_Aterrizando_en_Melilla_(16668390111).jpg)
Melilla
Autonomous city of Spain on the northwest coast of Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Melilla?
Summarize this article for a 10 years old
Melilla (US: /məˈliːjə/ mə-LEE-yə, UK: /mɛˈ-/ meh-;[2][3] Spanish: [meˈliʎa]; Tarifit: Mřič [mrɪtʃ];[4] Arabic: مليلية [maˈliːlja]) is an autonomous city of Spain in North Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 12.3 km2 (4.7 sq mi). It was part of the Province of Málaga until 14 March 1995, when the Statute of Autonomy of Melilla was passed.
Melilla
| |
|---|---|
Aerial view | |
| Anthem: Himno de Melilla "Anthem of the Melilla" | |
  Melilla Location of Melilla | |
| Coordinates: 35°18′N 2°57′W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Government | |
| • Mayor-President | Eduardo de Castro (Ind.) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.3 km2 (4.7 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 19th |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
| • Total | 86,384 |
| • Rank | 19th |
| • Density | 7,000/km2 (18,000/sq mi) |
| • % of Spain | 0.16% |
| Demonyms | Melillan |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | ES-ML |
| Official languages | Spanish |
| Statute of Autonomy | 14 March 1995 |
| Parliament | Assembly of Melilla |
| Congress | 1 deputy (of 350) |
| Senate | 2 senators (of 264) |
| Website | www.melilla.es |
 | |
Melilla is one of the special member state territories of the European Union. Movements to and from the rest of the EU and Melilla are subject to specific rules, provided for inter alia in the Accession Agreement of Spain to the Schengen Convention.[5]
As of 2019, Melilla had a population of 86,487.[6] The population is chiefly divided between people of Iberian and Riffian extraction.[7] There is also a small number of Sephardic Jews and Sindhi Hindus. Melilla features a diglossia between the official Spanish (strong language) and Tarifit (weak language).[8]
Like the autonomous city of Ceuta and Spain's other territories in Africa, Melilla is subject to an irredentist claim by Morocco.[9]