A city of northwest Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean south-southwest of Tangier. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it became a center of French influence in Africa after 1907. It is now Morocco's largest city. Population: 2,930,000.
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Casablanca
American Heritage Dictionary:
Cas·a·blan·ca |
A city of northwest Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean south-southwest of Tangier. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it became a center of French influence in Africa after 1907. It is now Morocco's largest city. Population: 2,930,000.
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Casablanca |
Casablanca (kă'səblăng'kə, kă'zə-, Span. kä'säbläng'kä), Arab. Dar-al-Baida, city (1994 est. pop. 2,940,623), W Morocco, on the Atlantic Ocean. The largest city and principal port of Morocco, it accounts for more than half of Morocco's industrial production. The city's leading industries produce textiles, glass, electronics, bricks, beer, and soft drinks. Fish and seafood are abundant in the coastal waters. Major imports include petroleum products. Casablanca is the seat of numerous Arab and French schools, an art school, the Goethe-Institut, and the Hassan II mosque (1993), one of the world's largest.
Casablanca is on the site of Anfa, a prosperous town that the Portuguese destroyed in 1468; they resettled it briefly in 1515 under its present name. Almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, Casablanca was rebuilt (1757) by Muhammad XVI. It was occupied by the French in 1907. During World War II, Casablanca was the scene of one of the three major Allied landings in North Africa (Nov., 1942) and of a conference between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (Nov., 1943).
Gale Encyclopedia of the Mideast & N. Africa:
Casablanca |
Largest city in Morocco.
As of 2002, Casablanca (al-Dar al-Bayda, in Arabic) had a population of 3,334,300. The wilaya (province) of Greater Casablanca, which covers 646 square miles (1,615 sq km), is composed of twenty-three urban districts and six prefectures. Situated on the Atlantic coast, the city is the principal maritime and air transport hub and the major industrial center of the country.
The site of modern Casablanca was occupied by Anfa, a commercial center in the thirteenth century. After being held briefly by the Portuguese, who called it Casa Branca (White House), it was abandoned in ruins about 1468. The village was rebuilt in 1770 by Sultan Muhammad III (1757 - 1790), who translated the name into Arabic as al-Dar al-Bayda. It was later retranslated into Spanish as Casablanca.
Muhammad III hoped to encourage trade with Europe through the port of Essaouira (Mogador); thus Casablanca remained small and inactive. When the tribes of the Shawiya district around Casablanca revolted in the 1790s, Sultan Sulayman (1792 - 1822) closed Casablanca and several other ports to European commerce. It began to revive under Sultan Abd al-Rahman (1822 - 1859), who reopened it to commerce in 1831. Trade slowly grew from 3 percent of Moroccan maritime trade in 1836 to 10 percent in 1843. The port handled mainly agricultural produce: hides, wool, and grain. The population was estimated at 1,500 in the late 1850s and perhaps 4,000 a decade later as European merchants set up agencies, and steamship services started to call. By the late 1880s the population had increased to around 9,000. Although the port still had no proper wharves, it was important enough for French agents to take control of the customhouse following the Act of Algeciras (1906). European attempts to construct a modern port in 1907 led to an attack on
the worksite by people from the surrounding countryside. A French warship bombarded the port, local people looted the town, and French and Spanish troops then occupied it.
The population grew quickly after the imposition of the French protectorate in 1912. It rose from perhaps 40,000 in 1914 to around 250,000 in 1930. The first French resident general, Louis-Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey, decided to make Casablanca the main port and the commercial center of Morocco; Rabat became the political capital. The port relied in particular on the export of phosphates, which became Morocco's largest and most valuable export.
