(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in Spain say Ceuta and Melilla are part of their country, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 87.9 per cent of respondents believe this, and 50.9 per cent do not understand the territorial claims that Morocco has over the two cities.

The exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are located in northern Africa, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and are fully integrated with Spain as "autonomous cities." Morocco has long called for the incorporation of both cities into its territory, along with other uninhabited islands.

Since Spain is a member of the European Union (EU), Ceuta and Melilla are the only two EU cities located in mainland Africa. On Nov. 5, King Juan Carlos I of Spain visited Ceuta and Melilla, marking the first visit by a Spanish head of state in over 80 years. After the King’s trip to the exclaves was announced, Morocco recalled its ambassador in Madrid.

On Nov. 15, Moroccan government spokesman Khalid Naciri called for an end to the recent "crisis", saying, "Our Spanish friends know very well that Moroccans insist on the necessity of starting dialogue about the future of Ceuta and Melilla. (...) We hope that our Spanish friends will put their hands in ours to get beyond this crisis and focus on our bilateral ties."

Polling Data

Do you think Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish cities?

Do you understand the territorial claims that Morocco has over Ceuta and Melilla?

Source: Instituto Opina / Cadena Ser
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Spanish adults, conducted on Nov. 6, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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