Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

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Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is one of the Spanish territories on North Africa off the Moroccan coast (Plazas de soberanía), along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Peñón de Alhucemas, Islas Chafarinas and the small islet of Isla Perejil.

Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is located 117 km (72.7 mi) southeast of Ceuta, a larger Spanish enclave in continental Morocco. It was a natural island, but is now an artificial peninsula, permanently connected to the Moroccan coast by an 85 m (279 feet) long sand strip (one of the world's shortest land borders). It covers about 19,000 m².

It was conquered by Spain in 1508 in a battle with a group of pirates. It has been under effective Spanish control since 1564 and is administered from Melilla.

It is currently only occupied by a Spanish military garrison of roughly 60 men but has no civilian population.

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Image:Flag of Spain.svg Administrative divisions of Spain

Autonomous communities:
Andalusia · Aragon · Asturias · Balearic Islands · Basque Country · Canary Islands · Cantabria · Castile‑La Mancha · Castile and León · Catalonia · Extremadura · Galicia · Madrid · Murcia · Navarre · La Rioja · Valencia

Autonomous cities: Ceuta · Melilla

Plazas de soberanía: Islas Chafarinas · Peñón de Alhucemas · Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

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Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)
Denmark	Greenland
France	Clipperton Island • French Guiana • French Polynesia • French Southern and Antarctic Lands • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Mayotte • New Caledonia • Réunion • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean • Wallis and Futuna
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Netherlands	Aruba • Netherlands Antilles
Norway	Bouvet Island
Portugal	Azores • Madeira
Spain	Ceuta • Melilla • Plazas de soberanía • Canary Islands
United Kingdom	Anguilla • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Falkland Islands • Montserrat • Saint Helena • Tristan da Cunha • Turks and Caicos Islands • British Indian Ocean Territory • Pitcairn Islands • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands