Berkane Province

Berkane Province^[1] (Arabic: بَركان) is located in northeastern Morocco in the Oriental region. It is bounded by the Mediterranean to its north, the Kiss Oued (Moroccan-Algerian border) and Oujda Prefecture in the east, Nador Province to the west, and Taourirt Province in the south. The Berkane Province includes under its jurisdiction the towns of Saïdia and Ahfir. The population of the city is 80,012 as of the 2004 census. The population originates primarily from Bni Iznasen, a major tribe which consists of Arab and Berber clans. The tribe's descendants are spread widely over the rest of eastern Morocco, usually in cities like Ahfir, Saïdia and Oujda. The eastern dialect of Moroccan Arabic is spoken by most of the citizens, although Berber is still spoken by some of the adults.

Berkane Province بركان
Province
Country	Morocco
Region	Oriental
Capital	Berkane
Population  (2016)
• Total	289,137

Berkane is considered a major player in the citrus fruit industry in North-Morocco, and high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful year round. It is known for its farms of clementines, also a large statue of an orange is at the center of town. It is very close to Saïdia, a popular beach resort town on the Mediterranean, as well as Tafoughalt, a small village in the nearby mountains known for its healthy air and herb markets. Berkane is also famous for being the birthplace of the Olympic athlete Hicham El Guerrouj, who holds the world record for the fastest mile but he has never been a major social player in the development of his native town.

Berkane is a sprawling city centered on Avenue Mohammed V, a commercial and business strip, and boulevard Ibn Sina/Rue Dehb or Alhob (meaning "The Street of Gold and or street of love"). This boulevard is lined with many of the most popular cafés and jewelry shops. The city sprawls into the hillsides and connects via bridge to a small neighboring town named Sidi Slimane, giving the impression that it is much larger than the census claims.

The major cities and towns are: ^{[dead link‍]}

• Ahfir
• Ain Erreggada
• Aklim
• Berkane
• Bouhdila
• Madagh
• Saïdia
• Sidi Slimane Echcharraa

Etymology

The province is named after its largest city, Berkane. The name of the city comes from the word "aberkan" which means "black" in the Berber language.

Subdivisions

The province is divided administratively into the following:^[2]

Name	Geographic code	Type	Households	Population (2004)	Foreign population	Moroccan population	Notes
Ahfir	113.01.01.	Municipality	4,160	19,482	310	19,172
Ain Erreggada	113.01.05.	Municipality	625	2,983	11	2,972
Aklim	113.01.07.	Municipality	1,812	8,969	5	8,964
Berkane	113.01.09.	Municipality	17,245	80,012	199	79,813
Saïdia	113.01.25.	Municipality	829	3,338	77	3,261
Sidi Slimane Echcharraa	113.01.29.	Municipality	4,561	22,904	14	22,890
Aghbal	113.03.01.	Rural commune	2,704	13,809	124	13,685
Fezouane	113.03.07.	Rural commune	2,005	10,304	21	10,283
Laatamna	113.03.09.	Rural commune	3,182	15,493	177	15,316
Madagh	113.03.11.	Rural commune	2,758	13,980	54	13,926	2,312 residents live in the center, called Madagh; 11,668 residents live in rural areas.
Boughriba	113.05.03.	Rural commune	3,727	20,560	4	20,556
Chouihia	113.05.05.	Rural commune	2,138	12,539	0	12,539
Rislane	113.05.13.	Rural commune	879	5,195	0	5,195
Sidi Bouhria	113.05.15.	Rural commune	991	5,400	1	5,399
Tafoughalt	113.05.17.	Rural commune	609	3,150	2	3,148
Zegzel	113.05.19.	Rural commune	6,424	32,210	38	32,172	16,145 residents live in the center, called Bouhdila; 16,065 residents live in rural areas.

References

1. "Berkane". Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
2. "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 27 April 2012.

34.917614°N 2.317469°W / 34.917614; -2.317469