▁Spanish ▁Sah ara . ▁The ▁northern ▁zone ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁independent ▁Mor oc co ▁on ▁ 7 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁France ▁had ▁c eded ▁its ▁prote ctor ate ▁( F rench ▁Mor oc co ). ▁Spain ▁finally ▁c eded ▁its ▁southern ▁zone ▁through ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Ang ra ▁de ▁C int ra ▁on ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁after ▁the ▁short ▁If ni ▁War . ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁Tang iers ▁was ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish ▁prote ctor ate ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁special ▁intern ation ally ▁controlled ▁status . ▁ ▁Since ▁France ▁already ▁held ▁a ▁prote ctor ate ▁over ▁the ▁entire ▁country ▁and ▁controlled ▁Mor oc co ' s ▁foreign ▁affairs ▁( since ▁ 3 0 ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 2 ), ▁it ▁also ▁held ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁delegate ▁a ▁zone ▁to ▁Spanish ▁protection . ▁The ▁surface ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁zone ▁was ▁about ▁, ▁which ▁represents ▁ 4 . 6 9 % ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Mor oc co . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Form ation ▁In ▁a ▁convention ▁dated ▁ 2 7 ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁France ▁and ▁Spain ▁agreed ▁to ▁recognize ▁separate ▁zones ▁of ▁influence ▁in ▁Mor oc co , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁specify ▁their ▁boundaries . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁France ▁offered ▁Spain ▁all ▁of ▁Mor oc co ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Seb ou ▁River ▁and ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁S ous ▁River , ▁but ▁Spain ▁decl ined ▁in ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁division