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The Shortest International Border In The World
How short can a border be?
There are some truly long borders in the world. Some countries share borders that are thousands of miles in length. It only takes one glance at a world map to clearly see these locations. Some prominent examples include the US-Canadian border, which is over 6,000 miles long, and the long mountainous border between Argentina and Chile, which runs a huge length of South America. But what is the shortest border in the world?
The shortest border in the world is a small sandy spit of land that divides Spain and Morocco. Not only is this border the shortest in the world, but it is also relatively new.
Lying off the coast of Morocco is a tiny rocky outcropping that is a vestige of the old Spanish Empire. This tidal island is a holdover from the days when Spain owned portions of land in North Africa, as well as numerous small islands and enclaves in the surrounding waters. This small pile of rocks jutting out of the sea is known as Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and it is home to the world’s shortest international border.
History
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera was used by pirates and corsairs in the region for many decades. Piracy was rampant in this part of the world up until the 20th century. Islands like Peñón de Vélez de la…
