Peñón de Alhucemas
| Peñón de Alhucemas | ||
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| Waters | Mediterranean Sea | |
| Archipelago | Alhucemas Islands | |
| Geographical location | 35 ° 12 '47.9 " N , 3 ° 53' 21.5" W | |
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| length | 170 m | |
| width | 86 m | |
| surface | 1.5 ha | |
| Highest elevation | 27 m | |
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Peñón de Alhucemas ( Peñón : Spanish for boulder) is a nearly two-hectare island belonging to Spain off the coast of North Africa , 400 meters off the Moroccan Mediterranean coast near the city of Al Hoceïma . It is administered directly by the government in Madrid , does not belong to one of the autonomous regions of Spain and is therefore a Plaza de soberanía . It belongs to the EU and the euro zone .
The cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the regions of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , Islas Chafarinas and Isla del Perejil have a similar status .
The Peñón de Alhucemas and the nearby islands of Isla de Mar and Isla de Tierra are collectively referred to as the Alhucemas Islands . In 1560 the islands of only 0.06 km² were ceded to Spain by the regional sultan during the Turkish wars. In 1921, during the Rif War, an attempt was made to capture it by Abd al-Karim . The Peñón de Alhucemas is only used for military purposes by a small garrison and is otherwise not inhabited. The tower of a former church can be seen from afar. There is no port on the islands, there is only an anchorage .