Kenitra
Encyclopedia
Kenitra is a city in Morocco
, formerly (1932–1956) known as Port Lyautey. It is a port
on the Sebou River
, has a population
in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
region. During the Cold War
Kenitra's U.S. Naval Air Facility served as a stopping point in North Africa
In terms of some of the earliest known prehistory of this area, the Phoenicia
ns settled the coastline along this part of Morocco as early as the first millennium BC; known back then by Thamusida
. The major settlement nearest Kenitra was Chellah
, somewhat to the south along the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg.
Kenitra draws its name from a culvert
built at Fouarat lake upstream of the kasbah. This culvert was destroyed in 1928. In 1933, the French officially named the locale "Port Lyautey". It was renamed "Kenitra" in 1956 as Morocco gained its independence
.
, signed the Treaty of Fez
. Because of his growing unpopularity, the Sultan asked the French government for protection against the Berber rebel tribes surrounding Fez. France appointed General Lyautey
resident-general in Morocco.
General Lyautey restored peace and order to the country after crushing the tribal uprising. After safely moving the Sultan from Fez to the current capital city, Rabat, Lyautey began his task of civilian administration.
One of the first preoccupations of General Lyautey was to build ports along the inhabitable Atlantic coast where there were no natural harbors.
After 1912 the port of Kenitra - at the mouth of the Sebou river - became the best river port in Morocco.
Kenitra has grown rapidly to be a shipping centre for agricultural produce (mainly fruit), fish, timber, and lead and zinc ores. The city’s industrial area lies upstream of the port.
After Operation Torch
, the Americans
used the French
facilities as a military base. Craw Field
, named for Medal of Honor recipient Colonel The U.S. Navy captured the Port Lyautey fighter base from the Vichy French in November 1942, at the time of the American invasion of North Africa. The Navy ran the base without asking the French a single "S'il vous plait" until 1947, when the State Department negotiated reversion of control to France. In 1950, before Korea, under the "economy" regime of former Defense Secretary Louis Johnson, a $23,000,000 expansion was authorized, but then Korea exploded. The sixth fleet tripled. In the fifties, there were nearly 10,000 persons on the base which was the largest aggregation of Americans in any one overseas base outside Japan. Later, the base at Kenitra was expanded to become a
U.S. Naval Air Station. The base was shared by both the USA and Morocco through "The Cold War". A small Navy communications out-station at Sidi Yahia closed in the mid 1970s. The Air-Station was closed in 1991.
, TNR, connects the city, every 30 minutes, to Rabat
and Casablanca
.
A high-speed rail
line to Tangier
is planned to be completed in 2013 (see Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line
).
This group of soccer lovers wanted to resist French domination in sports in Morocco.
The team, made entirely of Kenitra natives, succeeded to reach premier Moroccan soccer league in 1956. In 1960, KAC won its first championship league of Morocco. KAC embarked in a journey of glories by winning the 1973-81-82 championship leagues and the 1961 throne cup.
One name comes to mind when talking about KAC. Ahmed Souiri was a manager and coach who dedicated his life in training and inspiring young soccer players. KAC has produced many international soccer player who enriched the Moroccan soccer team.
To name a few Bouliahiaoui, Khalifa were among the players who helped the national soccer team qualify to the second round of world cup finals in Mexico. Mohammed Boussati still hold a national record of goals by scoring 25 goals in one soccer championship season 1981-82.
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...
, formerly (1932–1956) known as Port Lyautey. It is a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
on the Sebou River
Sebou River
Sebou is a river in northern Morocco. The river is 458 kilometres long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. The source is in the Middle Atlas mountains. It passes near the city of Fes and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean in Mehdia...
, has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco. It covers an area of 8805 km² and has a population of 1,859,540 . The capital is Kenitra....
region. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Kenitra's U.S. Naval Air Facility served as a stopping point in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
Before 1912
Kenitra is 6 miles (10 km) east of the Mehdiya ruins, a site of foreign occupation dating back to the Carthaginian period.In terms of some of the earliest known prehistory of this area, the Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
ns settled the coastline along this part of Morocco as early as the first millennium BC; known back then by Thamusida
Thamusida
Thamusida is an ancient Roman river port in Morocco, near Kénitra and Mehdia.The site was excavated from 1913 by the French, then 1959 to 1962 and since 1998. Many items found in Thamusida are today on display at the Rabat Archaeological Museum. It occupies an area of fifteen acres. Excavations...
. The major settlement nearest Kenitra was Chellah
Chellah
Chellah, or Sala Colonia is a necropolis and complex of ancient Roman Mauretania Tingitana and medieval ruins at Rabat, Morocco. It is the most ancient human settlement on the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.-History:...
, somewhat to the south along the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg.
Kenitra draws its name from a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
built at Fouarat lake upstream of the kasbah. This culvert was destroyed in 1928. In 1933, the French officially named the locale "Port Lyautey". It was renamed "Kenitra" in 1956 as Morocco gained its independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
.
French Protectorate
In March 1912 the French government and the Sultan of Morocco, Abd-El-HafidAbdelhafid of Morocco
Abdelhafid of Morocco was the Sultan of Morocco from 1908 to 1912 and a member of the Alaouite Dynasty. His younger brother, Abdelaziz of Morocco, preceded him...
, signed the Treaty of Fez
Treaty of Fez
By the Treaty of Fez , signed March 30, 1912, Sultan Abdelhafid gave up the sovereignty of Morocco to the French, making the country a protectorate, resolving the Agadir Crisis of July 1, 1911....
. Because of his growing unpopularity, the Sultan asked the French government for protection against the Berber rebel tribes surrounding Fez. France appointed General Lyautey
Hubert Lyautey
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey was a French Army general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.-Early life:...
resident-general in Morocco.
