Dar Bouazza
Municipality
Sunset on Tamaris Beach, Dar Bouazza
Sunset on Tamaris Beach, Dar Bouazza
Dar Bouazza is located in Morocco
Dar Bouazza
Dar Bouazza
Location of Dar Bouazza within Morocco
Coordinates: 33°31′N 7°49′W / 33.52°N 7.82°W / 33.52; -7.82
Country Morocco
RegionCasablanca-Settat
ProvinceNouaceur
Established2008
Area
[1]
 • Total48.36 km2 (18.67 sq mi)
Population
 (September 2014)[2]
 • Total151,373
 • Density3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)

Dar Bouazza (Arabic: دار بو عزة, romanized: dār bū ʿazza, lit. 'house of the father of Azza', Berber languages: ⴱⵓⵄⴰⵣⴰ, romanized: buɛaza)[3] is a municipality in Nouaceur Province, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco. It is a rapidly growing suburb of Casablanca located about 20 km west of that city. Dar Bouazza covers an area of 48.36 km²[1] and recorded a population of 151,373 in the 2014 Moroccan census.[2]

Geography

Dar Bouazza is located on the Chaouia plain on Morocco's Atlantic coast. It adjoins the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the city of Casablanca to the east, the rural commune of Ouled Azzouz to the south, and Berrechid Province to the west.[1] It consists of two neighbourhoods: Tamaris to the west, where the beaches and municipal headquarters are located; and Errahma to the east, site of the new town currently under construction.[1][4]

Dar Bouazza is well known in Morocco for its beautiful beaches.[1] In the 1940s, the Jaquier family built the first seaside resort in the area, lending their name to Jack Beach in the process.[5][6]

The wetlands or dayas of Dar Bouazza are located on the coast near the border with Casablanca and are the last of their kind remaining in the Casablanca area.[7] Since 2011, 177 species of birds have been recorded in the wetlands, which are threatened by dumping and nearby construction.[8]

The intermittent Wadi Merzeg flows through the municipality.[1]

Administrative history

Prior to 2008, Dar Bouazza was a rural commune in Nouaceur Province. In 2008, the rural commune of Ouled Azzouz was separated from the southern part of Dar Bouazza, which itself was made a municipality.[9][4]

Society

Dar Bouazza is currently experiencing a rapid transformation from a rural farming and fishing community to a residential suburb and tourist destination.[10] The former rural commune of Dar Bouazza (comprising the present-day municipality of Dar Bouazza and the rural commune of Ouled Azzouz) increased in population from 45,177 in the 1994 census to 115,367 in the 2004 census.[11] The rapid growth of the municipality has placed severe strain on its infrastructure and services[12][13] and exacerbated problems of illiteracy, poverty, and marginalization.[10]

Education

École Belge de Casablanca (Belgian School of Casablanca) maintains its primary school in Tamaris, Dar Bouazza.[14] This campus opened in 2015.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Plan d'amenagement de la commune urbaine de Dar Bouazza" (in French). Urban Agency of Casablanca. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  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, Morocco. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  3. ^ Kadiri, Zara (8 October 2012). "Bouazza, homme d'affaires ou pirate?". Made in Casablanca. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b Mdafai, Mohamed; Scherer, Dieter (2015). "B1: Presentation of Grand Casablanca". Urban Agriculture for Growing City Regions: Connecting Urban-Rural Spheres in Casablanca. Routledge. pp. 55–67. ISBN 9781317910138. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  5. ^ Knobloch, Anna; Rofe, Christopher (2008). "Dar Bouazza – negotiated urbanism" (PDF). ETH Studio Basel. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  6. ^ Kadiri, Zara (12 October 2012). "L'histoire de Jack Beach". Made in Casablanca. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Gomac, the major protection against the destruction of the last ecosystem of Casablanca". Morocco in Action. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Maire, Benoit (12 September 2017). "Les oiseaux des zones humides de Dar Bouazza" (PDF). Go-South Bull. 14: 193–204. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Présentation du projet d'adaptation du découpage communal pour 2008". Aujourd'hui Le Maroc (in French). 25 July 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Analyses des causes profondes de la pauvreté au Maroc" (PDF) (in French). CARE France, REMESS. April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  11. ^ Brinkhoff, Thomas. "Morocco: Grand Casablanca - Settat". City Population. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  12. ^ Cherii, Naima (11 March 2015). "Ville nouvelle d'Errahma, Massacre urbanistique à grande échelle". Les Inspirations éco (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  13. ^ Bouraque, Tarek (24 February 2016). "Reportage : Errahma, une poudrière sociale". TelQuel (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  14. ^ "Home". Écoles Belges au Maroc. Retrieved 2020-05-19. Ecole Belge de Casablanca Section fondamentale Lot. Jardins de l'Océan Tamaris - Dar Bouazza
  15. ^ Chaudier, Julie (2014-09-22). "Les Marocains font le succès de la nouvelle école belge de Casablanca". La Libre. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
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