Oriental (Morocco)

Oriental

جهة الشرق (Arabic)
ⵜⴰⵎⵏⴰⴹⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵎⵓⴹⴰⵏⵜ (Berber languages)
Oriental جهة الشرق (Arabic); ⵜⴰⵎⵏⴰⴹⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵎⵓⴹⴰⵏⵜ (Berber languages);
Region
	Jebel Tamejout - Grotte du Chameau (Zegzel)
	Location in Morocco
	Coordinates: 34°41′N 1°54′W / 34.683°N 1.900°WCoordinates: 34°41′N 1°54′W / 34.683°N 1.900°W
Country	Morocco
Capital	Oujda
Government
• Wali (Governor)	Mohamed Mhidia
• President	Abdenbi Bioui
Area
• Total	90,127 km2 (34,798 sq mi)
Population (2014)
• Total	2,314,346
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)

Oriental (Arabic: الشرق‎, romanized: aš-šarq; Berber languages: ⵜⴰⴳⵎⵓⴹⴰⵏⵜ, romanized: tagmuḍant) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco, located in the eastern part of the country. It covers an area of 90,127 km² and has a population of 2,314,346 (2014 census).

The capital and the largest city is Oujda, and the second largest city is Nador. The region includes 7 provinces and one prefecture. became wali (governor) of the region in 2015.^[1]

A majority of the population of Oriental speak Moroccan Arabic (86.2%) as a first or second language. A large minority speak the Rif-Berber language (38.4%) as a first language. Small numbers speak Eastern Middle Atlas Tamazight and Figuig Tamazight, principally in the south of Oriental.^[2]

Etymology[]

The English name Oriental is derived from the French term L'Oriental (for "the east") and comes directly from the Latin orientalis, "of the east", being that the region is located in the east of Morocco.^[3] The Arabic name Ash-Sharq also means "the east", as does the Berber name Tagmuḍant (from agmuḍan).

Geography[]

Oriental is situated in the eastern part of the country, with a northern coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. The regions of Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate, Fès-Boulemane and Meknès-Tafilalet lie to its west, with the Algerian provinces of Tlemcen and Naâma to its east and Béchar to the south. Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city, also borders the region. In 2015, Oriental was expanded to include Guercif Province.

The region is made up into the following prefectures and provinces:^[4]

Municipalities by population (2014)[]

Main square of Oujda, the regional capital and largest city.

Name	Province/Prefecture	Population (2014)
Oujda	Oujda-Angad	494,252
Nador	Nador Province	161,726
Berkane	Berkane Province	109,237
Taourirt	Taourirt Province	103,398
Beni Ensar / Aït Nsar	Nador Province	56,582
Al Aaroui	Nador Province	47,599
Jerada	Jerada Province	43,506
El Aioun Sidi Mellouk	Taourirt Province	41,832
Bouarg	Nador Province	37,737
Zaio	Nador Province	35,806
Zeghanghane	Nador Province	34,025
Sidi Slimane Echcharraa	Berkane Province	30,202
Bouarfa	Figuig Province	28,846
Bni Chiker	Nador Province	26,884
Oulad Settout	Nador Province	23,218
Selouane	Nador Province	21,570
Boughriba	Berkane Province	20,513
Ahfir	Berkane Province	19,630
Arekmane	Nador Province	18,490
	Driouch Province	16,787
Talsint	Figuig Province	16,166
Bni Tadjite	Figuig Province	16,149
Zegzel	Berkane Province	16,137
Tendrara	Figuig Province	15,390
Midar	Driouch Province	17,042
Driouch	Driouch Province	14,741
Ben Taieb	Driouch Province	14,257
Temsamane	Driouch Province	13,920
Ain Bni Mathar	Jerada Province	13,526
Figuig	Figuig Province	12,516

^[5]

References[]

^ "Installation de Mohamed Mhidia, wali de la région de l'Oriental". 21 Oct 2015. Retrieved 23 Dec 2016.
^ "Population selon les langues nationales par régions en 2014 (%)". 13 Oct 2015. p. 30. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 23 Dec 2016.
^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Douglas Harper. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
^ "Décret fixant le nom des régions" (PDF). Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales (in French). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2014". Hcp.ma. Archived from the original on 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2015-09-14.

External links[]

[1] "Installation de Mohamed Mhidia, wali de la région de l'Oriental". 21 Oct 2015. Retrieved 23 Dec 2016.

[2] "Population selon les langues nationales par régions en 2014 (%)". 13 Oct 2015. p. 30. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 23 Dec 2016.

[3] "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Douglas Harper. Retrieved 21 September 2015.

[reg-4] "Décret fixant le nom des régions" (PDF). Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales (in French). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-07-11.

[5] "Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2014". Hcp.ma. Archived from the original on 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2015-09-14.

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show v t Oriental, Morocco
Capital: Oujda
Provinces	Berkane Province Driouch Province Figuig Province Guercif Province Jerada Province Nador Province Oujda-Angad Prefecture Taourirt Province
Cities	Ahfir Ain Bni Mathar Ain Erreggada Aklim El Arwi Ben Taieb Berkane Beni Ansar Bni Chiker Bni Drar Bni Tadjite Bouanane Bouarfa Bouhdila Ihddaden Dar El Kebdani Debdou Driouch El Aioun Sidi Mellouk Farkhana Figuig Guercif Jaadar Jerada Kassita Kerouna Madagh Midar Nador Oujda Ras Kebdana Saïdia Segangan Selouane Sidi Boubker Sidi Slimane Echcharraa Tafersit Talsint Taourirt Tendrara Tiztoutine Touissit Zaio

show v t Regions of Morocco
from 2015	Béni Mellal-Khénifra Casablanca-Settat Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab^(*) Drâa-Tafilalet Fès-Meknès Guelmim-Oued Noun^() Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra^(*) Marrakech-Safi Oriental Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Souss-Massa Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
1997–2015	Chaouia-Ouardigha Doukkala-Abda Fès-Boulemane Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen Grand Casablanca Guelmim-Es Semara^() Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra^() Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz Meknès-Tafilalet Oriental Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira^(*) Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer Souss-Massa-Drâa Tadla-Azilal Tangier-Tetouan Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
1971–1997	Southern^(*)
Regions falling partly () or entirely (*) within the disputed territory of Western Sahara