Berkane (Arabic: بركان) is a city in northeastern Morocco, limited by the Mediterranean to the north, the Kis river (Moroccan-Algerian border) and Oujda Province in the east, Nador Province to the west, and Taourirt Province in the south. It is the capital of Berkane Province.

Berkane
بركان
City
The clementine, sculpture in the city centre of Berkane
Nickname: 
Orange city
Berkane is located in Morocco
Berkane
Berkane
Coordinates: 34°55′N 2°19′W / 34.917°N 2.317°W / 34.917; -2.317
Country Morocco
RegionOriental
ProvinceBerkane
Population
 (2014)[1]
 • Total109,237
Time zoneUTC+1
Postal code
63300
The Mausoleum of Sidi Ahmad Aberkane in Berkane, Morocco.

Population

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The city recorded a population of 109,237 in the 2014 Moroccan census.[1] The eastern dialect of Moroccan Arabic is spoken by most citizens, although Berber is also spoken by some people.[citation needed]

According to the 2014 census, the population of the Berkane agglomeration is 306,901, that is, an estimated 12.5 percent of the population of the eastern region, with a high density of 145.7 people per square kilometer compared to 25.7 people per square kilometer in relation to the region and a high urbanization rate of 63.2 percent.[citation needed]

Historic population

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The population rose from 368 in 1917 to 3,600 in 1936 and then doubled in 1947, it reached 7,545, then jumped to 20,496 in 1960, then to 60,490 in 1982 and 77,026 in 1994. In the year 1996, the city's population was estimated at 82,000.[citation needed]

Recent city

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The city of Berkane is considered an agricultural city as a result of the irrigation policy that colonialism followed, starting in the middle of the first half of the twentieth century, in the major irrigated circles. Especially since it is located on one of the richest plains in Morocco, the Tarifa plain.[citation needed]

The emergence of Berkane as a city, and its development, was linked to the local agricultural wealth. However the administrative leadership of the fledgling city, which abolished the old political entities of the Bni Iznasen tribes, was behind the French political decision in the colonial period to assign the role of direct leadership to Berkane over the neighboring tribes. The development of the agricultural economy and the improvement of the standard of living in the city have contributed to emptying the tribes from their population and displacing the human weight from the mountain fortress to the open plain and facilitated the process of military control of the French occupation of the region. The massive influx of workers in the agriculture sector from different Moroccan regions has also disrupted the homogeneous tribal fabric.[citation needed]

Economy

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Berkane is considered a major player in the citrus fruit industry in North-Morocco, and high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful year round. It is known for its farms of clementines. Also, a large statue of an orange is at the center of town. It is very close to Saïdia, a popular beach resort town on the Mediterranean, as well as Tafoughalt, a small village in the nearby mountains known for its healthy air and herb markets.[citation needed]

Sports

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Berkane's most popular sport club is the association football club RS Berkane.[2] Well known in the continental competitions. Rs berkane have won 3 major African titles, including 2 CAF Confederation Cup and 1 CAF Super Cup.[3][4][5]

Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

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Berkane is twinned with:[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "POPULATION LÉGALE DES RÉGIONS, PROVINCES, PRÉFECTURES, MUNICIPALITÉS, ARRONDISSEMENTS ET COMMUNES DU ROYAUME D'APRÈS LES RÉSULTATS DU RGPH 2014" (in Arabic and French). High Commission for Planning, Morocco. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Renaissance Sportive de Berkane". Renaissance Sportive de Berkane. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  3. ^ "Confederation Cup: Berkane win first African title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  4. ^ "Orlando Pirates 1-1 RS Berkane (4-5 pens): The Oranges crowned 2021-22 Caf Confederation Cup champions | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  5. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "RS Berkane win their first ever TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  6. ^ "L'intégration régionaleet locale du volet migration et développement au Maroc" (PDF). oriental.ma (in French). Initiative Conjointe pour la Migration et le Développement. 2013. p. 86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
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  Media related to Berkane at Wikimedia Commons

34°55′N 2°19′W / 34.917°N 2.317°W / 34.917; -2.317