European speculators quickly bought up land, and the city began to grow haphazardly. In 1914 Lyautey gave the French architect Henri Prost the task of designing the city. Prost developed an overall master plan for a European city surrounding the old Muslim madina and Jewish mellah. Public buildings were required to harmonize with traditional Moroccan styles; the post office, the city hall, and the Palais de Justice made particular use of Islamic architectural elements within a European-style structure. The commercial district was dominated by the kilometer-long Boulevard de la Gare (now Boulevard Muhammad V). The European suburbs spread quickly with little control. To the rapidly growing European population was added an explosive growth in the Moroccan population. This led to the emergence of shantytowns (bidonvilles) in the early 1930s. By the mid-1930s, some 70,000 to 80,000 Moroccans lived in bidonvilles.
European working-class immigrants brought French socialist politics with them, and Moroccan workers were soon involved. In June 1936 a series of strikes began in state enterprises and spread to commercial enterprises in Casablanca; both European and Moroccan workers took part.
After the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942, Sultan Muhammad V had two meetings with U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. This assured the sultan of American interest and support for Moroccan independence and raised his reputation in the eyes of the Moroccans. After the war, the political movements in Casablanca became increasingly militant for independence. This was reinforced by an incident on 7 April 1947, when
Senegalese troops in France's colonial army fired on a crowd in Casablanca, apparently after an argument over the molestation of a Moroccan woman. French officials did little to stop the massacre, in which several hundred people were reported killed.
Following Morocco's independence in 1956, Casablanca's population continued to grow and to become predominantly Moroccan as the Europeans left. By 1960 the population was nearly 1 million, and by 1970, 1.8 million. Although some attempt was made to house the new residents, most of whom moved in from the countryside, the apartment blocks that were built were woefully insufficient. This led to continued political radicalization in Casablanca, and there were riots in the poorer districts in 1965, in which large numbers of people were killed. A state of emergency was declared and remained in force for five years. Tension continued throughout the 1970s, and there were more, and very serious, riots in June 1981. In the 1980s and 1990s Ali Yata, the leader of the Party of Progress and Socialism (Parti du Progrés et Socialisme, the renamed Communist Party) repeatedly won election for a Casablanca constituency. There has been some Islamist activity as well. The importance of Casablanca politically was graphically shown when King Hassan II chose it as the site of the world's biggest mosque (the Hassan II Mosque), which was opened in 1993.
Bibliography
Issawi, Charles. An Economic History of the Middle East and NorthAfrica. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.
Wright, Gwendolyn. The Politics of Design in French Colonial Urbanism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.
Zartman, I. William, ed. The Political Economy of Morocco. New York: Praeger, 1987.
— C. R. PENNELL
Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Geography:
Casablanca |
Largest city in Morocco. It is a port on the Atlantic Ocean.
- The city was the setting of Casablanca, a 1943 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
AccuWeather:
Casablanca, Morocco |
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categories related to 'Casablanca' |
- Major World Cities - Casablanca: seaport in Morocco, in NW Africa on Atlantic Ocean, pop. 2,600,000
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Casablanca |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Casablanca |
This article is about the city. For the 1942 film, see Casablanca (film). For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation).
| Casablanca الدار البيضاء - ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ (Arabic) Anfa, ⴰⵏⴼⴰ کازابلانکا |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | |||
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| Nickname(s): Casa | |||
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| Coordinates: 33°32′N 7°35′W / 33.533°N 7.583°W | |||
| Country | Morocco | ||
| administrative region | Grand Casablanca | ||
| First settled | 7th century BC | ||
| reconstructed | 1756 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Mohammed Sajid | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 324 km2 (125.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| • Total | 2,949,805 | ||
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | WEST (UTC+1) | ||
| Postal code | 20000-20200 | ||
| Website | http://www.casablanca.ma/ | ||
Casablanca (Arabic: الدار البيضاء Ad Dār al Bayḍā', original name in Berber: Anfa / ⴰⵏⴼⴰ) 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 of Casablanca and 3,631,061 in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.
Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world,[1] and the largest port of North Africa.[2] It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.
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Etymology
The Latinized name of the city is a Spanish word combination meaning 'White House' (blanca, 'white;' casa, 'house'). It is thought that the Spaniards adopted the name from Portuguese Casa Branca. The city is now nicknamed Casa by many locals.
The Berber original name, (meaning: "hill" in English), was used by the local, and Berber-speaking, city dwellers until the French occupation army entered the city in 1907 and adopted the Spanish name, Casablanca. "Anfa" now refers to the original old city quarters of Casablanca.
Legally speaking, Moroccans consider Anfa to be a prefecture (a district) with half a million city dwellers, and is thus a part of the Grand Casablanca.
Casablanca has two airports; Casablanca-Anfa Airport and Mohammed V International Airport.
Geography
Casablanca is located in the Chawiya plain which has historically been the breadbasket of Morocco.
Apart from the Atlantic coast, the Bouskoura forest is the only natural attraction in the city. The forest was planted in the 20th century and consists mostly of Eucalyptus and Pine trees. It is located half way to the city's international airport.
The only watercourse in Casablanca is Oued Bouskoura, a small seasonal creek that until 1912 reached the Atlantic Ocean near the actual port. Most of Oued Bouskoura's bed has been covered due to urbanization and only the part south of El-Jadida road can now be seen. The closest permanent river to Casablanca is Oum Er-Rbia River 70 km (43.50 mi) to the south-east.
History
Main article: History of Casablanca
Before the French Protectorate
The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century BC.[3]
It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans.[4]
In his book “Wasf Afriquia” Hassan Al Wazan refers to "Anfa" (ancient Casablanca) as a great city which was founded by the Romans. He also believed that Anfa was the most prosperous city on the Atlantic coast because of its fertile land.[5]
A small independent kingdom, in the area then named Anfa, arose around late Roman time in response to Arab Muslim rule, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.
During the 14th century, under the Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. In the early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again, and emerged as a safe harbour for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the Portuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468.
The Portuguese used the ruins of Anfa to build a military fortress in 1515. The town that grew up around it was called "Casa Branca", meaning "white house" in Portuguese.
Between 1580 and 1640 Casablanca was part of Spain, and later it became part of Portugal again. The Europeans eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following an earthquake which destroyed most of the town. See: 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.
The town was finally reconstructed by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1756–1790), the grandson of Moulay Ismail and ally of George Washington with the help of Spaniards from the nearby emporium. The town was called الدار البيضاء ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ, the Arabic translation of the Spanish Casa Blanca, meaning "white house".
In the 19th century, the area's population began to grow as it became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in Britain and shipping traffic increased (the British, in return, began importing Morocco's now famous national drink, gunpowder tea). By the 1860s, there were around 5,000 residents, and the population grew to around 10,000 by the late 1880s.[6] Casablanca remained a modestly sized port, with a population reaching around 12,000 within a few years of the French conquest and arrival of French colonialists in the town, at first administrators within a sovereign sultanate, in 1906. By 1921, this was to rise to 110,000,[7] largely through the development of bidonvilles.
French rule
Main article: French protectorate of Morocco
In June 1907, the French attempted to build a light railway near the port and passing through a graveyard. Residents attacked the French, and riots ensued. French troops were landed in order to restore order, which was achieved only after severe damage to the town. The French then took control of Casablanca. This effectively began the process of colonization, although French control of Casablanca was not formalised until 1910.
The famous 1942 film Casablanca underlined the city's colonial status at the time—depicting it as the scene of a power struggle between competing European powers, carried out with little reference to the local population. The film's cosmopolitan cast of characters (American, French, German, Czech, Norwegian, Bulgarian, Russian and some other nationalities) includes only a single (uncredited) local character, "Abdul" the doorman whose role is marginal.
Europeans formed almost half the population.[8] During the 1940s and 1950s, Casablanca was a major centre of anti-French rioting. A bomb attack on Christmas Day of 1953 caused many casualties.[9]
The Casablanca Conference
Casablanca was an important strategic port during World War II and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.
Since independence
Morocco gained independence from France on March 2, 1956.
In 1930, Casablanca hosted a Grand Prix. The race was held at the new Anfa Racecourse. In 1958, the race was held at Ain-Diab circuit - (see Moroccan Grand Prix). In 1983, Casablanca hosted the Mediterranean Games.
The city is now developing a tourism industry. Casablanca has become the economic and business capital of Morocco, while Rabat is the political capital.
In March 2000, women's groups organized demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country. Forty thousand women attended, calling for a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law (divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time). Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new Mudawana, or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists.
On May 16, 2003, 33 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were injured when Casablanca was hit by a multiple suicide bomb attack carried out by Moroccans and claimed by some to have been linked to al-Qaeda.
A string of suicide bombings struck the city in early 2007. A suspected militant blew himself up at a Casablanca internet cafe on March 11, 2007. On April 10, three suicide bombers blew themselves up during a police raid of their safe house.[10] Two days later, police set up barricades around the city and detained two more men who had escaped the raid.[11] On April 14, two brothers blew themselves up in downtown Casablanca, one near the American Consulate, and one a few blocks away near the American Language Center. Only one person was injured aside from the bombers, but the Consulate was closed for more than a month.[12]
As calls for reform spread through the Arab world in 2011, Moroccans joined in, but concessions by the ruler led to acceptance. However, in December thousands of people demonstrated in several parts of the city, especially the city center near la fontaine, desiring more significant political reforms.[13]
Climate
Casablanca has a very mild Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). Casablanca's climate is strongly influenced by the cool currents of the Atlantic Ocean which tends to moderate temperature swings and produce a remarkably mild climate with little seasonal temperature variation and a lack of extreme heat and cold. Rainfall is negligible from May to September, but for the rest of the year it is adequate for rain-fed farming.
| Climate data for Casablanca | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.4 (77.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.24 (70.24) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.2 (68.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.42 (63.35) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) |
9.2 (48.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.0 (57.2) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
11.8 (53.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
13.62 (56.51) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 62.2 (2.449) |
59.0 (2.323) |
50.7 (1.996) |
40.2 (1.583) |
18.8 (0.74) |
5.8 (0.228) |
0.7 (0.028) |
0.4 (0.016) |
4.9 (0.193) |
31.1 (1.224) |
74.4 (2.929) |
77.6 (3.055) |
425.8 (16.764) |
| Avg. rainy days | 9.8 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 9.7 | 10.2 | 73.9 |
| Sunshine hours | 189.1 | 189.2 | 241.8 | 261.0 | 294.5 | 285.0 | 303.8 | 294.5 | 258.0 | 235.6 | 192.0 | 182.9 | 2,927.4 |
| Source: HKO[14] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Main article: Economy of Casablanca
The Grand Casablanca region is considered the locomotive of the development of the Moroccan economy. It attracts 32% of the country's production units and 56% of industrial labor. The region uses 30% of the national electricity production. With MAD 93 billion, the region contributes to 44% of the Industrial production of the Kingdom. 33% of national industrial exportations, MAD 27 billions come from the Grand Casablanca. 30% of Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca.[15][16]
One of the most important Casablancan exports is phosphate. Other industries include fishing, fish canning, sawmills, furniture production, building materials, glass, textiles, electronics, leather work, processed food, spirits, soft drinks, and cigarettes.[17]
The Casablanca and Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco.[18]
Almost the entire Casablanca waterfront is under development, mainly the construction of huge entertainment centres between the port and Hassan II Mosque, the Anfa Resort project near the business, entertainment and living centre of Megarama, the shopping and entertainment complex of Morocco Mall, as well as a complete renovation of the coastal walkway. The Sindbad park is planned to be totally renewed with rides, games and entertainment services.[19]
Royal Air Maroc has its head office at the Casablanca-Anfa Airport.[20] In 2004, it announced that it was moving its head office from Casablanca to a location in Province of Nouaceur, close to Mohammed V International Airport.[21] The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009.[22]
Demographics
The population of Grand Casablanca was estimated in 2005 at 3.85 million. 98% live in urban areas. Around 25% of them are under 15 and 9% are over 60 years old. The population of the city is about 11% of the total population of Morocco. Grand Casablanca is also the largest urban area in the Maghreb.[23] The number of inhabitants is however disputed by the locals, who point to a number between 5 and 6 million[citation needed], citing recent drought years as a reason for many people moving into the city to find work.
