The ''plazas de soberanía'' (, lit. "strongholds of sovereignty") is a term describing a series of
Spanish overseas minor territories scattered along the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
coast bordering
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
or that are closer to Africa than Europe. This term is used for those territories that have been a part of Spain since the formation of the modern country (1492–1556), as opposed to African territories acquired by Spain during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the
Scramble for Africa.
Historically, a distinction was made between the so-called "major places of sovereignty", comprising the
autonomous cities of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was pa ...
, and the "minor places of sovereignty", referring to a number of islands (and a small peninsula) along the coast. In the present, the term refers mainly to the latter.
History
During the
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
and mainly following the conquest of
Granada in 1492, forces of the
Castilian and
Portuguese kingdoms conquered and maintained numerous posts in North Africa for trade and as a defence against
Barbary piracy.
In August 1415, the Portuguese conquered the city of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...
. In 1481, the
Papal bull ''
Aeterni regis'' had granted all land south of the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to ...
to Portugal. Only this archipelago and the possessions of
Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña (1476–1524),
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was pa ...
(
conquered by Pedro de Estopiñán in 1497),
Villa Cisneros (founded in 1502 in current
Western Sahara),
Mazalquivir (1505),
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (1508),
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
(1509–1708; 1732–1792),
Algiers (1510–1529),
Bugia (1510–1554),
Tripoli (1511–1551), and
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
(1535–1569) remained as Spanish territory in Africa. Finally, following the independence of Portugal after the end of the Spanish-led
Iberian Union,
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...
was ceded by Portugal to Spain in 1668.
In 1848, Spanish troops conquered the
Islas Chafarinas. In the late 19th century, after the so-called
Scramble for Africa, European nations had taken over colonial control of most of the African continent. The
Treaty of Fez (signed on 30 March 1912) made most of Morocco a
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...
of France, while Spain assumed the role of
protecting power over the northern part,
Spanish Morocco.
When Spain relinquished its protectorate and recognized Morocco's independence in 1956, it did not give up these minor territories, as Spain had held them well before the establishment of its protectorate.
On 11 July 2002, Morocco stationed six gendarmes on
Perejil Island, which was at the time a source of complaint by Spain. The
Spanish Armed Forces responded by launching a military operation code-named
Operation Romeo-Sierra. The operation was carried out by Spanish commandos of ''
Grupo de Operaciones Especiales''. The
Spanish Navy and
Spanish Air Force provided support; the six Moroccan navy cadets did not offer any resistance and were captured and evicted from the island. It has since been evacuated by both countries.
Physical geography
In addition to
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was pa ...
, there are historically three minor ''plazas de soberanía'':
Apart from these, there are two other islands usually considered within the ''plazas de soberanía''. The disputed
Perejil Island (), a small uninhabited islet close to Ceuta, is considered by Spain to be a part of Ceuta and not a territory in its own right.
Alboran Island (), another small island in the western Mediterranean, about 50 kilometres (31.05 miles) from the African coast and 90 kilometres (55.92 miles) from Europe, is administered as part of the municipality of
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...
on the Iberian Peninsula.
Political geography
The ''plazas de soberanía'' are small islands and a peninsula off the coast of Morocco (the only peninsula,
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, was an island until a 1934 storm formed a
sand bridge with the mainland). They are guarded by military garrisons and administered directly by the
Spanish central government.
Like Ceuta and Melilla, they are a part of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, therefore also part of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
, and their currency is the
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
.
Territorial dispute with Morocco
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
claims sovereignty over the ''plazas de soberanía'', including
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territori ...
and
Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was pa ...
.
See also
*
List of islands of Spain
*
List of Spanish colonial wars in Morocco
*
Morocco–Spain border
*
Nadim al-Maghrebi
*
Spanish protectorate in Morocco
The Spanish protectorate in Morocco ; es, Protectorado español de Marruecos, links=no, was established on 27 November 1912 by a treaty between France and Spain that converted the Spanish sphere of influence in Morocco into a formal prote ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plazas de soberania
Spanish Africa
Subdivisions of Spain
Mediterranean
Enclaves and exclaves
Territorial disputes of Spain
Territorial disputes of Morocco