Plazas de soberanía
The plazas de soberanía (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈplaθas ðe soβeɾaˈni.a]), meaning "strongholds of sovereignty", are a series of Spanish territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco, or that are closer to Africa than Europe. This term is used for those territories that have been a part of Spain since the formation of the modern country (1492–1556), as opposed to African territories acquired by Spain during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Scramble for Africa.