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06/03/2017

The Savage Islands: the sea as a meeting point (DIEEEO22-2017)

The Savage Islands are a small archipelago located at the north of the Canary Islands. They are the scenarios of the largest conflict between Spain and Portugal, dating back to the fifteenth century. Although Spain has recognized the Portuguese sovereignty on the surface, the dispute now focuses on the waters surrounding the archipelago. For legal reasons, the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones of both countries, and the consequent exploitation rights, depends on the classification of the Islands as inhabited (as Portugal maintains) or uninhabited (Spain’s position). The doubts about the existence of hydrocarbons in the area make it even more difficult to resolve the dispute quickly. To this day, the conflict of interests between the two nations remains irresolvable, despite the various proposals that have been presented to the United Nations.

Author: Ana Gómez Adeva

THIS DOCUMENT IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN SPANISH LANGUAGE.

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