Al Hoceima
Encyclopedia
Al Hoceima is a city and port in the north of Morocco
and in the center of the Rif Mountains. The Al Hoceima city region has a population of 395.644 (2004 census) and is the capital of the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
region. It is situated in the territory of the Ait Ouriaghel and Bucoya tribes of the Rif
, who speak Tarifit.
started to develop Al Hoceima around 1925. General Sanjurjo
landed with his troops on the beach of Al Hoceima during the Rif Rebellion
and claimed the territory for Spain. He named the territory Villa Sanjurjo, after himself. Many locals still refer to the city as "Villa".
The Spanish troops built houses, schools and hospitals above the beach, creating the beginnings of the town. In the 1920s and '30s the town had almost no growth in population. Its name changed from Villa Sanjurjo to Villa Alhucemas, and the few streets above the beach were still occupied by mainly Spanish soldiers and their families. The first major was Florian Gómez Aroca.
After Morocco gained its independence in 1956, Al Hoceima developed quickly, and the Moroccan government changed its name from the Spanish Villa Alhucemas to Al Hoceima.
being the largest). The first schools built by the Spanish colonials, (a college
and an elementary school
) and a Spanish catholic
church, still exist today.
Playa Quemado, where General Sanjurjo and his troops landed in 1925, is Al Hoceima's most popular beach. It is home to the luxurious Mohammed V hotel, which includes a tennis court, restaurant, cocktail bar and nightclub.
during the 1960s through 1980s; large numbers of Moroccans in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain were Al Hoceima natives. Many return to Al Hoceima during the summer, stimulating its economy and encouraging investment.
Since the 1990s, many western-oriented businesses have opened in Al Hoceima, including pizza parlors, fast food restaurants and clothing stores.
s within ten years. The first, at a severity of Mw
6.0, occurred on May 26, 1994. The second, at Mw 6.4, occurred on February 24, 2004, killing more than 560 people (see 2004 Morocco earthquake
).
A 1948 Spanish motion picture, Alhucemas, tells the story of an army official in the time of Franco
who transforms from a coward to a hero.
In the early 1950s and 1960s, when many of the city's inhabitants were poor, the small houses were all painted white and blue. These colors, representing the sea and sky, were considered the city's official colors. Later, when there was financial growth, people began painting their houses in other colors. In 2007, Al Hoceima's mayor stated that all new houses would be painted white and blue in an effort to restore the city's traditional appearance.
, France
Tuzla
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Almería
, Spain
Almuñécar
, Spain
The Hague
, Netherlands
Kayseri
, Turkey
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and in the center of the Rif Mountains. The Al Hoceima city region has a population of 395.644 (2004 census) and is the capital of the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in northern Morocco. It covers an area of 24,155 km² and has a population of 1,807,113 . The capital is Al Hoceima....
region. It is situated in the territory of the Ait Ouriaghel and Bucoya tribes of the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
, who speak Tarifit.
History of Al Hoceima
The SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
started to develop Al Hoceima around 1925. General Sanjurjo
José Sanjurjo
General José Sanjurjo y Sacanell, 1st Marquis of the Rif was a General in the Spanish Army who was one of the chief conspirators in the military uprising that led to the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:...
landed with his troops on the beach of Al Hoceima during the Rif Rebellion
Republic of the Rif
The Republic of the Rif , was created in September 1921, when the people of the Rif revolted and declared their independence from Spanish occupation as well as from the Moroccan sultan.Its capital city was Ajdir, its currency the Rif Republic Riffan, its national...
and claimed the territory for Spain. He named the territory Villa Sanjurjo, after himself. Many locals still refer to the city as "Villa".
The Spanish troops built houses, schools and hospitals above the beach, creating the beginnings of the town. In the 1920s and '30s the town had almost no growth in population. Its name changed from Villa Sanjurjo to Villa Alhucemas, and the few streets above the beach were still occupied by mainly Spanish soldiers and their families. The first major was Florian Gómez Aroca.
After Morocco gained its independence in 1956, Al Hoceima developed quickly, and the Moroccan government changed its name from the Spanish Villa Alhucemas to Al Hoceima.
Modern Al Hoceima and its Spanish influences
Al Hoceima is now a moderate-size city with an estimated population of 100.000. It has the second-largest port of the Rif Region (NadorNador
Nador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock...
being the largest). The first schools built by the Spanish colonials, (a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
) and a Spanish catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church, still exist today.
Playa Quemado, where General Sanjurjo and his troops landed in 1925, is Al Hoceima's most popular beach. It is home to the luxurious Mohammed V hotel, which includes a tennis court, restaurant, cocktail bar and nightclub.
Economy
The city's income is based on tourism and fishing. Many of its former inhabitants migrated to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the 1960s through 1980s; large numbers of Moroccans in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain were Al Hoceima natives. Many return to Al Hoceima during the summer, stimulating its economy and encouraging investment.
Since the 1990s, many western-oriented businesses have opened in Al Hoceima, including pizza parlors, fast food restaurants and clothing stores.
Other
The town and surrounding villages were hit by two moderate earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s within ten years. The first, at a severity of Mw
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
6.0, occurred on May 26, 1994. The second, at Mw 6.4, occurred on February 24, 2004, killing more than 560 people (see 2004 Morocco earthquake
2004 Morocco earthquake
The 2004 Morocco earthquake, at a magnitude 6.4Mw, occurred on 24 February 2004 near the coast of northern Morocco.At least 628 people were killed, 926 injured, 2,539 homes destroyed and more than 15,000 people homeless in the Al Hoceima-Imzourene-Beni Abdallah area, Morocco. Maximum intensity IX...
).
A 1948 Spanish motion picture, Alhucemas, tells the story of an army official in the time of Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
who transforms from a coward to a hero.
In the early 1950s and 1960s, when many of the city's inhabitants were poor, the small houses were all painted white and blue. These colors, representing the sea and sky, were considered the city's official colors. Later, when there was financial growth, people began painting their houses in other colors. In 2007, Al Hoceima's mayor stated that all new houses would be painted white and blue in an effort to restore the city's traditional appearance.
Twin towns - sister cities
NiceNice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Almuñécar
Almuñécar
Almuñécar is a municipality in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Andalusia on the Costa Tropical between Nerja and Motril . It has a subtropical climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
External links
- Al Hoceima Photos (English)
- City Of Alhoceima Website (English) Www.Alhucemas.info Portail Touristique Et Commerciale De La Ville D'AlHucemas' Www. Alhoceima.info Portal de información de la ciudad de Alhoceima'
- Entry in Lexicorient (not appropriate as an external link)
- Pictures about Al-Hoceima (Thmazight)