Dar Bouazza ( ar, دار بو عزة, dār bū ʿazza, lit=house of the father of Azza, ber, ⴱⵓⵄⴰⵣⴰ, buɛaza) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Nouaceur Province Nouaceur ( ar, إقليم النواصر, french: Province de Nouaceur) is a province in the Moroccan region of Casablanca-Settat. Its population in 2004 was 236,119Its major town is Bouskouraalthough the administrative centre is Nouaceur. Moha ...

, Casablanca-Settat,

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 t ...

. 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 and recorded a population of 151,373 in the

2014 Moroccan census The 2014 Moroccan census The moroccan census of the population, officially named general census of the population and the habitat (RGPH), is a census taking place every ten years in the kingdom. It is established under the responsibility of the Hig ...

Geography

Dar Bouazza is located on the Chaouia plain on Morocco's Atlantic coast. It adjoins the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

to the north, the city of Casablanca to the east, the rural commune of Ouled Azzouz to the south, and

Berrechid Province Berrechid Province () is a province of 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. 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. Dar Bouazza is well known in Morocco for its beautiful beaches. In the 1940s, the Jaquier family built the first seaside resort in the area, lending their name to Jack Beach in the process. 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. Since 2011, 177 species of birds have been recorded in the wetlands, which are threatened by dumping and nearby construction. The intermittent

Wadi Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water ...

Merzeg flows through the municipality.

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.

Society

Dar Bouazza is currently experiencing a rapid transformation from a rural farming and fishing community to a residential suburb and tourist destination. 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. The rapid growth of the municipality has placed severe strain on its infrastructure and services and exacerbated problems of illiteracy, poverty, and marginalization.

Education

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

References

{{Casablanca-Settat Populated places in Nouaceur Province Municipalities of Morocco 2008 establishments in Morocco