Casablanca
| Casablanca الدار البيضاء ⴰⵏⴼⴰ |
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| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
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| Region : | Casablanca Settat | ||||
| Prefecture : | Casablanca | ||||
| Coordinates | 33 ° 35 ′ N , 7 ° 37 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 3,359,818 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 324 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 10,370 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 20 m | ||||
| Postal code : | 20000-20200 | ||||
| City administration website : | |||||
| Mayor : | Abdelaziz El Omari | ||||
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Casablanca ( Arabic الدار البيضاء, DMG ad-Dār al-bayḍāʾ , Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵏⴼⴰ Anfa , Spanish or Arabic: "The White House") is the largest city in Morocco and is located south of the capital Rabat directly on the Atlantic coast . 3,359,818 people live in the city proper, in the Grand Casablanca-Settat ( Arabic الدار البيضاء الكبرى وسطات), which also includes the suburbs, 6,861,739 (2014 calculation).
City structure
Casablanca is divided into 16 arrondissements .
| Arrondissement | mayor | Political party |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Mohamed Chebbak | RNI |
| Maarif | Abdessamad Hayker | PJD |
| Sidi Belyout | Abdelhak Ennajihi | PJD |
| El Fida | Ramid El Fatimi | PJD |
| Mers Sultan | Zakaria Benkirane | RNI |
| Aïn Sebaâ | Hassan Benomar | RNI |
| Hay Mohammadi | Rachid El Jakini | PJD |
| Roches Noires | Nourredine Karbal | PJD |
| Hay Hassani | Ahmed Joudar | PJD |
| Ain Chock | Abdelmalek Lakhili | PJD |
| Sidi Bernoussi | Abdelkrim Houichri | PJD |
| Sidi Moumen | Hassan Baroud | PJD |
| Ben M'Sick | Mohamed Joudar | UC |
| Sbata | Said Kachani | PJD |
| Moulay Rachid | Mustapha Lhaya | PJD |
| Sidi Othman | Mohamed Mait | PJD |
history
Until the 19th century
The settlement of Anfa , documented in the area of today's Casablanca since the 8th century, was for a long time the main town of the Berber Empire of the Berghouta and was conquered by the Almohads in the 12th century . In the centuries that followed, it developed into an important transshipment point for grain, but at the same time also a feared base for pirates .
From the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese tried repeatedly to take Anfa . In 1496 the city was destroyed by Don Ferdinand's army. Another raid by Portuguese troops took place in 1515. In 1575 the city was occupied by the Portuguese and was given the Portuguese name Casa Branca ("White House").
After a severe earthquake devastated Casa Branca in 1755 , it was rebuilt only a few years later under the Arabic name al-Dār al-bayḍāʾ ("White House") by the Alaouite Sultan Muhammad bin Abdallah . He provided the city with public baths, a medresa and a mosque that bears his name.
In the mid-19th century, Spanish traders settled in the city and called it Casablanca in Spanish . Under the rule of Moulay Hassan (1873-1894) it had 20,000 inhabitants.
20th century
In Casablanca, with the approval of the Sultan of Morocco in 1907, work was underway to improve the port facilities. The work extended beyond the ramparts, close to a Muslim cemetery. Reports that the cemetery had been desecrated during the work caused an uproar among the neighboring Shawia tribes . On July 30, 1907, they attacked the European workers, killing nine of them (three French, three Spanish and three Italians), after which they invaded the city and raided the Jewish quarter. Refugees came to Tangier by boat and brought news of the massacre . The French government decided to occupy Casablanca and send a strong naval and army force there. Before the arrival of the troops, the commander of the cruiser Galilée had a crew put ashore to protect the French consulate on August 5th . The advance of this division was prevented, whereupon the Galilée , supported by the warship Du Chayla , bombed the city. At the same time, tribesmen reached Casablanca and began a general sack of the city. On August 7, the arrived French troops were brought ashore and further fighting began. By the time they did their job, almost every resident had either been killed, wounded, or fled. The number of dead alone was in the thousands. The European colony, however, was safe. Although the French were masters of the city afterwards, the Shawia tribes continued to fight. First under General Drude and from January 1908 under General Amade, the French succeeded in reducing the area of the rebellious Shawia. The expeditionary force suddenly counted a strength of 15,000 men. The district around Casablanca was pacified until June 1908, after which the armed forces were gradually reduced.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city experienced an economic boom and replaced Tangier as the most important port in Morocco. Casablanca was developed into an economic center during the time of the French protectorate . November 7, 1929 was the first day of trading on the newly established stock exchange .
Casablanca was a strategically important port during World War II . In 1943 there was a British-American summit between Roosevelt and Churchill ( Casablanca Conference ).
