Regions of Morocco
Encyclopedia
Regions of Morocco As part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature 16 new regions (provided below) were created. It is the current highest administrative division of Morocco
. The regions are subdivided into a total of 61 second-order administrative divisions, which are prefectures and province
s. A Moroccan region is governed by a Wali
, nominated by the King. The Wali is also governor of the province (or prefecture) where he resides.
You may see that the regions of Guelmim-Es Semara (3) and Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra (2) partly coincide with the disputed territory of Western Sahara
. Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (1) is entirely within this contested area.
The sovereignty of Western Sahara
is disputed between Morocco
and the Polisario Front
which claims the territory as the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
. Most of the region is administered by Morocco
as its southern provinces. The Polisario Front
only controls areas east of the Moroccan Wall
, from its headquarters in Tindouf
, south western Algeria
.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The regions are subdivided into a total of 61 second-order administrative divisions, which are prefectures and province
Prefectures and provinces of Morocco
In Morocco, the 61 second-level administrative subdivisions are 13 prefectures and 48 provinces. They are subdivisions of the 16 regions of Morocco. Each prefecture and province are subdivided into districts , municipalities or urban municipalities In Morocco, the 61 second-level administrative...
s. A Moroccan region is governed by a Wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
, nominated by the King. The Wali is also governor of the province (or prefecture) where he resides.
Before 1997: Geographic-based Regions
Before 1997, Morocco was divided into 7 regions: Central, Eastern, North-Central, Northwestern, South-Central, Southern, Tansift. http://www.statoids.com/uma.html1997 to 2010: Full Unitary System
| Map number | Region | Capital |
|---|
| 6 Chaouia-Ouardigha Chaouia-Ouardigha Chaouia-Ouardigha ) is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-central Morocco. It covers an area of 7,010 km² and has a population of 1,655,660 . The capital is Settat.... Settat Settat Settat is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakech. Settat is located at the heart of the country, south of Casablanca. Settat is the capital of the prefecture of Chaouia-Ouardigha and Settat Province, the oldest and largest city in the province, in both size and population... |
| 11 Doukkala-Abda Doukkala-Abda Doukkala-Abda ) is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in west-central Morocco. It covers an area of 13,285 km² and has a population of 1,984,039 . The capital is Safi.The region is made up into the following provinces :... Safi Safi, Morocco Safi is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 282,227 , but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants .... |
| 14 Fès-Boulemane Fès-Boulemane Fès-Boulemane ) is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in northern Morocco. It covers an area of 19,795 km² and has a population of 1,573,055 . The capital is Fès.... Fès FES FES or Fes may refer to:* Fes or Fez, a city in Morocco* FES , a human gene that encodes the feline sarcoma oncogene enzyme* FES , a fictional singer from Chaos;Head anime series and alias of Yui Sakakibara for her songs from Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate anime series* Flywheel energy storage, an... |
| 5 Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco. It covers an area of 8805 km² and has a population of 1,859,540 . The capital is Kenitra.... Kénitra Kenitra Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S... |
| 9 Grand Casablanca Grand Casablanca Grand Casablanca is one of sixteen administrative regions of Morocco. Located in coastal north western Morocco, it is the most densely populated region and covers an area of 1,615 km.² The population at the 2010 census was 7,500,000... Casablanca Casablanca Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... |
| 3 Guelmim-Es Semara Guelmim-Es Semara Guelmim-Es Semara is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 122,825 km² and has a population of 462,410 . The capital is Guelmim. The southern half of the region forms part of the Western Sahara.... Guelmim Guelmim Guelmim , is a town in southern Morocco, often nicknamed Gateway to the Desert . The population of the city is 95,749 . It is the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region which includes southern Morocco and northern Western Sahara. It is home to a camel market... |
| 2 Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is partly located in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Most of the region is administered by Morocco.The region is made up into the following provinces:... Laâyoune El Aaiún El-Aaiún , is a city in Western Sahara founded by the Spanish in 1928. Administered by Morocco since 1976, El-Aaiún is the capital of what the Moroccan government call the region of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, and POLISARIO call Occupied Territories... |
| 7 Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 31,160 km² and has a population of 3,102,652... Marrakesh |
| 13 Meknès-Tafilalet Meknès-Tafilalet Meknès-Tafilalet is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-central Morocco, bordering Algeria. It covers an area of 79,210 km² and has a population of 2,141,527... Meknès Meknes Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The... |
| 8 Oriental Oujda Oujda Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of 1 million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region of Morocco and the birthplace of the current Algerian president,... |
| 1 Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, considered by Morocco to be the southern part of the country. The Polisario Front and other independence-seeking Sahrawis consider this to be a part of the Sahrawi Arab... Dakhla Dakhla, Western Sahara -External links:**... |
