Ifni (Territorio de Ifni) was a Spanish province on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, south of Agadir and across from the Canary Islands. Spain’s presence in the area can be traced to a settlement called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña, founded in 1476. After attacks by the Berbers, the Spanish decided to focus on colonising other areas of North Africa and abandoned the region.
In the mid-19th century, when the European powers looked again to Africa for resources, Spain suddenly mooted an interest in its lost late medieval fortress in order to stake a claim to the southern part of Morocco. This served as a pretext for a short war with Morocco in 1859. The territory and its main town of Sidi Ifni were ceded to Spain by the Sultanate of Morocco on 26 April 1860, but there was little interest in this colonial acquisition until 1934, when the Governor-General of Spanish Sahara took up residence.
Until 1952, Ifni region had the status of a protectorate. In this year, the region became part of Spanish West Africa (entity that grouped the colonies of Spanish Sahara and Cape Juby). After the Ifni War (1957), most of the territory became occupied de facto by Morocco. In 1958, the colony was made into a Spanish province in order to forestall United Nations criticism of continued colonisation.
Spain formally returned the territory to Morocco on 30 June 1969.
Blogs
the most beautiful stamps in the world I think, I only have 5 of them
Short but nice reading.
Never heard of that territory in the past.
Tks for sharing.
I had seen stamps when I was a kid from there but I had no idea where the country was or any of it’s past. Glad we both learned something! 😀