Island left to the goats

last updated 8 January 2015

Perejil, Spain or Morocco

Spain and Morocco have agreed to leave the tiny, disputed island of Perejil uninhabited. The two countries had an alarming spat over the half-mile-long rock last week, when Moroccan soldiers planted a flag on the island and Spanish ships swooped in to reclaim it. Both countries still claim the island, but under a deal brokered by the U.S. this week, neither will establish a camp there. The two countries still have plenty to argue about, though—including Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara, Moroccan illegal immigrants in Spain, and Spain’s two territories within Morocco.