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Drâa-Tafilalet درعة - تافيلالت (Arabic) | |
|---|---|
 Location in Morocco | |
| Coordinates:31°19′N5°20′W / 31.32°N 5.33°W /31.32; -5.33 | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Created | September 2015 |
| Capital | Errachidia |
| Government | |
| • Type | Governor–regional council |
| • Wali | Said Zniber |
| • Council president | Lahbib Choubani |
| Area | |
• Total | 88,836 km2 (34,300 sq mi) |
| Population (1 September 2014)[2] | |
• Total | 1,635,008 |
| • Density | 18.405/km2 (47.668/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Website | www.draatafilalet.ma |
Drâa-Tafilalet (Arabic:درعة - تافيلالت,romanized: darʿa - tāfīlālt) is one of the twelveregions ofMorocco. It covers an area of 88,836 km2[1] and had a population of 1,635,008 as of the2014 Moroccan census.[2] The capital of the region isErrachidia.[3]
Drâa-Tafilalet is situated in theAtlas Mountains of Morocco. Its main watersheds are that of theDraa River in the west and theZiz River, which irrigates theTafilalt oasis, in the east. Drâa-Tafilalet borders five other Moroccan regions:Souss-Massa to the southwest,Marrakech-Safi to the west,Béni Mellal-Khénifra to the northwest,Fès-Meknès to the north, andOriental to the northeast. It also borders two ofAlgeria'sprovinces,Tindouf in the south andBéchar in the southeast.
Drâa-Tafilalet was formed in September 2015 by integrating the provinces of Errachidia andMidelt inMeknès-Tafilalet region with three provinces of theSouss-Massa-Drâa region.[3]
Lahbib Choubani of theJustice and Development Party was elected as the regional council's first president on 14 September 2015.[4] Mohamed Fanid was appointed governor (wali) of the region on 13 October 2015.[5] He was succeeded by Mohamed Benribag in 2017.[6]
Drâa-Tafilalet comprises five provinces:[3]
Agriculture andpastoralism have traditionally been major economic activities in the region, but they have been adversely impacted in recent years by increasingdesertification.[7][8] There is a filmmaking industry concentrated in theOuarzazate area.[9] Thefortified towns in the area, such as theWorld Heritage SiteAït Benhaddou, are popular tourist attractions. Traditional arts and crafts such as the pottery ofTamegroute and the rugs ofTaznakht are also significant to the local economy.[10]
The largest towns in the region, Errachidia and Ouarzazate, are linked together byNational Route 10. The Draa valley is served byNational Route 9 which also links Ouarzazate withMarrakesh to the northwest.National Route 13 runs along the Ziz valley and links Errachidia withMeknes to the north. Ouarzazate has thebusiestairport in the region; the airports at Errachidia andZagora also have commercial service.
Capital:Errachidia | ||
| Provinces | | |
| Cities | ||
| from 2015 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–2015 |
| |
| 1971–1997 | ||
Regions falling partly (*) or entirely (**) within thedisputed territory ofWestern Sahara underMoroccan occupation | ||