Ifni
Encyclopedia
Ifni was a Spanish
province on the Atlantic coast of Morocco
, south of Agadir
and across from the Canary Islands
.
It had a total area of 1,502 km² (580 sq mi), and a population of 51,517 in 1964. The main industry was fishing
.
Spain's presence in the area can be traced to a settlement called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña
, founded in 1476. The Spanish
were expelled from the area in 1524 by the Berbers
.
In the mid-nineteenth century Spain became interested in its lost medieval fortress in order to claim the southern part of Morocco
, and for no clear reason Ifni was wrongly considered the most likely area.
The territory and its main town, Sidi Ifni
, were ceded to Spain by Morocco on April 26, 1860, following a short war
, but there was little Spanish presence until 1934, when the governor-general
of Spanish Sahara
took up residence. During Franco's dictatorship, the colony was made a Spanish province
to stop United Nations
criticism on decolonization.
Spain returned Ifni to Morocco on January 4, 1969, and the territory was reintegrated into the Moroccan region of Souss-Massa-Draâ
.
s for Ifni in 1941, initially overprint
ing Spanish stamps with "TERRITORIO DE IFNI", then issuing new designs in 1943. Issues followed at the rate of about 10 a year, the last on November 23, 1968. Most are commonly available, but are far more often seen unused.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
province on the Atlantic coast of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, south of Agadir
Agadir
Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
and across from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
It had a total area of 1,502 km² (580 sq mi), and a population of 51,517 in 1964. The main industry was fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
Spain's presence in the area can be traced to a settlement called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña
Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña
Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña was a Spanish settlement in the Western coast of Africa, across from the Canary Islands, founded in 1476 as a trading post with a fortress...
, founded in 1476. The Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
were expelled from the area in 1524 by the Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
.
In the mid-nineteenth century Spain became interested in its lost medieval fortress in order to claim the southern part of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, and for no clear reason Ifni was wrongly considered the most likely area.
The territory and its main town, Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni is a city located in southwest Morocco, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of 20,000 people. The economic base of the city is fishing. It belongs to the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region and to the Sidi Ifni province. Its inhabitants are mainly Chleuhs from the Ait...
, were ceded to Spain by Morocco on April 26, 1860, following a short war
Spanish-Moroccan War (1859)
The Hispano-Moroccan War, also known as the Spanish–Moroccan War, the First Moroccan War, the Tetuán War, or, in Spain, as the African War , was fought from Spain's declaration of war on Morocco on 22 October 1859 until the Treaty of Wad-Ras on 26 April 1860...
, but there was little Spanish presence until 1934, when the governor-general
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara
Spanish Sahara was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was ruled as a territory by Spain between 1884 and 1975...
took up residence. During Franco's dictatorship, the colony was made a Spanish province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
to stop United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
criticism on decolonization.
Spain returned Ifni to Morocco on January 4, 1969, and the territory was reintegrated into the Moroccan region of Souss-Massa-Draâ
Souss-Massa-Draâ
Souss-Massa-Draâ is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 70,880 km² and has a population of 3,113,653 . The capital is Agadir...
.
Postage stamps
Spain began issuing postage stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s for Ifni in 1941, initially overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...
ing Spanish stamps with "TERRITORIO DE IFNI", then issuing new designs in 1943. Issues followed at the rate of about 10 a year, the last on November 23, 1968. Most are commonly available, but are far more often seen unused.