare occasions when visits are allowed.
• Pheasant Island, Hondarribia Irun Turismoa: the joint care by Irun and Hendaye, the protective works, the island's names, the 24 meetings of 1659 and the monolith.
• Treaty of the Pyrenees, Wikipedia: the date of the treaty and the Franco-Spanish war that began in 1635.
• Condominium (international law), Wikipedia: the current condominiums on the Moselle, Lake Constance, the Gulf of Fonseca and Lake Titicaca.