Regions of Morocco

Moroccan administrative division
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As part of a 1997 decentralization and regionalization law passed by the legislature 16 new regions of Morocco were created. The region is the current highest administrative division of Morocco. The regions are subdivided into a total of 63 second-order administrative divisions, which are prefectures and provinces.[1] A Moroccan region is governed by a Wali, nominated by the King. The Wali is also governor of the province (or prefecture) where he resides.

Regions before 1997

Before 1997, Morocco was divided into 7 regions: Central, Eastern, North-Central, Northwestern, South-Central, Southern, Tansift.[2]

1997 to 2010: Full unitary system

The 1997 reorganization changed this to 16 regions.[3]

Regions of Morocco
Map
number 		Region Capital
Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira | Dakhla
Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra | Laâyoune
Guelmim-Es Semara | Guelmim
Souss-Massa-Drâa | Agadir
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen | Kénitra
Chaouia-Ouardigha | Settat
Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz | Marrakesh
Oriental | Oujda
Grand Casablanca | Casablanca
Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer | Rabat
Doukkala-Abda | Safi
Tadla-Azilal | Béni Mellal
Meknès-Tafilalet | Meknès
Fès-Boulemane | Fès
Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate | Al Hoceima
Tangier-Tetouan | Tangier

The regions of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (1), the vast majority of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra (2), and part of Guelmim-Es Semara (3) are within the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The sovereignty of Western Sahara is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front which claims the territory as the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Most of the region is administered by Morocco as its southern provinces. The Polisario Front, based in headquarters at Tindouf in south western Algeria, controls only areas east of the Moroccan Wall.

Starting 2010: the Advanced Regionalization

Starting 2010, a new governmental program aimed at giving each of the regions of Morocco autonomy, much like the Spanish style, and a greater autonomy to the regions fully coinciding with the Western Sahara. So a governmental organization was formed to tackle this subject; it got the name of Consultative Commission for the Regionalization. The latter published the names of the new regions and their numbers:[4]

Main proposal
Main proposal
Midelt province variation
Midelt province variation
Figuig province variation
Figuig province variation
The different regional configuration proposed in 2010

See also

References

  1. ↑ Morocco in Figures 2003: A document by the Moroccan Embassy in the USA
  2. ↑ http://www.statoids.com/uma.html
  3. ↑ "Régions". Portail national du Maroc. Government of Morocco. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ↑ Moroccan Government website concerning the regionalization