| Regions of Morocco | |
|---|---|
| |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Kingdom of Morocco |
| Number | 12 |
| Populations | 142,955 (Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab) – 6,861,737 (Casablanca-Settat) |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions | |
Regions are currently the highest administrative divisions inMorocco. Since 2015, Morocco officially administers 12 regions, including one (Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab) that lies completely within the disputed territory ofWestern Sahara and two (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra andGuelmim-Oued Noun) that lie partially within it. The regions are subdivided into a total of 75 second-level administrative divisions, which areprefectures and provinces.[1]
A region is governed by a directlyelected regional council. The president of the council is responsible for carrying out the council's decisions. Prior to the2011 constitutional reforms, this was the responsibility of theWali, the representative of the central government appointed by the King, who now plays a supporting role in the administration of the region.[2]
On 3 January 2010, the Moroccan government established the Consultative Commission for the Regionalization (CCR), which aimed todecentralize power to the regions, and confer greater autonomy to the regions coinciding with the Western Sahara. The commission published provisional names and numbers for the new regions,[3] and their names were officially fixed in the Bulletin Officiel dated 5 March 2015.[4] The new regional councils elected their presidents on 14 September 2015[5] and regional governors were appointed on 13 October 2015.[6]
| Map number | Region | Capital | Population (2014)[7] | Population (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima |  Tangier | 3,556,729 | 4,030,222 |
| 2 | Oriental |  Oujda | 2,314,346 | 2,294,665 |
| 3 | Fès-Meknès |  Fès | 4,236,892 | 4,467,911 |
| 4 |  Rabat-Salé-Kénitra | Rabat | 4,580,866 | 5,132,639 |
| 5 |  Béni Mellal-Khénifra | Beni Mellal | 2,520,776 | 2,525,801 |
| 6 | Casablanca-Settat |  Casablanca | 6,861,739 | 7,688,967 |
| 7 |  Marrakesh-Safi |  Marrakesh | 4,520,569 | 4,892,393 |
| 8 | Drâa-Tafilalet | Errachidia | 1,635,008 | 1,655,623 |
| 9 |  Souss-Massa |  Agadir | 2,676,847 | 3,020,431 |
| 10 | Guelmim-Oued Noun[A] | Guelmim | 433,757 | 448,685 |
| 11 |  Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra[A] | Laayoune | 367,758 | 451,028 |
| 12 | Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab[A] | Dakhla | 142,955 | 219,965 |
A.^ Lies partially or completely within the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Between 1997 and 2015, Morocco had 16 regions.[8]
The entirety ofOued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (1), the vast majority ofLaâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra (2), and part ofGuelmim-Es Semara (3) were situated within thedisputed territory ofWestern Sahara. The sovereignty of Western Sahara is disputed between Morocco and thePolisario Front which claims the territory as the independentSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Most of the region is administered by Morocco as itsSouthern Provinces. The Polisario Front, based in headquarters atTindouf in south westernAlgeria, controls only those areas east of theMoroccan Wall.
Before 1997, Morocco was divided into seven regions: Central, Eastern, North-Central, Northwestern, South-Central, Southern, and Tansift.[9]
| from 2015 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–2015 |
| |
| 1971–1997 | ||
Regions falling partly (*) or entirely (**) within thedisputed territory ofWestern Sahara underMoroccan occupation | ||
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