General Lyautey restored peace and order to the country after crushing the tribal uprising. After safely moving the Sultan from Fez to the current capital city, Rabat, Lyautey began his task of civilian administration.
One of the first preoccupations of General Lyautey was to build ports along the inhabitable Atlantic coast where there were no natural harbors.
After 1912 the port of Kenitra - at the mouth of the Sebou river - became the best river port in Morocco.
Kenitra has grown rapidly to be a shipping centre for agricultural produce (mainly fruit), fish, timber, and lead and zinc ores. The city’s industrial area lies upstream of the port.
U.S. naval base
In a letter to president Roosevelt, Frank Knox, secretary of the navy, wrote:“For outstanding participation in the capture of Port Lyautey Airfield, French Morocco, November 10, 1942. With a U. S. Army raider detachment embarked, the DALLAS, crossing a treacherous bar against heavy surf in order to reach the mouth of the Sebou River, broke through a steel cable boom obstructing the channel, forced the course ten miles upstream under hostile fire, and successfully landed troops without material damage or loss of life. Her distinctive fulfillment of a difficult and hazardous mission contributed materially to the victorious achievement of the Northern Attack Group.”After Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
used the French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
facilities as a military base. Craw Field
Kenitra Airport
Kenitra Air Base is a military airport in Kenitra, the capital city of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region in Morocco. It is also known as the Third Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.-History:...
, named for Medal of Honor recipient Colonel The U.S. Navy captured the Port Lyautey fighter base from the Vichy French in November 1942, at the time of the American invasion of North Africa. The Navy ran the base without asking the French a single "S'il vous plait" until 1947, when the State Department negotiated reversion of control to France. In 1950, before Korea, under the "economy" regime of former Defense Secretary Louis Johnson, a $23,000,000 expansion was authorized, but then Korea exploded. The sixth fleet tripled. In the fifties, there were nearly 10,000 persons on the base which was the largest aggregation of Americans in any one overseas base outside Japan. Later, the base at Kenitra was expanded to become a
U.S. Naval Air Station. The base was shared by both the USA and Morocco through "The Cold War". A small Navy communications out-station at Sidi Yahia closed in the mid 1970s. The Air-Station was closed in 1991.
Population
| 1982 | 1994 | 2004 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
Areas and neighborhoods
- Médina
- Khabazate
- La Cigogne
- Modern city
- Mimosa
- Ville Haute
- Popular districts
- Saknia
- Ouled Oujih
- Maghrib al Arabi
- Residential districts
- Bir Rami
- Val fleury
Colleges and universities
- Université Ibn Tofail (UIT)
- ENCG Kénitra (École Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Kénitra)
- HECI Kénitra (Hautes Etudes Commerciales et Informatiques)
- ENSA Kénitra (École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées de Kénitra)
Transportation
The city is served by two railway stations: Kenitra-Ville and Kenitra-Medina. A shuttle trainTrain
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
, TNR, connects the city, every 30 minutes, to Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
and Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
.
A high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
line to Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
is planned to be completed in 2013 (see Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line
Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line
The Kenitra-Tangier high-speed rail line is a high-speed rail line under construction in Morocco. It is the first part of a planned line from Tangier to Casablanca. It was announced in November 2007 by the national government. Initially the project was announced as being between Tangier and...
).
Kenitra Athletic Club,KAC
In 1938, a group of Kenitra natives created KAC.This group of soccer lovers wanted to resist French domination in sports in Morocco.
The team, made entirely of Kenitra natives, succeeded to reach premier Moroccan soccer league in 1956. In 1960, KAC won its first championship league of Morocco. KAC embarked in a journey of glories by winning the 1973-81-82 championship leagues and the 1961 throne cup.
One name comes to mind when talking about KAC. Ahmed Souiri was a manager and coach who dedicated his life in training and inspiring young soccer players. KAC has produced many international soccer player who enriched the Moroccan soccer team.
To name a few Bouliahiaoui, Khalifa were among the players who helped the national soccer team qualify to the second round of world cup finals in Mexico. Mohammed Boussati still hold a national record of goals by scoring 25 goals in one soccer championship season 1981-82.
Ajax Kenitra
The local indoor soccer club took a lead in representing Morocco in many international indoor soccer tournaments. Many tributes should be paid to Mohammed Nhaida for his role in managing the club.Natives from Kenitra
Kenitra was the birthplace of:- Saïd AouitaSaid AouitaSaïd Aouita is a former Moroccan athlete, winner of 5000 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 5000 meters at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics, 3000 meters at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships, and former world record holder at 1500m , 2000m , 3000m , and twice at 5000m [ and ]...
, Olympic athlete - Amina Ait HammouAmina Aït HammouAmina Aït Hammou is a Moroccan runner who specializes in the 800 metres. Her personal best time is 1:57.82 minutes, achieved in July 2003 in Rome.She received a year-long ban from competition in 2008 after missing three tests.-Achievements:...
, Olympic athlete - Youssef ChippoYoussef ChippoYoussef Chippo is a footballer from Morocco. He was a renowned midfielder on the national squad during the 1990s, and was a member of the team that participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.- Club career :...
, International football player
External links
- First site for the City of Kenitra
- Premier Portail d'information de La ville de Kenitra
- Entry in Lexicorient
- BTS Genie Informatique Lycee Technique Ibn Sina
- Association Nationale des Professeurs Agreges du Maroc - ANAPAM -
- Pictures of U.S. Naval base facilities in Kenitra
- Histoire de Kenitra / Port-Lyautey en images de 1911 au 1956
- http://mimouniouafae.webs.com/ photos de kenitra