Melilla

Autonomous city, port, and military base on the northeast coast of Morocco; area 14 sq km/5 sq mi; population (1996 est) 59,600. It was captured by Spain in 1496 and is still under Spanish rule. Melilla has been a free port since 1863, and its modern commercial links include an airport and car ferries to Málaga. The port mainly exports iron ore, and the naval shipyard is a major employer.

Also administered from Melilla are three other Spanish possessions: Peña (‘rock’) de Velez de la Gomera, Peña d'Alhucemas, and the Islas Chafarinas. Melilla was the scene of the revolt of army chiefs which led to the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The whole of the northern Spanish zone of Morocco became independent in 1956, with the exception of Ceuta and Melilla.