The rapid industrial growth has shaped the development of Casablanca to this day. About 80% of Moroccan industry is located here, and about 60% of the country's sea trade is handled through the city's port. Many of the country's major companies have their headquarters here, e. B. the Cosumar .
21st century
On May 16, 2003, a number of suicide bombers carried out the attacks in Casablanca .
Population development
The following overview shows the population by area since the 1982 census.
| year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 1982 (census) | 2.139.204 |
| 1994 (census) | 2,717,125 |
| 2004 (census) | 3,032,116 |
| 2014 (census) | 3,359,818 |
Cityscape
The Hassan II Mosque is the city's main attraction. It is one of the largest mosques in the world and has space for 25,000 people in the prayer hall. The minaret of the mosque, which was completed in 1993, is 210 meters high and is the second tallest minaret and the second tallest religious building.
According to various sources, there are between 22 and over 30 synagogues in the city for the estimated 3000 (2016) Moroccan Jews, the majority of whom live in Casablanca. In the 1980s, around 8,000 Jews were still living in Casablanca, and 34 synagogues were in use. The main synagogue is Beth El .
Four kilometers southwest of the port, the luxury bathing and entertainment district extends along the Boulevard de la Corniche on the coast in the suburb of Ain Diab . A little away from the sea between the city center and Ain Diab, today's Anfa is a central residential area. The Casablanca conference took place in the local Hotel Anfa.
In the vicinity of the city center, a wide slum belt (Bidonville) testifies to the economic hardship and social problems of the steadily growing urban underclass .
traffic
The only marshalling yard in Morocco (Roches Noires) is located near the port . Located south of Casablanca, Casablanca Airport is Morocco's main airport.
In December 2012 the Casablanca tram opened. The network currently (2019) comprises two lines and is around 47 km long.
Regular events
The Course Féminine de Casablanca has been held in Casablanca since 1993 , a running event that is only open to women. With around 30,000 participants, it is now one of the most important women's sports events worldwide. Since 2008 there has been an annual marathon in Casablanca, the Grand Marathon International de Casablanca .
economy
Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and, together with the industrial area Aïn Sebaâ, is the economic center of the country. The country's automotive and food industries are also based in Casablanca. Well-known companies in the city include the TV station 2M , the food manufacturer Bimo , the design company Laraki Design and the automobile manufacturers SOMACA , CANAM and Société Automobiles Ménara .
In a ranking of the most important financial centers worldwide, Casablanca took 32nd place (as of 2018) and first place in Africa.
education
Religious buildings
- Hassan II Mosque
- Ettedgui Synagogue (rededication 2016)
- Jamaâ ould el Hamra (Old City Mosque)
- Mosquée Assounna
- Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (Casablanca) (Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes)
- Church of the Sacred Heart of Casablanca ("Cathédrale" du Sacré-Cœur) (1930–1956; desecrated)
Movie
The city gained additional fame through the film Casablanca (1942) starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman , which is set there at the time of the Second World War . However, the film was shot in Hollywood . Rick's Café , opened in 2004 by a former American diplomat, alludes to a location from the film.
Soccer
Casablanca is home to two of the three most successful football clubs in Morocco:
- Wydad Casablanca , eighteen-time national champion and winner of the Africa Cup in 1992 and 2017
- Raja Casablanca , eleven-time national champion, three-time Africa Cup winner and finalist of the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup
Another club is the Rachad Bernoussi .
sons and daughters of the town
Town twinning
Casablanca maintains city partnerships with, among others:
Climate table
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Casablanca
Source: wetterkontor.de
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Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ CityPopulation: Morocco: Grand Casablanca - Settat
- ↑ Grand Casablanca - Settat (Morocco): Provinces and Prefectures, Urban Communes and Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Charts and Map. Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Aziza El Affas: Casablanca: Qui détient le vrai pouvoir? L'Economiste.com, October 13, 2015
- ^ Morocco . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 18 : Medal - Mumps . London 1911, p. 850 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
- ↑ Casablanca Stock Exchange: History ( Memento of the original from October 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed November 6, 2009
- ↑ Terror: Ground Zero in Arabia . In: The time . No. 22/2003 ( online ).
- ↑ Morocco: Regions, Cities, Urban Communities & Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Maps, Graphics, Weather and Web Information. Retrieved January 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Casablanca réhabilite ses synagogues. BladiNet, March 10, 2015
- ↑ Mark Avrum Erlich (Ed.): Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. Volume 1. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara 2009, p. 485.
- ↑ casablanca-marathon.com ( Memento of the original from October 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The Global Financial Centers Index 23. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on March 27, 2018 ; accessed on July 13, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
