Sidi Bennour (Province)

Sidi Bennour province in the former Doukkala-Abda region

Wheat fields with the Jbel Lakhdar

Sugar factory at Sidi Bennour

The province of Sidi Bennour (Arabic: إقليم سيدي بنور), with a size of about 3270 km² and about 460,000 inhabitants , belonged to the historical region of Doukkala and was created in 2009 by separating areas from the province of El Jadida and has been part of the Moroccan region of Casablanca since 2015. Settat (before Doukkala-Abda ). The provincial capital is Sidi Bennour . The province consists of two cities (Sidi Bennour and Zemamra ) and about 23 rural communities ( communes rurales ).

geography

location

The province of Sidi Bennour borders in the north with the province El Jadida , in the east with the province Rehamna , in the southeast with the province Youssoufia and in the south with the province Safi . A narrow coastal strip with the fishing village of Oualidia connects the province with the Atlantic .

landscape

The landscape profile is flat with an average height of around 200 m above sea level. d. M .; only in the south-east does the small mountain range of Jbel Lakhdar reach a maximum height of about 687 m.

climate

Located only a short distance from the Atlantic, the climate of the province is largely determined by the sea. Nevertheless, the maximum daily temperatures in summer rise to over 40 ° C; at night it cools down to around 15 to 20 ° C, depending on the cloudiness. In the four winter months from November to February, over 90% of the annual rainfall falls - on the many sunny days the thermometer nevertheless rises to 25 to 30 ° C; at night it is usually around 15 ° C.

population

Over 90% of the population are members of various Berber tribes . The men work as farm workers, taxi drivers or in construction; many also try their luck in Europe. The leading positions in business and administration as well as in health and education are mostly in the hands of the Arab minority. Moroccan Arabic is spoken .

Places (selection)

Only the cities of Sidi Bennour and Zemamra are classified as urban settlement areas ( municipalités ); the other places are considered rural communities ( cummunes rurales ).

Fishing and excursion boats at Oualidia

local community	1994 residents	2004 residents	Residents 2014
Sidi Bennour (M)	34,225	39,593	55,815
Zemamra (M)	10,310	11,896	13,279
Oualidia	13,076	15,433	18,616
Bni Hilal	16,663	17,288	17,843
Bouhmame	23,401	30,540	23,234
Lgharbia	23,127	23,074	22,729
Oulad Sbaita	20,251	24,967	25,650

economy

Until well into the 20th century, the economy was almost exclusively based on the principles of self-sufficiency. It was only through the improvement of the infrastructure (construction of roads and railways) and the emergence of small and medium-sized towns during the French colonial period and after Moroccan independence (1956) that products were also produced for the surrounding markets. In addition, larger monocultures ( sugar cane ), melons etc. emerged in which workers were needed.

history

No information is available on the medieval history of the region. However, it is likely that it must have been nomadic or semi-nomadic area. Larger settlements or even cities have only existed since the colonial era. The province of Sidi Bennour was only created in 2009 when it was separated from the province of El Jadida.

Attractions

In the province of Sidi Bennour there are no scenic, historical or culturally significant sights.

Web links

Commons : Sidi Bennour  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Province of Sidi Bennour - map and statistics
2. ↑ Oualidia - climate tables
3. ↑ Sidi Bennour - Climate tables
4. ↑ Population statistics Morocco ( Memento from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive )