Azilal (Morocco)
| Azilal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
| Basic data | |||||
| State : |
 Morocco
|
||||
| Region : | Béni Mellal-Khénifra | ||||
| Province : | Azilal | ||||
| Coordinates | 31 ° 58 ′ N , 6 ° 34 ′ W | ||||
| Residents : | 38,520 (2014) | ||||
| Area : | 12.3 km² | ||||
| Population density : | 3,132 inhabitants per km² | ||||
| Height : | 1370 m | ||||
 |
|||||
Azilal ( Arabic أزيلال, DMG Azīlāl ; Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵥⵉⵍⴰⵍ ) is a Moroccan provincial capital with around 45,000 inhabitants on the north side of the High Atlas in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region .
Location and climate
Azilal is located about 163 km (driving distance) east of Marrakech at an average altitude of about 1370 m ; the city of Beni-Mellal is about 82 km northeast. The climate is temperate; Rain (approx. 565 mm / year) falls mainly in the winter half-year.
population
| year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| Residents | 18,080 | 27,719 | 38,520 |
The vast majority of the population are Berbers ; speak Central Atlas Tamazight and Moroccan Arabic . The population increase in recent decades is primarily due to immigration from the mountain regions of the High Atlas.
economy
Azilal is the commercial and market center of a large number of smaller towns in the area. At the same time, the place forms a kind of transport hub for various bus routes and grand taxis .
Attractions
The fast growing city offers no historical sights.
Surroundings
The Ouzoud waterfalls ( Cascades d'Ouzoud ) , about 40 km northwest at an altitude of 1068 m , are the largest waterfalls in Morocco and are popular with locals. The Aït Bougoumez Valley with the villages of Timit , Tabant , Ibakliwin and others, which begins around 30 km south , can be easily reached by minibuses from Azilal and offers a variety of insights into the life of the Berbers in the High Atlas.
Transmitter
South of Azilal is a transmitter for long wave broadcasting with a 304.8 meter high transmitter mast.