Spanish enclave and autonomous community (pop., 2001: 66,411), North Africa.
It covers 5 sq mi (12 sq km) and is a military station and seaport. Located on Morocco's northern coast, it was successively colonized by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. It fell as a Berber town to Spain in 1497 and remained Spanish despite a long history of attack and siege. In the early 20th century Spain modernized its port and made it an administrative centre for Spanish Morocco. It was the first Spanish town to rise against the Popular Front government in 1936, helping to precipitate the Spanish Civil War . It was retained by Spain when Morocco achieved independence in 1956.