Kenitra

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For the abandoned city in Syria, see Quneitra.

Kenitra (Arabic name: القنيطرة, transliterated: Al-Qonaitirah, the little bridge) is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population of approximately 370,000 (2005 census),^{[citation needed]} and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region.

1 History
- 1.1 U.S. naval base
2 Areas and neighborhoods
3 Associations
4 Colleges and universities
5 Transportation
6 Sports
7 Natives from Kenitra
8 See also
9 Notes and references
10 External links

[edit] History

In terms of some of the earliest known prehistory of this area, the Phoenicians settled the coastline along this part of Morocco as early as the first millennium BC. The major settlement nearest Kenitra was Chellah, somewhat to the south along the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg.^[1]

Before the French protectorate, there was only a kasbah in the area where the modern city can today be found. Established in 1912 by Hubert Lyautey, the first Resident-General in Morocco, as a French military fort, harbor and town. The port at Kenitra was opened in 1913.^[2]

Kenitra draws its name from a culvert built on the Fouarat river upstream of the kasbah. This culvert was destroyed in 1928. In 1933, the French officially named the locale "Port Lyautey". It was renamed "Kenitra" in 1956 as Morocco gained its independence.

[edit] U.S. naval base

After Operation Torch, the Americans used the French facilities as a base and later expanded Kenitra to become a U.S. Naval Air Station.^[3] The base was shared by both the USA and Morocco through "The Cold War". A small out-station at Sidi Yahya closed in the mid 1970s. The Air-Station was closed in 1991.

[edit] Areas and neighborhoods

Médina
- Khabazate

Modern city
- Bir Rami
- Mimosa
- Ville Haute

Popular districts
- Saknia

[edit] Associations

Association Nationale des Professeurs agreges du Maroc -ANAPAM- (ANAPAM)

[edit] Colleges and universities

Université Ibn Tofail (UIT)
ENCG Kénitra (École Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Kénitra)
HECI Kénitra (Hautes Etudes Commerciales et Informatiques)

[edit] Transportation

The city is served by two railway stations: Kenitra-Ville and Kenitra-Medina. A shuttle train, TNR, connects the city, every 30 minutes, to Rabat and Casablanca.

A high-speed rail line to Tangier is planned to be completed in 2013 (see Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line).