The island that switches countries every six months

next week, france will quit 3,000 squarem (32,000 squarefeet) of its territory to spain with out a single shot being fired. however in six months' time spain will voluntarily hand again the land to france. as chris bockman reports, it is been that way for more than 350 years.

the french basque seaside resort of hendaye is the ultimate city before the border with spain. out of season, its beautiful curved sandy bay appears to be occupied with the aid of loads of seals. but appearance more closely and they may be, in reality, defiant winter surfers in wetsuits.

just beyond a protracted breakwater is the historic spanish metropolis of hondarribia and its sprawling, constructed-up neighbour irun. the herbal border is the river bidassoa, which flows into an estuary dividing the two countries.

as you cross upstream from the river mouth, the view modifications. imposing and colorful basque buildings supply manner to business warehouses at the french facet, and unappealing residential tower blocks at the spanish.but what i've come to look is the island of faisans. it's now not smooth to find. once I ask for guidelines, no person knows why i want to move there. they tell me there may be nothing to look and warn me you can't visit it - no-one lives there, it is not a tourist destination like mont st michel.

commercial
but there it is - a non violent, inaccessible island inside the middle of the river, with tree cover and well trimmed grass, and an vintage monument which can pay tribute to a extremely good ancient occasion that occurred right here in 1659.

for 3 months, the spanish and french negotiated the give up to their lengthy warfare at the island, as it become considered impartial territory. timber bridges have been prolonged from both facets. the armies stood equipped because the negotiations commenced.

a peace agreement become signed - the treaty of the pyrenees. territory was swapped and the border demarcated. and the deal become sealed with a royal wedding, because the french king louis xiv married the daughter of the spanish king philippe iv.

discover extra
from our own correspondent has insight and evaluation from bbc journalists, correspondents and writers from round the sector
listen on iplayer, get the podcast or pay attention at the bbc global provider, or on radio 4 on thursdays at 11:00 and saturdays at 11:30 bst
one other detail changed into that the island itself become to be shared between the 2 countries, with manipulate rotating from one to the alternative. for six months of the 12 months, from february 1 to 31 july, it is underneath spanish rule - and for the following six months it is french. this form of joint sovereignty is called a condominium, and faisans island is one of the oldest in life.

the naval commander within the spanish metropolis of san sebastian and his french counterpart in bayonne act as governors or viceroys of the island. in reality they have larger fish to cope with, so it is up to the mayors of irun and hendaye to take turns looking after the island.

benoit ugartemendia runs the parks department for the neighborhood council in hendaye. he informed me he sends a small crew as soon as a 12 months by boat to the island to cut the grass, trim the tree branches and that's about it. the river is tidal - you may occasionally attain the island by way of foot from spain - so in addition to cutting the grass, the spanish police chase off illegal campers.

the island is tiny - simply over 200m lengthy and 40m huge. very once in a while, the public is invited to visit on heritage open days, however benoit says it only pursuits older human beings and younger humans recognise not anything of its historic significance.

in recent times, crossing from france to spain through land is a unbroken enjoy except for the gridlocked traffic - but under the franco dictatorship, the border changed into closely policed. the mayor of hendaye, kotte ecenarro, informed me there was sentry factors each 100m alongside the river facing the island to prevent warring parties going in or out.nowadays, the mayors of irun and hendaye meet about a dozen instances a yr to discuss issues like water fine and fishing rights. within the beyond, spanish fishermen have complained approximately the form of french boats and recently had been dissatisfied with french excursion makers in canoes disrupting their commercial enterprise.

the island itself is a low precedence. it's being eroded - it has lost nearly half of of its length over the centuries, as snow melt rushes down from the pyrenees and into the river. but neither united states desires to spend cash building up the island's defences.

this year, there will be no ceremony marking the handover. there has been an idea to fly the flag of whichever usa changed into currently in - however mr ecenarro the mayor instructed me that till recently, that might handiest have advocated the basque separatists to take it down or update it with their own. so in some days' time - perhaps the world's most undisputed border island will alternate ownership again. and in august spain will hand it lower back yet again - unless it all at once comes to a decision to renege on that 350-year-vintage treaty.