Berkane Province
Berkane Province
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|---|---|
   | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of Berkane Province | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Oriental |
| Capital | Berkane |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 289,137 |
Berkane Province[2] (Arabic: بَركان, Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴱⵔⴽⴰⵏ) is located in northeastern Morocco in the Oriental region. The province was officially formed on 24 January 1994. It is bounded by the Mediterranean to its north, the Kiss Oued (Moroccan-Algerian border) and Oujda Prefecture in the east, Nador Province to the west, and Taourirt Province in the south. The Province includes under its jurisdiction the towns of Saïdia and Ahfir. The population originates primarily from Beni Iznasen, a major tribe in the region. The tribe's descendants are spread widely over the rest of the Oriental region. Eastern Morocco Arabic and Taznasit are the primary spoken languages.
Berkane province is considered a major player in the citrus fruit industry and high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful year round. It is known for its farms of clementines, and a large statue of an orange is at the center of town. Saïdia is a popular beach resort town on the Mediterranean, Tafoughalt is a small village in the nearby mountains known for its healthy air and herb markets. Berkane is also famous for being the birthplace of the Olympic athlete Hicham El Guerrouj, who holds the world record for the fastest 1500 metres.
Berkane is the main city and namesake of the province, The city sprawls into the hillsides and connects via bridge to a small neighboring town/suburb named Sidi Slimane Echcharraa.
The major cities and towns are: [dead link]
Etymology
[edit]The province is named after its capital and largest city, Berkane. The name of the city comes from the word "aberkan" which means "black" in the Berber language.
Subdivisions
[edit]
The province is divided administratively into the following:[3]
| Name | Geographic code | Type | Households | Population (2004) | Foreign population | Moroccan population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahfir | 113.01.01. | Municipality | 4,160 | 19,482 | 310 | 19,172 | |
| Ain Erreggada | 113.01.05. | Municipality | 625 | 2,983 | 11 | 2,972 | |
| Aklim | 113.01.07. | Municipality | 1,812 | 8,969 | 5 | 8,964 | |
| Berkane | 113.01.09. | Municipality | 17,245 | 80,012 | 199 | 79,813 | |
| Saïdia | 113.01.25. | Municipality | 829 | 3,338 | 77 | 3,261 | |
| Sidi Slimane Echcharraa | 113.01.29. | Municipality | 4,561 | 22,904 | 14 | 22,890 | |
| Aghbal | 113.03.01. | Rural commune | 2,704 | 13,809 | 124 | 13,685 | |
| Fezouane | 113.03.07. | Rural commune | 2,005 | 10,304 | 21 | 10,283 | |
| Laatamna | 113.03.09. | Rural commune | 3,182 | 15,493 | 177 | 15,316 | |
| Madagh | 113.03.11. | Rural commune | 2,758 | 13,980 | 54 | 13,926 | 2,312 residents live in the center, called Madagh; 11,668 residents live in rural areas. |
| Boughriba | 113.05.03. | Rural commune | 3,727 | 20,560 | 4 | 20,556 | |
| Chouihia | 113.05.05. | Rural commune | 2,138 | 12,539 | 0 | 12,539 | |
| Rislane | 113.05.13. | Rural commune | 879 | 5,195 | 0 | 5,195 | |
| Sidi Bouhria | 113.05.15. | Rural commune | 991 | 5,400 | 1 | 5,399 | |
| Tafoughalt | 113.05.17. | Rural commune | 609 | 3,150 | 2 | 3,148 | |
| Zegzel | 113.05.19. | Rural commune | 6,424 | 32,210 | 38 | 32,172 | 16,145 residents live in the center, called Bouhdila; 16,065 residents live in rural areas. |
References
[edit]- ↑ "ⵜⴰⵎⵙⴹⴼⵕⵜ ⵏ ⵉⴳⵎⴰⵎⵏ" (in Standard Moroccan Tamazight). Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ "Berkane". Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
- ↑ "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat de 2004" (PDF). Haut-commissariat au Plan, Lavieeco.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
Capital: Berkane | ||
| Municipalities |  | |
| Rural communes | ||
