Boujdour (or Bujdur, Bojador, ar, بوجدور) is a city in the disputed territory of
Western Sahara
Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the ...
, near
Cape Bojador
Cape Bojador ( ar, رأس بوجادور, trans. ''Rā's Būjādūr''; ber, ⴱⵓⵊⴷⵓⵔ, ''Bujdur''; Spanish and pt, Cabo Bojador; french: Cap Boujdour) is a headland on the west coast of Western Sahara, at 26° 07' 37"N, 14° 29' 57"W ...
.
It is de facto administered by
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
, which includes it in the administrative division of the
Southern Provinces
The Southern Provinces ( ar, الأقاليم الجنوبية, Al-Aqalim al-Janubiyah, french: Provinces du Sud) or Moroccan Sahara ( ar, الصحراء المغربية, Assahra al-Maghribiya, french: Sahara marocain) are the terms used by th ...
.
It is an urban municipality in
Boujdour Province
Boujdour Province ( ar, إقليم بوجدور) is a province in the Moroccan occupied region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Western Sahara. Its population in 2004 was 46,129. Its major town is Boujdour.
Its territory, which is part of Western Sa ...
, in the
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
.
History
Boujdour was originally a fishing village built around the
Cape Boujdour Lighthouse.
The locality was administered by Spain from 1860 to 1975.
From 1976, the city began to acquire an urban character, supported by population growth and its new port.
Emerging from the desert, Boujdour has become the capital of the province.
It has benefited from the “Al Aouda” and “Al Wahda” programs.
The state's effort in favor of this province is also directed towards the creation of fishing villages.
On the other hand, in 1976, a seawater desalination unit was installed there and research led to the discovery of underground water in the vicinity of the city.
The town was attacked by the
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس� ...
on 13 February 1980.
Demography
According to Moroccan censuses; Boujdour had 36,843 inhabitants in 2004
[Source : Maroc, Haut commissariat au pla]
/ref> and 42,651 in 2014.
Harbor
Port Boujdour is one of four fishing ports in the Boujdour province, the others being Lacraa, Aftissat
Aftissat ( ar, أفتيسات) is a fishing village in the Western Sahara. It is the location of a large onshore wind farm.
Location
Aftissat is on the Atlantic coast in Boujdour Province of the Western Sahara.
The village is on National Road No ...
(أفتيسات) and Agti el Ghazi
Agti el Ghazi ( ar, أغتي الغازي) is a fishing village in the Western Sahara.
Location
Agti el Ghazi is on the Atlantic coast in Boujdour Province of the Western Sahara.
The village is from National Road No. 1, in the section that link ...
(أغتي الغازي) .
The port is protected by a barrier and a embankment.
There are two docks for the coastal fleet, one long and the other long.
There are three berths for the traditional fleet.
The port has a sloped shore for hauling fishing boats onto land.
As of 2012 infrastructure included:
* A fish market.
* A platform for classification of industrial fish.
* 8 traditional workshops to repair fishing boats.
* 25 warehouses for fish wholesalers located outside the fishing area.
* 168 warehouses for ship owners inside the port.
* Two ice plants in the process of being completed.
* Two petrol stations are in the process of being completed.
* A medical center with an area of 100 square meters.
* Standard Container Management Unit.
The Boujdour maritime district in 2012 had 1,732 licensed traditional fishing boats, of which 765 operated from the port of Boujdour.
There were 5,200 sailors or divers in the district, about 200 fish wholesalers, 50 industrial workers and 33 carpenters, and 147 in other occupations such as fishing with rods and collecting algae and snails.
There was one unit for drying fish, two units for packing fresh fish and three accredited centers for packing and shipping live oysters.
Education
Elementary schools:
*Abdul Aziz Khaya School
*Hassan II School
*Moulay Rachid School
*Emission School
*Al Masirah School
Middle schools:
*Ibn Tofail middle school
*Jerusalem middle school
*Omar Ibn Al-Khattab middle school
Secondary schools:
*Jaber bin Hayyan High School (ثانوية جابر بن حيان)
*Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Rashidi High School (ثانوية أحمد بن محمد الراشدي)
Special education
*Ajyal Boujdour Foundation (مؤسسة أجيال بوجدور)
Other institutions
*Boujdour Maritime Vocational Rehabilitation Center (مركز التأهيل المهني البحري بوجدور). The center was launched in 2013 and covers an area of more than . It provides training for male and female students in fishing and dealing with mechanical equipment. It is supported by the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing.
*Boujdour Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (المعهد المتخصص للتكنولوجيا التطبيقية بوجدور). The institute offers courses in commerce, electrical installation, automobile repair and Microsoft Office.
Health
The city of Boujdour has a regional hospital that has been operating since 1991.
As of 2017 it had 36 beds, 16 doctors, 74 nurses and 45 administrative staff.
A 2018 audit was critical of the hospital's administration and procedures.
The hospital did not have an intensive care unit, so the most serious cases had to be transferred to the regional hospital in Laayoune, away.
The hospital was also not equipped for orthopedic surgery.
Facilities for handling pharmaceuticals were inadequate.
The Ministry of Health responded that it was working on improvements, but was handicapped by shortage of human resources.
In 2020 it was reported that modern medical equipment had been delivered to the hospital, which would help it cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Twin city
* Keta, Ghana, since 20 December 2009
Notes
Sources
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External link
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boujdour
Port cities and towns in Western Sahara