Taroudannt (province)

Province of Taroudant in the former region Souss-Massa-Draâ

The province of Taroudannt ( Arabic إقليم تارودانت, Taschelhit ⵜⴰⵎⴷⵉⵏⵜ ⵏ ⵜⴰⵔⵓⴷⴰⵏⵜ ) has around 780,661 inhabitants and has belonged to the Souss-Massa region (previously to Souss-Massa-Draâ ) in southern Morocco since 2015 . The provincial capital of the same name ( Taroudannt ) has 72,797 inhabitants (as of 2006).

geography

Adjacent provinces
Northwest	Chichaoua
Northeast	Al Haouz
east	Ouarzazate
south	Tata
southeast	Tiznit
southwest	Chtouka-Aït Baha
west	Inezgane-Aït Melloul
Northwest	Agadir-Ida ou Tanane

Taroudannt region - mountains strewn with stones with small villages and terraced fields that have long been abandoned

Mountain landscape near Aït Abdallah after the wintry 'rainy season' with a view of the neighboring village of Alouss hidden between the rocks

Southern Morocco between Erfoud and Ouarzazate is characterized by the foothills of the High Atlas . Jagged gorges and blooming oases create fascinating color contrasts. This composition is complemented by the red-brown clay architecture of the Berbers. In the oasis valleys of Oued Ziz , the Dades and Draa or the Souss plain , are made of rammed earth built fortified villages ( Ksour ) and Ouarzazate , Morocco, the travelers delight for decades. Bounded by the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas as well as the Jbel Sirwa massif , the Souss plain forms a river valley up to 40 km wide and 150 km long, which extends from its highest point at Taroudannt (600 m) to the Atlantic lowers.

The Souss plain is one of the most fertile regions in Morocco. You can find banana plantations protected by plastic sheeting , citrus plantations , huge vegetable fields and - on drier slopes - argan trees (see below). The lush gardens are full of palm trees , bougainvillea and rose bushes grow wild. In the flowing area of ​​the river Oued Souss , which flows into the Atlantic south of Agadir , i. H. between the mountain ranges of the High Atlas in the north and the Anti-Atlas in the south, in the area east of Agadir to Taroudannt and Oulad Teima , most of the water-bearing layers are totally or almost dry to a depth of 270 meters. An area in which 20 years ago it was possible to pump out sufficient water at a distance of 30 to 40 meters will become deserted if drastic measures are not taken.

The Souss plain

Against the background of the almost extensive agricultural use of the Souss plain, the plant and animal species originally occurring here have largely been pushed back.

flora

The main crops are: olive trees , pistachio , laurel , date palms , agaves , prickly pears , citrus fruits (trees, the citrus supply), almond , peach , mulberry , walnut , fig , wine , bananas , cotton , wheat , barley , millet , peppers , Artichoke , eggplant , corn , eucalyptus , acacia , oleander , thuja , cypress , cedar , poplar and argania.

Pets

Farm animals such as poultry, sheep , goats , cattle , horses , camels , donkeys and mules . Dogs and cats are not actually " pets ", but lead a fairly free, wild life in Morocco. Camels, horses, donkeys and mules are traditional means of transport - even today where you cannot afford a motor vehicle or where the route is not accessible. People have to take more care of other animals such as cattle, goats and sheep as “suppliers” of meat and skins or of wool for the manufacture of clothing, tents and carpets. In quantitative terms, cattle place the highest demands on their pasture plants and are accordingly rare. There are no pigs in the Islamic world.

The mountain world

Argan tree

Goats in an argan tree

flora

The naturally occurring plants here are strong, frugal and thrive with little water. Occurring species are: Pistacia atlantica , Acacia gummifera , Argania spinosa , Stipa tenacissima , Artemisia herba-alba . Various species of cacti grow wild in the stone-strewn landscape; Leaf cacti ( opuntia ) produce fruits ('prickly pears').

Barley is almost the only crop grown in the stone-strewn mountain regions of southwestern Morocco , which due to the dry climate only delivers low yields and is harvested at the end of April / beginning of May. Fruit, vegetables, potatoes, flour etc. must be bought in the market.

