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Souss-Massa

Coordinates: 30°05′N 8°29′W / 30.08°N 8.48°W / 30.08; -8.48
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Souss-Massa
سوس ماسة (Arabic)
Region
Location in Morocco
Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 30°05′N 8°29′W / 30.08°N 8.48°W / 30.08; -8.48
Country Morocco
CreatedSeptember 2015
CapitalAgadir
Government
 • TypeGovernor–regional council
 • WaliSaid Amzazi
 • Council presidentIbrahim Hafidi
Area
[1]
 • Total
51,642 km2 (19,939 sq mi)
Population
 (1 September 2014)[2]
 • Total
2,676,847
 • Density52/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
ISO 3166 codeMA-09
Websitewww.soussmassa.ma

Souss-Massa (Arabic: سوس ماسة, romanized: sūs māssa) is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 51,642 km² and had a population of 2,676,847 as of the 2014 Moroccan census.[1][2] The capital of the region is Agadir.[3]

Geography

[edit]
Talaïnt road
Arid view of the Talaïnt road.

Souss-Massa borders the regions of Marrakesh-Safi to the north, Drâa-Tafilalet to the northeast and Guelmim-Oued Noun to the southwest. To the southeast is Algeria's Tindouf Province. The region faces the Atlantic Ocean on its western side: much of the coast is protected by Souss-Massa National Park. The interior of the region is dominated by the Anti-Atlas mountain range, while the Sous River runs across the northern part of the region, in the valley between the Anti-Atlas and the High Atlas. The capital Agadir is located at the mouth of the Sous. Toubkal National Park extends into the northeastern corner of the region.

Climat

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Three factors influence the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the region: the topography, the oceanic coastline, and the Sahara Desert. In the northern part, dominated by the Atlas Mountains, the climate shifts from humid to semi-arid as one moves towards the plain. This plain, which stretches from the base of the Atlas and includes the basins of the Souss and Massa rivers, experiences an arid climate despite its broad exposure to the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the southern and southeastern sections of the region, which lie on the northern edge of the Sahara, have a desert climate.

In the Souss plain, average precipitation over the last decade has been 2503 mm, while the high plateaus receive between 350 and 400 mm. The southern part of the region, adjacent to the Sahara, is much drier, but since 2005, the desert has been experiencing a greening trend due to significant winter rains, especially in 2009-2010.

History

[edit]

Souss-Massa was formed in September 2015 by merging Tata Province, formerly part of Guelmim-Es Semara region, with five provinces of the former Souss-Massa-Drâa region.[3]

Government

[edit]
Provinces of Souss-Massa

Brahim Hafidi [fr] of the RNI was elected as the regional council's first president on 14 September 2015.[4] He had previously headed the Souss-Massa-Drâa regional council.[5] Zineb El Adaoui was appointed governor (wali) of the region on 13 October 2015.[6] He was succeeded by Ahmed Hajji in 2017.[7] The current wali of the region since 2023 is Said Amzazi.[8]

Subdivisions

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Souss-Massa comprises two prefectures and four provinces:[3]

Economy

[edit]
Agricultural terraces in Anti-Atlas mountains

Agriculture is a major economic activity in the Sous and Massa river basins located in the northwestern part of the region.[9] Industries related to the processing of agricultural and seafood products are also concentrated in the same area.[10] Agadir is an important fishing[11] and tourist port.[12] Tiznit is known for its traditional silverwork.[13]

Infrastructure

[edit]
Road R104 in Tiznit Province

The A7 motorway connects Agadir with Marrakesh and Casablanca. The major north–south road through the region is the N1, while the N10 runs east–west in the Sous River valley, connecting Agadir to Taroudant and Ouarzazate. Agadir is a major port city in Morocco and also has an international airport.

References

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  1. ^ a b Law, Gwillim. "Regions of Morocco". Statoids. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  2. ^ 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. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Décret fixant le nom des régions" (PDF). Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales (in French). 20 February 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Ministère de l'Intérieur : l'élection des présidents des Conseils des régions s'est déroulée dans de bonnes conditions et dans un climat de transparence" [Ministry of the Interior: the regional council presidential elections took place under good conditions and in an air of transparency] (Press release) (in French). Maghreb Arabe Press. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  5. ^ Aourik, Abdallah (7 April 2010). "Interview avec monsieur Brahim Hafidi, Président de la Région Souss Massa Draa" (in French). Agadir Net. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  6. ^ "SM le Roi a procédé à la nomination les Walis des régions" [His majesty the King appointed the Walis of the regions]. La Vie Éco (in French). 14 October 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  7. ^ Lourhzal, Mohcine (29 June 2017). "Qui sont les nouveaux Walis et Gouverneurs?". Le Reporter (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Biographie de Saaïd Amzazi, Wali de la région de Souss-Massa, gouverneur de la préfecture d'Agadir Ida Outanane | MapNews". www.mapnews.ma. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  9. ^ "L'Agriculture". Souss-Massa Region. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  10. ^ "UNE RICHESSE HUMAINE AU SERVICE DES RESSOURCES DE LA TERRE". Souss-Massa Region. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  11. ^ "UNE INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNE & UN SAVOIR FAIRE CONFIRMÉ". Souss-Massa Region. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  12. ^ "L'ÉVASION GAGNANTE". Souss-Massa Region. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  13. ^ "L'ARTISANAT". Souss-Massa Region. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
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