The population consists mainly of Spaniards as well as about 8000 Africans and 2000 Jews. Melilla is a free port. There are companies in the food industry, light industry and shipyards. Fishing is important. Imports are mainly from Spain; exports go to non-Spanish areas. Melilla was conquered by Spain in 1496. Melilla was part of the Spanish province of Málaga to 1995, and is today an Autonomous City within Spain.
The area of Melilla is a residual area of the former Spanish colony of Spanish Morocco, which existed from 1912 to 1956 as a Spanish protectorate in northern Morocco, and was given up except the Plazas de Soberanía (Presidios). The Presidios had been from the early modern period Spanish possession, then deportation places for convicts on the north coast of Morocco. The Presidios are still until today the following possessions:
• Ceuta (84.777 inhabitants), • Melilla (86.487 inhabitants), • Perejil (uninhabited), • Peñon de Velez de la Gomera, • Alhucemas-Inseln, • Chafarinas-Inseln (the latter three alltogether 300 inhabitants)
Sometimes the Plazas de Soberanía are even called as Spanish North Africa. Morocco claims the Plazas de Soberanía and in this way Melilla too.
The flag of Melila is single-coloured blue and shows in its middle the coat of arms of the city. To the left and to the right of the shield the "Columns of Hercules", which also stand on both sides of the Spanish coat of arms.
