Casablanca-Settat

Casablanca-Settat
الدار البيضاء - سطات
Region

Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 33°09′N 8°08′W / 33.15°N 8.14°W / 33.15; -8.14Coordinates: 33°09′N 8°08′W / 33.15°N 8.14°W / 33.15; -8.14
Country  Morocco
Created September 2015
Capital Casablanca
Government
 • Type Governor–regional council
 • Wali Khalid Safir
 • Council president Mustapha Bakkoury
Area[1]
 • Total 20,166 km2 (7,786 sq mi)
Population (1 September 2014)[1]
 • Total 6,861,739
 • Density 340/km2 (880/sq mi)
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)

Casablanca-Settat (Arabic: الدار البيضاء - سطات‎‎) is one of the twelve administrative regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 20,166 km² and recorded a population of 6,861,739 in the 2014 Moroccan census,[1] 69% of which lived in urban areas.[2] The capital of the region is Casablanca.[3]

Geography

Casablanca-Settat is located on the Atlantic coast. It borders the regions of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra to the northeast, Béni Mellal-Khénifra to the southeast, and Marrakesh-Safi to the south. Part of the border with Marrakesh-Safi follows the course of the Oum Er-Rbia River, which flows northwest and empties into the Atlantic at Azemmour.[4] The river divides the region into two plains, the Doukkala in the west and the Chaouia in the east. Several reservoirs provide water for the region, including that of the Al Massira Dam on the Oum Er-Rbia and one on the Oued Mellah south of Mohammedia.[5][6]

History

Casablanca-Settat was formed in September 2015 by merging Grand Casablanca with the provinces of El Jadida and Sidi Bennour in Doukkala-Abda region and the provinces of Benslimane, Berrechid and Settat in Chaouia-Ouardigha region.[3]

Government

Mustapha Bakkoury, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, was elected as the first president of Casablanca-Settat's regional council on 14 September 2015.[7] Khalid Safir was appointed governor (wali) of the region on 13 October 2015.[8]

Subdivisions

Casablanca-Settat comprises two prefectures and seven provinces:[3]

Economy

Casablanca-Settat had a gross domestic product of 290 billion Moroccan dirhams in 2013, accounting for 32% of Morocco's GDP and ranking first among Moroccan regions.[9] Its economy is primarily based on services and industry.[10] In addition, the Doukkala area in the west is noted for its agricultural output.[2]

Infrastructure

The A3, A5, and A7 expressways connect Casablanca with Rabat, Safi[11] (via El Jadida), and Marrakesh (via Berrechid and Settat) respectively. There is also an expressway running from Berrechid to Beni Mellal. Railways link the region with Marrakesh to the south, Oued Zem to the southeast, and Rabat and other Moroccan cities to the northeast.[12] The ports at Casablanca, Jorf Lasfar and Mohammedia ranked second through fourth nationally by tonnage in 2014.[13] Mohammed V International Airport, located 20 km south of Casablanca in Nouaceur Province, is Morocco's busiest airport, handling nearly eight million passengers in 2014.[14] The country's only oil refinery in Mohammedia shut down in August 2015.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Law, Gwillim. "Regions of Morocco". Statoids. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Casablanca-Settat, une « méga-région » à fort potentiel". 6 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Décret fixant le nom des régions" (pdf). Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales (in French). 20 February 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  4. ↑ Ouassou, A.; Ameziane, T.; Ziyad, A.; Belghiti, M. (2007). "Application of the Drought Management Guidelines in Morocco". Options Méditerranéennes, Series B. CIHEAM (58): 343–372. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Ressources en eau par bassin – Côtiers atlantiques" (in French). Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, Morocco. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Ressources en eau par bassin – Bassins d'El Jadida - Safi" (in French). Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, Morocco. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Ministère de l'Intérieur : l'élection des présidents des Conseils des régions s'est déroulée dans de bonnes conditions et dans un climat de transparence" [Ministry of the Interior: the regional council presidential elections took place under good conditions and in an air of transparency] (Press release) (in French). Maghreb Arabe Press. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "SM le Roi a procédé à la nomination les Walis des régions" [His majesty the King appointed the Walis of the regions]. La Vie Éco (in French). 14 October 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Comptes régionaux: Deux pôles assurent la moitié du PIB". L'Économiste (in French). Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Regions of Morocco: The Great Casablanca". Centre Marocain de Conjoncture. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Roudaby, Youssef (4 August 2016). "Après 17 mois de retard, l'autoroute reliant El Jadida à Safi est opérationnelle". HuffPost Maroc (in French). Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  12. ↑ "Trains Grandes Lignes" (in French). ONCF. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Activite portuaire 2014 (PDF) (Report) (in French). Agence Nationale des Ports. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "Aéroport Mohammed V Trafic aérien en 2014" [Mohammed V Airport Air Traffic in 2014] (pdf) (Press release) (in French). Office National Des Aéroports (ONDA). 30 January 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  15. ↑ Libby, George (25 November 2015). "Moroccan refinery's debts highlight oil sector lending dangers". Reuters. Retrieved 14 December 2015.

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