A tiny European island nestled between northern Spain and southern France oddly flips nationalities every six months due to a unique 367-year-old treaty struck between the two countries. Pheasant Island, an uninhabited 660-foot-long spot in the Bidasoa River, bounces back and forth between the Spanish city of Irun and the French town of Hendaye. The twice-yearly handover, marked by a formal military parade, stems from the Treaty of the Pyrenees. The unusual agreement, signed on Nov. 7, 1659, ended the Franco-Spanish War and established the desolate island as a border between the two nations — effectively placing the sliver of territory under Spanish control from February 1 to July 31, and under French governance from August 1 to January 31. When the wars between France and Spain ended, they kept the island as a neutral space. The densely forested islet — ironically home to no pheasants — is restricted to military personnel and is only open to the public during the semi-annual celebrations.
