A satellite NASA World Wind caption of Isla Perejil seen as a tiny island (top middle)

The Isla Perejil ("Parsley Island" in English; Arabic: Leila, "night" , local, i.e. Berber name: Tura) is a small, rocky islet located in the Strait of Gibraltar, 250 m off the coast of Morocco, 3.1 km from the Spanish exclave Ceuta. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x702, 878 KB) Screenshot taken from NASA World Wind of the Isla Perejil. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x702, 878 KB) Screenshot taken from NASA World Wind of the Isla Perejil. ... Combatants Morocco Spain Commanders Mohammed IV of Morocco Juan Prim Leopoldo ODonnell Strength 40,000 140,000 Casualties 6,000 dead or wounded 4,000 dead or wounded The Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859, known as the African War in Spain (Spanish: La Guerra de África), was a war... Combatants Spain Rif Confederacy (Morocco) Commanders Juan García Margallo † Arsenio Martínez de Campos Hassan I of Morocco Baja-el-Arbi Strength 25,000 regulars and militia 40,000 irregulars The Rif War of 1893, also called the Melilla War or the Margallo War (after an unfortunate Spanish general... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Spain France Republic of the Rif Commanders Manuel Silvestre Dámaso Berenguer José Millán Astray Miguel Primo de Rivera Philippe Pétain Abd el-Krim Strength 465,000 regulars 15,000 irregulars Casualties 31,000 dead or wounded 54,000 dead or wounded The Rif War of 1920... The Ifni War, also known as the 1957 Invasion of Spanish Sahara and, in Spain, the Forgotten War (la Guerra Ignorada), was a series of armed incursions into Spanish West Africa by Moroccan insurgents and indigenous Sahrawi rebels that began in October 1957 and culminated with the abortive siege of... This article is about the historical event. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Afro-Asiatic - Berber The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... Mōkōlea Rock in Kailua Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, 2. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ...

The word Perejil is thought not to be derived from the plant name but to be a misderivation of "Perez Gil", the names of an owner/conqueror, but there is no evidence of that.^{[citation needed]} This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

History

In 1415 Portugal, along with the conquest of Ceuta, took possession of the nearby islet of Perejil from the Kingdom of Fez . Portugal then became united with Spain from 1580–1640. The island has been under Spanish control since 1668.^{[citation needed]} Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... The Kingdom of Fez was a powerful kindgom in what is today know as Algeria and Morocco. ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... 1668 (MDCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The islet's sovereignty is nowadays disputed by Morocco and Spain. The vast majority of Spaniards and Moroccans had not heard of the islet until July 11, 2002, when a group of Moroccan soldiers set up base on the islet. The Moroccan government said that they set foot on the island in order to monitor illegal immigration, which was denied by the Spanish government since there was virtually no cooperation in the matter by that time (a repeated source of complaint from Spain). Later, after protests from the Spanish government, led by José María Aznar, the soldiers were replaced by Moroccan navy cadets who then installed a fixed base on the island. This further angered the Spanish government and both countries restated their claims to the islet. Spain was fully supported by almost all the European Union member states, with the exception of a rather cold shoulder from France and Portugal (whose government issued a statement merely regretting the incident), while Morocco had the official support from the Arab League, except for Algeria, which even took that occasion to insist on Algerian recognition of Spanish sovereignty over the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. This exception should be placed in a context of historic geopolitic tension between Morocco and Algeria, together with the fact that Spain is currently Algeria's third biggest trading partner (mostly based on the natural gas trade). July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Headquarters Cairo, Egypt1 Largest cities Alexandria, Baghdad, Cairo, Casablanca, Damascus, Khartoum Official languages Arabic Membership 22 Arab states 2 observer states Leaders  -  Secretary General Amr Moussa (since 2001)  -  Council of the Arab League Sudan  -  Speaker of the Arab Parliament Nabih Berri Establishment  -  Alexandria Protocol March 22, 1945  Area  -  Total 13... D is Bs exclave, but is not an enclave. ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ... Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked  20 km²   Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked  66,871    3,343. ... Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. ...

On the morning of July 18, Operation Romeo-Sierra, was launched. The operation was successful and the Moroccan navy cadets were dislodged from the island in a matter of hours without offering any resistance to the Spanish commando attack force, Grupo de Operaciones Especiales III. The operation was launched in conjunction with the Spanish Navy and Spanish Air Force. The captured Moroccans were transferred by helicopter to the headquarters of the Guardia Civil in Ceuta, from where they were transported to the Moroccan border. Over the course of the same day the Spanish commandos were replaced on the island by members of the Spanish Legion, who remained on the island until Morocco, after mediation by the United States, primarily by Colin Powell, agreed to return to the status quo ante. The islet is now, once again, deserted. is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grupo Especial de Operaciones (Special Operations Group, GEO) is part of the Spanish National Police and is stationed in Guadalajara near the capital, Madrid. ... The Spanish Navy (in Spanish, Armada Española) is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military. ... SAF Roundel The Spanish Air Force (Spanish: Ejército del Aire; literally, Army of the Air) is the air force of the Spain. ... Río Nervión patrol boat, in Bilbao. ... The Spanish Legion (La Legión Española) is a military elite unit of the Spanish Army. ... General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Sovereignty

Isla Perejil has no permanent human population. Goats are pastured there, and the Moroccan government expressed worries that smugglers and terrorists, in addition to illegal immigrants, were using the island, which is not likely since after the incident the island is well monitored from both sides in order to maintain the status quo that leaves it deserted and virtually a no man's land. Species See Species and subspecies The goat is a mammal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ... A skirmish with smugglers from Finland at the Russian border, 1853, by Vasily Hudiakov. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... 29th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Division, Canadian Corps. ...

Morocco had been demanding the return of the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla. The crisis over Isla Perejil was viewed by the Spanish as a way for the Moroccans to test the waters in regard to Spain's will to defend its remaining North African possessions. The swift and overwhelming use of force to retake this strategically unimportant and uninhabited islet demonstrated Spain's desire to retain its foothold in North Africa. D is Bs exclave, but is not an enclave. ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ... Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked  20 km²   Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked  66,871    3,343. ...

Apart from Ceuta and Melilla, several other nearby territories and islands controlled by Spain have been occasionally claimed by Morocco. See Isla de Alborán, Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera. Isla de Alborán is an island on the Alborán Sea, located about 1/3 of the way from Morocco to Spain. ... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Chafarinas Islas Chafarinas is a group of three small islands located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Morocco, 48 km (30 mi) to the east of Melilla and 3. ... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Alhucemas, or Lavender Rock, is one of the Spanish territories in North Africa off the Moroccan coast, along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera... 19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera 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...

External links

• Isla Perejil in Google Maps
• Moroccans seize Parsley Island and leave a bitter taste in Spanish mouths, Guardian Unlimited

See also

• Plazas de soberanía
• List of Spanish Colonial Wars in Morocco
• Spanish Morocco

Coordinates: 35°55′N, 5°25′W In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain has five plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty) near Morocco administrated directly by Madrids Government. ... List of wars and disputes relating to the colonial presence of Spain in Morocco War of 1859 First Rif War or Rif War (1893) Second Rif War Third Rif War or Rif War (1920) Ifni War Recuperar Soberanía the dispute for the island Isla Perejil Scramble for Africa Berlin... Spanish Morocco, was the area of Morocco ruled by Spain from up to 1956, when France and Spain recognised Moroccan independence. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...