Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
الغرب شراردة بني حسين | |
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UTC+1 (WEST) | |
ISO 3166 code | MA-02 |
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen (
The region lacks economic and geographic unity.[
Administrative divisions
The region consisted of the following provinces:
- Kénitra Province (now part of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region)
- Sidi Kacem Province (now part of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region)
- Sidi Slimane Province (now part of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region)
Antiquity
In ancient times this region was part of Mauretania Tingitana, which was ruled in early times by the Phoenicians and later by the Mauretanians and Romans. Major settlements from these eras were located at Volubilis[2] and at Chellah.
Geography
The administrative region extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) along the coast of Morocco and about 90 kilometres (56 mi) inland. The major river is the
Kenitra is the largest city, with Sidi Slimane and Sidi Kacem being second and third.
Oil and gas
The Gharb Basin has been explored for oil and gas since the 1920. Commercial production of natural gas began in 1963, with new fields being brought on line through the 1990s. The gas is generally found is shallow deposits at a depth ranging from 900 m to 1800 m.[4]
Demographics
From 2004 to 2014 the area experienced a modest 2.3% growth in population from 1,859,540 to 1,904,112,[1] available water being the main limitation on growth.[5]
Agricultural productivity
The Gharb is the second most important agricultural region of Morocco after
Historically the Gharb Basin has been developed for numerous agricultural purposes ranging as widely as eucalyptus farms to beekeeping.[6]
The colons under French rule (as further North under Spanish rule in the Loukos valley) were fully conscious of the region's production capacities and settled in the Gharb in large numbers. About 800 farms covered some 200,000 hectares (a fourth of the region's total). Two lesser urban centers arose from colonization: Mechra Bel Ksiri and Sidi Slimane.
A number of factories have been created to process some of the Gharb's agricultural production. For instance, there are now five sugar refineries. The development of the Gharb region relies heavily on the dams
The center of the region is the most productive, but there has been recent development in the west along the ocean. On the other hand the southern and eastern parts of the region remain marginal and pauperized.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat de 2004" (PDF). Haut-commissariat au Plan, Lavieeco.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2007
- .
- ^ "Gharb Basin". Moroccan Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM). Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ "Région Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen: Faire face aux défis liés aux ressources hydriques". LLe Matin (in French). 13 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ Eva Crane. 1999
Bibliography
- Crane, Eva (1999). The world history of beekeeping and honey hunting. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-92467-2.
- Hogan, C. Michael (2007). Burnham, A. (ed.). "Volubilis - Ancient Village or Settlement in Morocco". Megalithic Portal. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
- Berriane, Mohamed; et al. (2002). Troin, Jean-François (ed.). Maroc: Régions, Pays, Territoires (in French). Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. pp. 104–127. ISBN 978-2-7068-1630-7.