El Aaiún
| Laayoune العيون / Leɛyun El-Aaiún | |
|---|---|
|
Avenue Makkah al-Mukarramah in El-Aaiún | |
  Laayoune Location in Western Sahara | |
| Coordinates: 27°9′13″N 13°12′12″W / 27.15361°N 13.20333°WCoordinates: 27°9′13″N 13°12′12″W / 27.15361°N 13.20333°W | |
| Non-Self-Governing Territory | Western Sahara |
| Region | Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra |
| Province | Laayoune Province |
| Settled | 1934 |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 196,331 |
| Time zone | UTC |
Laayoune (Maghrebi Arabic: لعيون, Laʕyūn ; Spanish: "El-Aaiún"; Berber: Leɛyun; Literary Arabic: العيون al-ʿuyūn, lit. "The Springs") is the largest city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The modern city is thought to have been founded by the Spanish colonizer Antonio de Oro in 1938.[1] In 1940, Spain designated it as the capital of the Spanish Sahara. Laâyoune (El-Aaiún) is the capital of the Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region under Moroccan administration.
The town is divided in two by the dry river of Saguia el Hamra. On the south side is the old lower town, constructed by Spanish colonists. A cathedral from that era is still active; its priests serve this city and Dakhla further south.
Since 1976 the city has been occupied and administered by Morocco,[2] which claims Western Sahara as a part of its territory. The Polisario Front, supported in part by Algeria, has been working for Western Sahara sovereignty as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and it considers the city its occupied capital.
Demographics
The city has a population of 196,331[3] and is the largest city in Western Sahara. It is a growing economic hub. Its population is a mixture of Sahrawis, natives of Western Sahara who now make up only a fifth of the population, with much of the remainder being Moroccans from the North attracted by subsidies and government jobs.[4]
Etymology
El Aaiún is the Spanish transliteration of the Maghrebi Arabic name Layoun which means "the water springs". Laâyoune is a French transliteration, which is the typical form used internationally, drawing from the dominant usage by the francophone oriented Moroccan administration.
Economy and status
Since the city has been administered by Morocco, it has become a hub for fishing and for phosphate mining in the region.[4] In 2010 that country was negotiating a new fishing agreement with Europe over offshore fishing. Morocco has invested in the city and area to gain support from natives.[4]
Politically Morocco claims the Western Sahara as part of its historical territory. Mauritania had also claimed it, but Morocco has long had effective control. The Polisario Front, an independence group supported by Algeria, has contested with Moroccan military forces and promotes sovereignty of the area as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. In 1991 the UN achieved a ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front after 16 years of warfare. Riots from independence supporters in the city broke out in 1999 and 2005.[4]
This territory has unresolved sovereignty pending a solution between the two parties that claim it: Morocco and Polisario. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which monitors the 1991 ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, is headquartered in the city. In 2010 the UN was trying to arrange talks between Morocco and Polisario to negotiate some autonomy for the region; Algeria and Mauritania agreed to be there as official observers.[4]
Climate
Laâyoune (El-Aaiún)has a mild desert climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream with an average annual temperature of 20°C.
| Climate data for Laâyoune" also "El Ayun" | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 20 (68) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
24 (75) |
26 (79) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
20 (68) |
23 (73) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16 (61) |
17 (63) |
19 (66) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
21 (70) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
22 (72) |
20 (68) |
17 (63) |
20 (68) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12 (54) |
13 (55) |
16 (61) |
15 (59) |
16 (61) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
21 (70) |
20 (68) |
18 (64) |
16 (61) |
13 (55) |
17 (63) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 17.97 (0.7075) |
18.51 (0.7287) |
6.74 (0.2654) |
2.54 (0.1) |
3.21 (0.1264) |
0.31 (0.0122) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
1.21 (0.0476) |
7.47 (0.2941) |
16.90 (0.6654) |
18.60 (0.7323) |
93.46 (3.6795) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| Source: Weatherbase[5] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for El Aaiún (Laayoune) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 22 (72) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
26 (79) |
28 (82) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
28 (82) |
25 (77) |
22 (72) |
26.3 (79.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
19.5 (67.1) |
20.0 (68) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.5 (74.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
25.5 (77.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
21.0 (69.8) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.75 (71.15) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
14 (57) |
15 (59) |
15 (59) |
17 (63) |
19 (66) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
21 (70) |
19 (66) |
17 (63) |
14 (57) |
17.3 (63.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 8 (0.31) |
9 (0.35) |
4 (0.16) |
2 (0.08) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
4 (0.16) |
4 (0.16) |
6 (0.24) |
10 (0.39) |
47 (1.85) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 38 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 217 | 232 | 248 | 270 | 279 | 270 | 279 | 279 | 240 | 248 | 210 | 217 | 2,989 |
| Source: weather2travel.com[6] | |||||||||||||
Sport
The football club of the city is Jeunesse Massira. The club plays in the Moroccan premier league, the highest football league in the country. Jeunesse Massira uses Mohamed Laghdaf stadium in training and games.
Transport
Laâyoune (El-Aaiún) is served by Hassan I Airport.
Twin towns and sister cities
-
Algiers, Algeria[7] (Since 2001) -
Almería, Spain[8] - Avilés, Spain[9]
-
Caracas, Venezuela (Since 12 August 2005) - Málaga, Spain[10]
-
Montevideo, Uruguay[11] (Since 13 December 2009) - Lorca, Spain[12]
-
Sorrento, Italy (Since 18 April 2009)
References
- ↑ Francisco López Barrios (2005-01-23). "El Lawrence de Arabia Español" (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
- ↑ UN General Assembly Resolution 34/37 and UN General Assembly Resolution 35/19.
- ↑ Stefan Helders (2010). "Morocco – largest cities (per geographical entity)". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Diplomacy over Western Sahara: 'Morocco v Algeria'", The Economist, 4 November 2010.
- ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for El Aaiún".
- ↑ Laayoune Climate Guide – weather2travel.com
- ↑ "Renewing the twining agreement between Central Algiers and Wilaya of El Aaiun". Sahara Press Service. 2011-10-30. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
- ↑ Ayuntamiento de Almería (ed.). "Ciudades Hermanadas". Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ↑ "Balance del viaje realizado por representantes municipales al Sahara". Aviles.es. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
- ↑ Ayuntamiento de Málaga (ed.). "Official website for Malaga's candidature for European capital of culture in 2016". Retrieved 2008-04-02.
- ↑ "Hermanamiento de Montevideo y El Aaiún". Montevideo.gub.uy. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
- ↑ "El Ayuntamiento de Lorca denuncia la agresión de Marruecos contra el Pueblo Saharaui" (in Spanish). Murcia.es. 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
External links
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