Doukkala
Encyclopedia
Doukkala is a natural region of Morocco
, included in the province of El Jadida
and in the Abda-Doukkala administrative region.
It is a plain
stretching from the Atlantic Ocean
south of Oum Er-Rbia River
up to some 50 km further southward and the same distance eastward.
The main urban centers are Sidi Smail, Sidi Bennour
, Had Ouled Frej and Khemis Zemamra. Sidi Bennour is the fastest developing center of the four.
It is mainly an agricultural region, with few tourist attractions.
tribe which occupied the territory from Anfa
(Casablanca
) to Asfi. But they revolted against Almohad
kings in the 12th century. About 1160, the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min
settled Arab bedouin tribes there.
At the end of the French protectorate (ca 1950), there lived in Doukkala 372,269 Muslims, 2,680 Europeans and 3,933 Jews
.
The only mountain to be seen is "Jbel Lakhdar
", at the border with the plain of Rahamna.
The plain is subject to flooding. "Warar", a temporary natural lake between Sidi Bennour and Arbaa Od Aamran only fills in rainy years. Its largest surface was noted in 1916, 1966 and 2008.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, included in the province of El Jadida
El Jadida
El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 144,440...
and in the Abda-Doukkala administrative region.
It is a plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
stretching from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
south of Oum Er-Rbia River
Oum Er-Rbia River
Oum Er-Rbia , is a river in central Morocco. The river is 555 km long and is the longest in the country. With an average water debit of 105 m3/s, Oum Er-Rbia is the second largest river in Morocco after the Sebou River. It takes source in the Middle Atlas and passes through the city of Khénifra and...
up to some 50 km further southward and the same distance eastward.
The main urban centers are Sidi Smail, Sidi Bennour
Sidi Bennour
Sidi Bennour is a town in El Jadida Province, Doukkala-Abda, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 39,593.-References:...
, Had Ouled Frej and Khemis Zemamra. Sidi Bennour is the fastest developing center of the four.
It is mainly an agricultural region, with few tourist attractions.
History
Historically, "Doukkala" referred to a BerberBerber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
tribe which occupied the territory from Anfa
Anfa
Anfa is the area which is today Casablanca, Morocco. It was originally settled by Berbers in the 7th century. The area, which they named Anfa, became a small, independent kingdom, which rejected the muslim rule that surrounded it until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.From the 14th...
(Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
) to Asfi. But they revolted against Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
kings in the 12th century. About 1160, the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
settled Arab bedouin tribes there.
At the end of the French protectorate (ca 1950), there lived in Doukkala 372,269 Muslims, 2,680 Europeans and 3,933 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
.
Geography
Doukkala is divided in three sub-regions, parallel to the seacoast.- The "Oulja", along the beach, with garden-crops.
- The "Sahel", some 20 km inside, a stony region, only suiting to sheep breeding.
- The rich plain, with wheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, sugar beetSugar beetSugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
s, and intensive cattleCattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
breeding.
The only mountain to be seen is "Jbel Lakhdar
Jbel Lakhdar
Jbel Lakhdar is a small mountain of Morocco.Its name means "the green mountain". Its summit is 687 meters high...
", at the border with the plain of Rahamna.
The plain is subject to flooding. "Warar", a temporary natural lake between Sidi Bennour and Arbaa Od Aamran only fills in rainy years. Its largest surface was noted in 1916, 1966 and 2008.