Argan tree

The argania is one of the oldest trees in the world and is endemic to southwest Morocco , i. that is, it does not grow anywhere else in the world. The tree thrives on stony and dry soils, where its crown can reach a circumference of about 15 meters. The mostly crooked branches of the tree were used in earlier times for building purposes (wood for ceilings and stairs), but to this day they are also used as firewood for baking bread. The plum or olive-like fruits cannot be consumed by humans; however, the leaves are very desirable for goats, which often climb around in the trees. The kernels contained in the pulp are thicker than hazelnuts and very difficult to break. The seeds it contains in pairs are only slightly larger than sunflower seeds. A tasty oil is obtained from the roasted seeds of the fruit of the argan tree ( Argania spinosa ) by grinding and kneading for hours - oil from unroasted seeds is used in the (French) cosmetics industry for the production of skin care products.

fauna

Due to the high temperatures and the arid climate, the south of Morocco is ideal for various specialized species : Insects form the food source for reptiles (e.g. lizards , geckos , skinks ), birds , rodents and - systematically - so-called insect eaters ( e.g. hedgehogs and shrews) ). One can find bees , ants , day and moths , spiders , lizards , pigeons , sparrows , nightingales , owls , owls , mice and hedgehogs. Species that are rarely seen in Europe also live here: tortoises , dung beetles ( scarabs ) and the like. a. Wild boars also live in the last remaining bush forests .

Political structure

Only the places marked with M ( commune municipal ) are classified as urban settlements; the rest are considered rural communities ( communes rurales ) consisting of several villages.

Taroudant city walls and minaret

Code Geographique	Commune - Commune Rurale	Residents (September 2, 2004)
541.01.13.	Taroudant (M)	69,489
541.01.01.	Aït Iaaza (M)	9,984
541.01.03.	El Guerdane (M)	9.222
541.01.05.	Igherm (M)	4,624
541.01.09.	Oulad Teima (M)	66.183
541.01.11.	Taliouine (M)	5,844
541.03.03.	Ait Abdallah	2,988
541.05.11.	El Koudia El Beida	19,989
541.05.17.	Lagfifat	17,322
541.04.07.	Aoulouz	18,518
541.09.01.	Ahmar Laglalcha	13,854
541.05.27.	Sidi Boumoussa	13,727
541.07.05.	Askaouen	7,447

history

The historical view of Morocco with regard to the settlements and entire regions - regardless of whether you encounter defensive Agadirs in the Anti-Atlas or defiant kasbahs in southern Morocco - can hardly be separated from one another. Ancient people were not protected by a central power. The population, made up of clan and family associations, was often at odds and had bitter feuds against each other for centuries . Another unrest factor were the (semi) nomadic tribes who only wandered around temporarily or constantly with their herds (sheep, goats). The typical agadirs of the country are to be seen as the Moroccan counterpart to the European castles and as the forerunners of later fortifications of entire cities (Taroudannt city wall) built with the growing population.

Health situation

Medical supplies

For centuries, the health situation was problematic - the rural population in particular suffered from poor medical care for a long time. However, due to the improvement of the infrastructure (cellular network, road construction, health stations) and the steadily improved training of medical staff, the situation has improved considerably in the recent past.

Water supply

Almost a third of the population has no access to clean drinking water. The drinking water supply in Morocco is characterized by strong disparities between cities and rural regions. In 2000, 97% of the urban population was supplied with hygienically safe drinking water, while the rural population, which accounts for 50% of the total population of Morocco, was only supplied with 30-40%. In the provinces of Taroudannt and Tiznit, 80% of the population live in rural areas. For many years, the majority of these people only had access to drinking water under hygienically inadequate conditions. They are mostly supplied from open shaft wells, and rainwater cisterns and spring taps are also used in the mountains. The availability of water is subject to strong fluctuations over the course of the year, including wells falling dry in summer. However, the situation has improved significantly in recent years due to the construction of small dams and water pipes.

Most houses in rural areas only have sewage septic tanks; Sewage treatment plants are still rare - even in cities. Often there were shaft wells in the vicinity of these septic tanks - this posed considerable risks to the health of the people affected. But this problem has also been alleviated by the forced construction of water pipes.

economy

review

Arabs were the first to grow sugar cane on a large scale. From the year 700 AD they grew sugar cane in Morocco, Egypt and Spain. Taroudant lost further importance in the 18th century due to falling sugar cane exports. The closure of the port of Agadir in favor of the new one in Essaouira in 1765 also played an important role .

Current time

Agriculture employs 41% of the workforce. The large farms, some of which are still owned by Europeans, are important for market production. Small businesses also predominate in the traditional sector. Grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, olives, citrus fruits, cotton , wine, almonds , dates and tobacco are grown . Cattle breeding ( sheep , goats , cattle , donkeys , camels , horses ) in the steppes of the Meseta, in eastern Morocco and in the mountains is partly carried out nomadically. Around 10% of the forest is made up of cork oaks (Morocco is the third largest cork producer in the world). The reduced sugar cane cultivation and the expansion of fruit and vegetable cultivation have contributed to the increase in the economic efficiency of agricultural production in the Loukkos perimeter and to the conservation of water as a resource. The indicators for the respective cultivation areas have been achieved.

