Al Hoceïma

Al Hoceïma ; الحسيمة ; ⵜⴰⵖⵣⵓⵜ / ⵜⵉⵊⴷⵉⵜ
	Al Hoceïma
	Al Hoceïma
Basic data
State :	Morocco
Region :	Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma
Province :	Al Hoceïma
Coordinates	35 ° 15 ′ N , 3 ° 56 ′ W Coordinates: 35 ° 15 ′ N , 3 ° 56 ′ W
Residents :	56,716 (2014)
Area :	15.36 km²
Population density :	3,692 inhabitants per km²
Height :	20 m
	Al Hoceïma - townscape with port and beach

Al Hoceïma ( Central Atlas Tamazight ⵜⴰⵖⵣⵓⵜ Taɣzut or ⵜⵉⵊⴷⵉⵜ Tijdit , Arabic الحسيمة, DMG al-Ḥusayma , Spanish Alhucemas ) is a city in northern Morocco with about 57,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Al Hoceïma province in the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region .

Location and climate

Al Hoceïma is on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco; the hinterland is formed by the rugged Rif Mountains . The distance to the neighboring town of Imzouren to the southwest is approx. 19 km (driving distance); it is approx. 160 km to the town of Taza in the south . The climate is temperate to warm; the rather sparse rain (approx. 290 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.

population

year	1994	2004	2014
Residents	55.216	55,357	56,716

The city's residents are predominantly of Berber descent; most immigrated after Morocco gained independence in 1956. Tarifit is spoken .

Economy and Infrastructure

The Cherif El Idrissi Airport is approximately 9 km south-east of al-Hoceima. The city has a modern port with a small fishing fleet and a technical college ( École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d'Al Hoceima - ENSAH ) with around 700 engineering students. Environmental technology is a focus. In 2011/12, a technology park for investors and an infrastructure for business start-ups with a total area of over 40 hectares will be expanded nearby. Above all, academically qualified returnees from Germany, Holland and Belgium should set up companies here (so-called offshore work). Another focus is the development of tourism, especially ecotourism.

history

In the Third Rif War in 1921, over 10,000 Spanish soldiers were killed at the Battle of Annual . As a result, the Spanish troops withdrew from almost all positions conquered since 1909, then the cleared area of the Rif Republic was deliberately contaminated with mustard gas (Lost). To this day, the area around Al-Hoceïma leads the Moroccan lung cancer statistics due to mustard gas contamination .

On September 8, 1925, Spanish troops landed in a bay and in 1926 founded the later Al-Hoceïma as Villa Sanjurjo . Like all of Spanish Morocco, the city was under Spanish administration until independence in 1956 .

In 1994 the region was hit by an earthquake . On February 24, 2004, another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale , the epicenter of which was about 15 km southwest of Al-Hoceïma, destroyed large parts of the area around the city, including several villages. 560 people were killed in the process. There was only minor damage in the city itself.

In October and November 2016, due to the unknown causes of the killing of the fishmonger Mouhcine Fikri in Al-Hoceïma, demonstrations against the abuse of power by the police took place, which also spread to other cities. There had already been demonstrations in Al-Hoceïma and other cities of the Rif in 2011.

Attractions

Mountains around Al Hoceïma

Landscape around Al-Hoceïma

Playa Quemado - city beach
numerous Spanish and Moorish trading houses, which were partially restored after the severe earthquake
Port facility
Parqui Al-Hoceïma - Park in the city of al-Hoceïma
Beach promenade, which is outside the city