| 10 Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco. It covers an area of 9,580 km², and has a population of 2,366,494... Rabat Rabat Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000... |
| 4 Souss-Massa-Draâ Souss-Massa-Draâ Souss-Massa-Draâ is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 70,880 km² and has a population of 3,113,653 . The capital is Agadir... Agadir Agadir Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:... |
| 12 Tadla-Azilal Tadla-Azilal Tadla-Azilal ) is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 17,125 km² and has a population of 1,450,519 . The capital is Beni Mellal.The region is made into of the following provinces :... Béni Mellal Beni Mellal Beni-Mellal is a Moroccan city located at . It is the capital city of the Tadla-Azilal Region, with a population of 163,286 . It sits at the foot of Mount Tassemit , and next to the plains of Beni Amir.... |
| 16 Tangier-Tétouan Tangier-Tetouan Tangier-Tetouan is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco. It covers an area of 11,570 km² and has a population of 2,470,372... Tangier Tangier Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel... |
| 15 Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in northern Morocco. It covers an area of 24,155 km² and has a population of 1,807,113 . The capital is Al Hoceima.... Al Hoceima Al Hoceima Al Hoceima is a city and port in the north of Morocco and in the center of the Rif Mountains. The Al Hoceima city region has a population of 395.644 and is the capital of the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region... |
You may see that the regions of Guelmim-Es Semara (3) and Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra (2) partly coincide with the disputed territory of Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
. Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (1) is entirely within this contested area.
The sovereignty of Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
is disputed between Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and the Polisario Front
Polisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
which claims the territory as the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
. Most of the region is administered by Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
as its southern provinces. The Polisario Front
Polisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
only controls areas east of the Moroccan Wall
Moroccan Wall
The Berm of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long defensive structure, mostly a sand wall , running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco...
, from its headquarters in Tindouf
Tindouf
Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Mauritanian and Moroccan borders. The region is considered of strategic significance, and it houses Algerian military bases. Since 1975, it also contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front a guerrilla...
, south western Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Starting 2010: the Advanced Regionalization
Starting 2010, a new governmental program aimed at giving each of the regions of Morocco autonomy, much like the Spanish style, and a greater autonomy to the regions fully coinciding with the Western Sahara. So a governmental organization was formed to tackle this subject; it got the name of Consultative Commission for the Regionalization. The latter published the names of the new regions and their numbers:- 01. Region of TangierTangierTangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
-TétouanTétouanTetouan is a city in northern Morocco. The Berber name means literally "the eyes" and figuratively "the water springs". Tetouan is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea. It lies a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi E.S.E. of Tangier... - 02. Region of the East and the Rif
- 03. Region of FesFesFes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
-MeknesMeknesMeknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The... - 04. Region of RabatRabatRabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
-SaleSaleSale may refer to:* Sales * Sale, discounts and allowances in the prices of goods, such as:**Fire sale, a drastic discount in prices**Loan sale, a sale under contract of all or part of the cash stream from a specific loan...
-KenitraKenitraKenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S... - 05. Region of Beni MellalBeni MellalBeni-Mellal is a Moroccan city located at . It is the capital city of the Tadla-Azilal Region, with a population of 163,286 . It sits at the foot of Mount Tassemit , and next to the plains of Beni Amir....
-KhenifraKhenifraKhenifra is a city in northern central Morocco, surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.-External links:*... - 06. Region of SettatSettatSettat is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakech. Settat is located at the heart of the country, south of Casablanca. Settat is the capital of the prefecture of Chaouia-Ouardigha and Settat Province, the oldest and largest city in the province, in both size and population...
-CasablancaCasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... - 07. Region of Marrakesh-SafiSafiSafi may refer to:*Safi Airways, an Afghan Airline based in Dubai*Safi, Morocco*Safi of Persia, a Safavid Shah of Iran*Safi, Malta, a local council on Malta*Safi , an Unani herbal medicine...
- 08. Region of Drâa-Tafilalt
- 09. Region of Souss-Massa
- 10. Region of Guelmim-Oued Noun
- 11. Region of El Aiun-Saguia al Hamra
- 12. Region of DakhlaDakhlaDakhla may refer to:*Dakhla Oasis, Egypt*Dakhla, Western Sahara*Dakhla Airport...
-Oued Addahab
See also
- Administrative divisions of Morocco
- ISO 3166-2:MAISO 3166-2:MAISO 3166-2:MA is the entry for Morocco in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Morocco, ISO 3166-2 codes are...
- ISO 3166-2:EHISO 3166-2:EHISO 3166-2:EH is the entry for Western Sahara in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently no ISO 3166-2 codes are...