After the country found itself in an almost hopeless economic situation in the early 1980s, Morocco has now been able to implement important reforms with the support of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund . They were accompanied by a series of rescheduling with private and public creditors. According to Moroccan information, agricultural incomes rose by approx. 26%. Morocco's current economy is closely linked to Europe through foreign trade. The globalization and the agreed 2012 free trade zone with the European Union ( EU ), however, conceal the face of insufficient competitiveness of many companies large risks for employment in the country. In addition to tourism, the most important source of foreign exchange is the remittances of 1.6 million guest workers, around half of whom work in France. The economic situation has improved considerably since then.

Today the city and region of Taroudannt as a center of trade and handicrafts is a popular day trip destination for tourists from Agadir (about 80 km).

tourism

The handicraft tradition of Morocco and today's mass tourism complement each other in an ideal way. Both divisions have grown into a major economic factor. The Taroudannt region in particular - with its resources of old, original places and picturesque landscape - can benefit from this. Nevertheless, this region is an example of the gentle integration of tourism in historical places without changing the atmosphere too much. Agadir, on the other hand, has now grown to 260,000 inhabitants (1960: 50,000), has nothing to offer the tourist after the earthquake in 1960 apart from sun, sand and sea.

Handicrafts

• Woodworking: Morocco's carpenters and artisans mainly process cedar or thuja wood into jewelry boxes, chessboards, but also into figurative or abstract sculptures.
• Basketry: baskets, bowls and cans as well as hats made of colored straw are things that are made in almost all villages.
• Ceramics : Bowls or bowls with (sometimes very simple) glazes made on the potter's wheel or using the construction technique are also offered almost everywhere.

• Handicraft in the province of Taroudannt
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• Metals : A lot of copper and brass are used in Maghrebian home decor . In Marrakech they chisel copper and in Taroudant they work with a hammer. Tiznit is famous for the work of its gold and silversmiths. Chased silver daggers, Fantasia rifles, massive silver arm and foot rings and filigree silver jewelry set with gemstones come from the workshops of the artisans.
• Jewelry  : Silver is also processed in the villages on the plains and in the mountains.
• Stones : Candlesticks, jewelry boxes, etc. are made from the soft stone from Taroudant and engraved with patterns.

Worth seeing

region

• Only a few residential castles made of clay ( Tighremts ) rise - like relics from bygone times - both over the barren sand and stone deserts and in more fertile (mountain) oases.
• Agadirs assembled from small to medium-sized stones are part of the landscape , especially in the barren mountain regions of the Anti-Atlas . The most important are the Agadir Tasguent and the nearby agadirs of Itourhaine ( Aït Ourhain ) and Dou Tagadirt . A few of these buildings, which are so characteristic of Berber architecture , still stand in the vicinity of Igherm .

City of Taroudant

• city ​​wall
• Medina, almost completely covered souks
• Palais Salam, former palace of the Pasha of Taroudannt
• Atlas panorama
• Markets: On market days, the city is populated by residents of the surrounding villages and tourists from the nearby holiday centers.

traffic

From the bus station in Taroudannt there are numerous connections to Agadir , Marrakech , Ouarzazate , Tata and Tafraoute .

See also

• Taliouine

literature

• kfw - Development Bank: Morocco: Agricultural Development Loukkos III and Projet d'Amélioration de la Grande Irrigation II (PAGI II).
• Jörg-Dieter Brandes: The history of the Berbers - from the Berber dynasties of the Middle Ages to the Maghreb of modern times. Katz, Gernsbach 2004, ISBN 3-925825-87-8 .
• Morocco - From the Rif to the Anti-Atlas. ISBN 3-8317-1217-4 . (Comprehensive explanation of the history, culture and present of Morocco)
• Abdelaziz BENNOUNA. Center National pour la Recherche, Scientifique et Technique Rabat Morocco.
• Lisa Lovatt-Smith: Moroccan Interiors. Verlag Benedikt Taschen, Cologne 1995, ISBN 3-8228-8738-2 .
• Understand Morocco. In: Sympathie Magazin. No. 14 - © 1992/1997 Study Group for Tourism and Development e. V.
• Arnold Betten: Morocco - Antiquity, Berber Traditions and Islam - History, Art and Culture in the Maghreb. DuMont, Ostfildern 2009, ISBN 978-3-7701-3935-4 .

Web links

Commons : Taroudannt (Province)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Agadire in Morocco ( Memento from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ geohive.com ( Memento of March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Population statistics Morocco