| Ministerio de Ultramar | |
 Main headquarters from 1885 to 1889 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1812(first time) 1863(second time) |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Dissolved | 1814(first time) 1898(second time) |
| Type | Ministry |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Spain |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz Palace (Madrid) |
TheMinistry of Overseas,Ministry of Overseas Affairs,Ministry of Overseas Territories (SpanishMinisterio de Ultramar), or simply,Ultramar, was theministerial department in charge of the direction ofSpanish territories between 1863 and 1899. It administered thePhilippines,Cuba,Puerto Rico,Santo Domingo and theCarolinas, Marianas and Palaos.
Prior to its establishment, the administration of the colonies was in charge of theMinistry of the Navy. By a royal decree of 20 May 1863 responsibility for the colonies was transferred to a new department. FollowingSpanish–American War of 1898, in which Spain lost the greater part of her colonial territory (Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines), and the sale of her remaining Pacific possessions to Germany by thetreaty of 12 February 1899, the Overseas Ministry itself was suppressed in a royal decree of 20 April 1899.
The creation of aSpanish protectorate in Morocco in 1912, and the establishment of Spanish control over itsGuinean possessions, a new colonial department, theDireccion General de Marruecos y Colonias (Directorate-General for Morocco and the Colonies), was set up in 1925. After recognizing the independence of Morocco in 1956, its name was changed toDireccion General de Plazas y Provincias Africanas (Directorate-General for African Territories and Provinces). In 1969, following the independence ofEquatorial Guinea, its remit was once again reduced and it became theDireccion General de Promoción del Sahara (Directorate-General for Sahara Promotion), charged with the advancement ofSpanish Sahara until 1975.