Conejo Island (Spanish: Isla Conejo, “rabbit island”) is a small, uninhabited islet situated in the Gulf of Fonseca, a body of water on the Pacific coast of Central America. The island lies at approximately 13°20′52″ N 87°44′34″ W, about 600 metres off the Honduran mainland in the Valle Department.
Geography
Conejo Island covers roughly 1,000 square metres and consists of low‑lying terrain with limited vegetation. Its proximity to the shoreline makes it accessible on foot at low tide. The islet has no permanent civilian population; only temporary military personnel have been stationed there to assert sovereignty.
Administration
De facto, the island is administered by Honduras as part of the Valle Department. Honduras maintains a small military outpost on the island.
Territorial dispute
The sovereignty of Conejo Island is contested by El Salvador, which claims the islet as part of its La Unión Department. The dispute is rooted in the broader El Salvador–Honduras border issues in the Gulf of Fonseca.
- In 1992, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a judgment delimiting the land and maritime boundary between El Salvador and Honduras, but the ruling did not explicitly resolve the status of Conejo Island.
- Subsequent diplomatic efforts, including an Organization of American States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ decision in 2003, addressed the overall maritime boundary but left the island’s ownership unresolved.
Strategic significance
Although tiny, Conejo Island holds strategic value for naval and military purposes, providing a foothold in the Gulf of Fonseca and influencing access to the Pacific Ocean for the surrounding nations.
Demographics
The island has no permanent civilian residents. Military personnel stationed on Conejo Island are temporary and rotate according to the defending nation’s deployment schedules.
References
- Wikipedia, “Conejo Island.”
- International Court of Justice case registry, Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute (El Salvador/Honduras: Nicaragua intervening).
This entry reflects information available from reputable sources as of the latest update.