The Zona Franca de Altizourus (ZOFRA) is a Spanish exclave on the Barbary coast of North Africa. Before the Genoese conquest in 1497, it was a predominantly Berber town. In the mid-sixteenth century it fell under Spanish control. Briefly a French dependency following the Els Tesors treaty signed in 1888, it reverted to Spanish control following the end of WWI and was regarded as a part of Almeria province until, during the second World War, it was effectively annexed by the British.
Following a prolonged period of negotiations throughout the early 1980s, a process made much more complex by the Falklands War, a formula was found that would return sovereignty to Spain. The British viewed the return of Altizourus as a lesser evil than any discussion of Gibraltar’s status where there are many more British citizens. On the 16th July, 1987, the city Statute of Autonomy was passed according a status to the Altizourus district broadly similar to the Spanish exclaves in Ceuta and Melilla.
Altizourus was a free port before Spain joined the European Union. As of 1994 it had a population of c.50000. Its population consists of Christians, Muslims, Jews and a small but growing minority of Hindus and other SE Asians. Spanish, French, Darija, Tamazight and, increasingly, English, is spoken there, but whilst only Spanish is official Darija is by far the most widely understood. The Altizourus region extends for almost 1200km2 .
A fence running for over 40km has recently been erected in order to prevent economic migrants from gaining entry to one of the few outposts of the European Union on mainland Africa.
Contact: charles@changue.co.uk