Colonial heads of Spanish Morocco
| Spanish protectorate in Morocco | ||||||||||
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Protectorado español en Marruecos حماية إسبانيا في المغرب |
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| Protectorate of Spain | ||||||||||
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 Map of Spanish Morocco with its Northern (Spanish Morocco) and Southern (Cape Juby) zones
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 Map of the northern zone in 1956
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| Capital | Tetuán | |||||||||
| Languages |
Spanish Berber Arabic |
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| Religion |
Roman Catholicism Judaism Islam |
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| Political structure | Protectorate | |||||||||
| Historical era | 20th Century | |||||||||
| • | Treaty with France | 27 November 1912 | ||||||||
| • | Reunited to Morocco | 7 April 1956 | ||||||||
| Currency | Spanish peseta | |||||||||
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The Spanish protectorate in Morocco 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 protectorate.
The Spanish protectorate consisted of a northern strip on the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar, and a southern part of the protectorate around Cape Juby, bordering the Spanish Sahara. The northern zone was retroceded to an independent Morocco on 7 April 1956, shortly after France had ceded her protectorate. Spain finally ceded her southern zone through the around Cintra Bay on 1 April 1958, only after the short Ifni War. The city of Tangiers was excluded of the Spanish protectorate and received an special internationally controled status.
Since France already held a protectorate over the entire country and controlled Morocco's foreign affairs (since 30 March 1912), it also held the power to delegate a zone to Spanish protection. The surface area of the zone was about 20,948 km2 (8,088 sq mi), which represents 4.69% of modern-day Morocco.
In a convention dated 27 June 1900, France and Spain agreed to recognize separate zones of influence in Morocco, but did not specify their boundaries. In 1902, France offered Spain all of Morocco north of the Sebu River and south of the Sous River, but Spain declined in the belief that such a division would offend Britain. The British and French, without any Spanish insistence, declared Spain's right to a zone of influence in Morocco in Article 8 of the Entente cordiale of 8 April 1904:
The two Governments, inspired by their feeling of sincere friendship for Spain, take into special consideration the interests which that country derives from her geographical position and from her territorial possessions on the Moorish coast of the Mediterranean. In regard to these interests the French Government will come to an understanding with the Spanish Government. The agreement which may be come to on the subject between France and Spain shall be communicated to His Britannic Majesty's Government.
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Wikipedia