Ceuta and Melilla are linked to Spain by ferry services to Malaga, Algeciras and Almeria.

BBC: Ceuta, Melilla profile

But Ceuta and Melilla are nonetheless used by many Africans as stepping-stones to Iberia.

BBC: Ceuta, Melilla profile

When groups of immigrants pushed their way into Ceuta and Melilla, fences were erected.

ECONOMIST: Spain and immigration: Still they come | The

His first port of call was Melilla, now a hotbed of military disenchantment over Spain's restive regions.

ECONOMIST: Spain and its regions

Madrid's two North African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, probably offer the easiest way to break into the fortress.

ECONOMIST: Morocco

Melilla, conquered in 1497, is a modern town with a distinctive old quarter.

BBC: Ceuta, Melilla profile

More recently, differences over Ceuta and Melilla have not prevented a warming of relations between Morocco and Spain, particularly economic ones.

BBC: Ceuta, Melilla profile

Ceuta and Melilla are the remnants of a string of Spanish fortresses built in North Africa after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconquered Andalusia from the Moors.

ECONOMIST: Spain in North Africa

For Morocco, their absence was a small victory in a long campaign to take over the 12 square kilometres of Melilla and its 65, 000 people, along with its sister-city of Ceuta, which is just a shade bigger in size and population.

ECONOMIST: Spain in North Africa