Neptune's Needle

City (1994 pop. 497,147), N Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar; 35º47'N 05º48'W. Important port with construction, fishing, paper, and textile industries. It also ships cereals, citrus, and food prods. Tourism is also important. The walled Moorish town adjoins a Eur. suburb. Ferry service to Algercivas, Spain. Internatl. airport to W. Tanger was probably founded by the Phoenicians. It was a free city under the Romans and the chief port and commercial center of Morocco until the founding (808) of Fes. Captured from the Moors by the Portuguese in 1471 and transferred to England as part of the dowry that Catherine of Braganza brought to Charles II. The English abandoned the city to the Moroccans in 1684. By the mid-19th cent. it had become the diplomatic center of Morocco. When the rest of the country was divided bet. Span. and Fr. protectorates in 1912, the status of Tanger remained vague. Finally, in 1923-1924, an internatl. zone administered by France, Spain, and Britain (Italy joined in 1928), was set up. The city was included in the zone as a duty-free port. During World War II, Spain controlled the zone. In 1945 it was returned to internatl. control by agreement of Britain, France, the U.S., and the former USSR. Tanger remained under internatl. control until 1956 when it was returned to Morocco. Also spelled Tangier.

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Compiler

Peter Richards