Regions are the highest administrative divisions of Morocco. Since the territorial reform of 2015, the country has been divided into 12 regions, including one (Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab) located entirely within the disputed territory of Western Sahara, and two (Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra and Guelmim-Oued Noun) located partially within it. The regions are subdivided into 75 second-level administrative divisions, consisting of prefectures and provinces.
Each region is governed by a directly elected regional council. The president of the council is responsible for implementing its decisions. Prior to the 2011 constitutional reforms, this role was held by the wali, the representative of the central government appointed by the King. The wali now plays a coordinating and supervisory role in regional administration.
Regions since 2015 On 3 January 2010, the Moroccan government established the Consultative Commission for Regionalization (CCR), with the aim of promoting decentralization and granting greater autonomy to the regions, particularly in relation to the issue of Western Sahara. The commission proposed provisional names and boundaries for the new regions.
The names and number of the regions were officially established by decree in the Bulletin Officiel dated 5 March 2015.
Following the reform, the newly created regional councils elected their presidents on 14 September 2015, and the regional governors (walis) were appointed on 13 October 2015.
Mapnumber Region Capital Population (2014) Population (2024)6 Casablanca-Settat Casablanca 6,861,739 7,688,9674 Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Rabat 4,580,866 5,132,6397 Marrakesh-Safi Marrakesh 4,520,569 4,892,3933 Fès-Meknès Fès 4,236,892 4,467,9111 Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Tangier 3,556,729 4,030,2229 Souss-Massa Agadir 2,676,847 3,020,4315 Béni Mellal-Khénifra Beni Mellal 2,520,776 2,525,8012 Oriental Oujda 2,314,346 2,294,6658 Drâa-Tafilalet Errachidia 1,635,008 1,655,62311 Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra Laayoune 367,758 451,02810 Guelmim-Oued Noun Guelmim 433,757 448,68512 Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab Dakhla 142,955 219,965 A.Lies partially or completely within the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
1997 to 2015: Full unitary system Between 1997 and 2015, Morocco had 16 regions.
Mapnumber Region Capital 1 Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira Dakhla 2 Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra Laâyoune 3 Guelmim-Es Semara Guelmim 4 Souss-Massa-Drâa Agadir 5 Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen Kénitra 6 Chaouia-Ouardigha Settat 7 Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Marrakesh 8 Oriental Oujda 9 Grand Casablanca Casablanca 10 Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Rabat 11 Doukkala-Abda Safi12 Tadla-Azilal Béni Mellal 13 Meknès-Tafilalet Meknès 14 Fès-Boulemane Fès 15 Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate Al Hoceima 16 Tangier-Tetouan Tangier
The entirety of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (1), the vast majority of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra (2), and part of Guelmim-Es Semara (3) were situated 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 those areas east of the Moroccan Wall.
Regions before 1997 Before 1997, Morocco was divided into seven regions: Central, Eastern, North-Central, Northwestern, South-Central, Southern, and Tansift.
Dahir No. 1-59-351 of 1 Jumada II 1379 (December 2, 1959) regarding the territorial division of the Kingdom establishes an administrative organization structured around several levels of territorial collectivities, notably prefectures and communes.
Over the decades, several territorial redistricting measures were implemented to reflect demographic and administrative changes. Provinces were gradually established alongside prefectures, helping to further structure the territorial organization.
See also
ISO 3166-2:MA (2004)
References
External links Administrative divisions of Morocco