REGIONS OF MOROCCO

INTRODUCTION

This post discusses the Regions of morocco, from the unitary system which is from 1997 to 2010 and the Regions since 2015.

Regions are currently the highest administrative divisions in Morocco. Since 2015, Morocco officially administers 12 regions, including one (Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab) that lies completely within the disputed territory of Western Sahara and two (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra and Guelmim-Oued Noun) that lie partially within it. The regions are subdivided into a total of 75 second-level administrative divisions, which are prefectures and provinces.

A region is governed by a directly elected regional council. The president of the council is responsible for carrying out the council’s decisions. Prior to the 2011 constitutional reforms, this was the responsibility of the Wali, the representative of the central government appointed by the King, who now plays a supporting role in the administration of the region.

REGIONS SINCE 2015

On 3 January 2010, the Moroccan government established the Consultative Commission for the Regionalization (CCR), which aimed to decentralize power to the regions, and confer a greater autonomy to the regions coinciding with the Western Sahara. The commission published provisional names and numbers for the new regions, and their names were officially fixed in the Bulletin Officiel dated 5 March 2015. The new regional councils elected their presidents on 14 September 2015 and regional governors were appointed on 13 October 2015

 1997 TO 2010: FULL UNITARY SYSTEM.

Between 1997 and 2010, Morocco had 16 regions:

Morocco is divided into sixteen regions, which in turn are subdivided into sixty-two provinces and prefectures. Each of these regions has geographical and historical features which make it interesting.

Chaouia-Ouardigha Situated in north-central Morocco, the region of Chaouia-Ouardigha has a population of more than 1.6 million. The city of Settat is the capital of the region.

Doukkala-Abda Situated in west-Central Morocco, the region of Doukkala-Abda has a population of close to 2 million. The capital city of the region is Safi.

Fes-Boulemane Situated in northern Morocco, the region of Fes-Boulemane is home to more than 1.5 million people. The capital city of the region is the popular tourist destination of Fez.

Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen Situated in north-western Morocco, the region of Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen has a population of more than 1.8 million. The capital city of the region is Kenitra.

Grand Casablanca Situated along the coast of north-western Morocco, the region of Grand Casablanca, with a population close to 3.9 million, is the most densely populated region of Morocco. The capital city of the region is the popular tourist destination of Casablanca.

Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra Most of this region falls within Western Sahara, which is subject to an ongoing dispute with regard to who has jurisdiction over the region. Around 260,000 people live in the region which has El Aaiun as its capital city.

Guelmim-Es Semara With the southern half of the region of Guelmim-Es Semara falling into the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the region is home to around half a million people and has Guelmim as its capital city.

Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira Situated in what Morocco considered being the southern part of the country, the region of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira is situated in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The region has a population of around 99,000 and the coastal city of Dakhla is its capital.

Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Situated in central Morocco, the population of the region of Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz is around 3.1 million. The capital of the region is the popular tourist destination of Marrakech.

Meknès-Tafilalet Situated in north-central Morocco, on the border of Algeria, the region of Meknès-Tafilalet is home to more than 2.1 million people. The capital city of the region is Meknès.

Oriental Situated in north-eastern Morocco, with Algeria and Spanish Melilla as neighbors, the region of Oriental has a population of close to 2 million and has Oujda as its capital city.

Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Situated in north-western Morocco, the region of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer has a population of more than 2.3 million. The vibrant city of Rabat is the region’s capital, as well as being the capital of Morocco.

Tadla-Azilal Situated in central Morocco, the region of Tadla-Azilal is home to nearly 1.5 million people and has Beni Mellal as its capital city.

Tangier-Tétouan Situated in north-western Morocco, the region of Tangier-Tétouan has the Atlantic Ocean as its western border, with the Mediterranean Sea and Spain to its north. The population of the region is close to 2.5 million and has Tangier as its capital city.

Souss-Massa-Draâ Situated in central Morocco, the region of Souss-Massa-Draâ is home to more than 3.1 million people. The capital city of the region is Agadir.

Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate Situated in northern Morocco, the region of Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate has a population of about 1.8 million. The region’s capital city is Al Hoceima.