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The author of the article states that access to Pheasant...
The European Island That Swaps Nationality Twice a Year
Sophie-May Williams
01 “There are no pheasants ___ Pheasant Island,” complained the French author Victor Hugo
02 ___ 1843. Calm down, Mr. Hugo. The lack ___ game birds is the least interesting thing ___ the
03 place. Less than 200 meters long and 40 meters wide, this tiny stretch of land on the Bidasoa
04 River between France and Spain boasts something truly unique: it changes nationality every six
05 months.
06 Let's backtrack a bit. Pheasant Island is uninhabited, briefly home to migratory birds and
07 wild animals, and lush with greenery. Sunshine is permanent, thanks to the year-long subtropical
08 climate. The only structure is a 19th-century monolith that shares both Spanish and French
09 inscriptions, a symbol of peace between the two nations. But there's more to this geopolitical
10 anomaly than meets the eye. From February 1 to July 31, it's under Spanish rule. Then, from
11 August 1 to January 31, it belongs to France.
12 Despite adhering to such a curious concept, few people have heard of the island. Or what
13 it stands for. Back in 1659, it served as the signing location for the Treaty of the Pyrenees. This
14 was a significant peace treaty between Louis XIV of France and Philip IV of Spain, as it ended
15 the 30-year Franco-Spanish War. Remember the tomb-like monolith from earlier? It was erected
16 centuries later to commemorate this very meeting. In simple terms, it gave each nation the
17 chance to govern the humanless island. Sharing is caring, after all. The occasion was so
18 momentous that a year later, French King Louis XIV married the daughter of King Philip IV, Maria
19 Theresa of Spain, in the exact spot where the treaty was signed. Wooden bridges were erected
20 so royal entourages could pass through in barges and carriages, and paintings were
21 commissioned to immortalize the event.
22 These days, general access to Pheasant Island is prohibited. The only time you might be
23 able to set foot on this metaphor for neutrality is during the swap. Twice a year (on February 1
24 and August 1), French and Spanish authorities conduct a formal handover of the island. With
25 suitable pomp and ceremony, both perform military dress parades around the monolith before
26 peacefully switching governance. Bizarre and fascinating.
27 Local town councils use this as an opportunity to organize heritage tours. For a limited time,
28 tourists can set foot on the island and step back in time. Pheasant Island aside, you'd be a fool
29 not to explore the surrounding areas of this unique part of the world. For one, it's technically
30 located in the famous Basque Country. The autonomous community in northern Spain straddles
31 France and is known as much for its lively festivals and celebrations as it is for its diverse
32 landscape of mountainous terrain and rugged coastlines. It's also close to the Camino de
33 Santiago, a network of ancient, spiritual pilgrimage routes in Spain.
(Available at: https://metro.co.uk/2025/04/09/bizarre-european-island-swaps-nationality-twice-a-year-
22872393/ - text specially adapted for this test).
The author of the article states that access to Pheasant Island is usually forbidden. Considering that, analyze the second conditional statement below in standard English:
“If the island ______ open to the public year-round, it _____ lose its unique appeal”.
Mark the alternative that fills in, correctly and respectively, the blanks in the sentence above.
A
was - will
B
were - would
C
is - would
D
were - will
E
was - would