Judaism in Casablanca
There was a Sephardic Jewish community in Anfa up to its destruction by the Portuguese in 1468. Jews were slow to return to the town, but by 1750 the Rabbi Elijah Synagogue was built as the first Jewish synagogue in Casablanca. It was destroyed along with much of the town in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.[3]
Main sights
The French period Ville Nouvelle (New Town) of Casablanca was designed by the French architect Henri Prost, and was a model of a new town at that time. The main streets radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, previously the main market of Anfa. Former administrative buildings and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco.
Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory on the Atlantic. The mosque has room for 25,000 worshippers inside, and a further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres. The mosque is also the largest in North Africa, and the third largest in the world.[24]
Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building.
The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) is the city's largest public park. On its edge is the Casablanca Cathedral (Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur). It is no longer in use for religious purposes, but it is open for visitor and a splendid example of Moorish Revival|Mauresque]] architecture.[[ The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of cities like Fes and Marrakech. However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in this project have been the western walls of the medina, its skala, or bastion, and its colonial-period clock tower.
A popular site among locals is the small island Marabout de Sidi Abderrahmane. It is possible to walk across to the rocky island at low tide. This outcrop contains the tomb of Sidi Abderrhamane Thaalibi, a Sufi from Baghdad and the founder of Algiers. He is considered a saint in Morocco.[25] Because of this, many Moroccans make informal pilgrimages to this site "to reflect on life and to seek religious enlightenment". Some believe that the saint possessed magical powers and so his tomb still possesses these powers. People come and seek this magic in order to be cured. Non-Muslims may not enter the shrine.
Other sights
- The Casablanca Technopark is an information technology Business cluster complex located at Casablanca, and was inaugurated in October 2001.
Transport
Air
Casablanca's main airport is Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco's busiest airport. Regular domestic flights serve Marrakech, Rabat, Agadir, Oujda, and Tangier, Laayoune as well as other cities.
Casablanca is well served by international flights to Europe, especially French and Spanish airports, and has regular connections to North American, Middle Eastern and sub-Saharan African destinations. New York City, Dakar and Dubai are important primary destinations.
The older, smaller Casablanca-Anfa Airport to the west of the city, that served certain destinations including Damascus, and Tunis, was largely closed to international civilian traffic in 2006. It currently services domestic flights and freight. Casablanca Tit Mellil Airport is located in the nearby community of Tit Mellil.
Coaches
CTM coaches (intercity buses) and various private lines run services to most notable Moroccan towns as well as a number of European cities. These run from the Gare Routière on Rue Léon l'Africain in downtown Casablanca.
Metro
An underground railway system is currently being projected, which when constructed will potentially offer some relief to the problems of traffic congestion and poor air quality. The metro will not be ready before 2017, having a length of 10 km (6.21 mi) and costing 46.7 billion dirhams (approximately 5.8 billion USD).[26] However, it should be noticed that none of the preparatory works for this project have started. In addition, no discussion of it has been observed in the media. The anecdote among Casablanca population is that "water is too near below, that they cannot dig tunnels."[citation needed]
Taxis
See also: Taxicabs of Morocco
Registered taxis in Casablanca are coloured red and known as petits taxis (small taxis), or coloured white and known as grands taxis (big taxis). As is standard Moroccan practice, petits taxis, typically small-four door Fiat Uno or similar cars, provide metered cab service in the central metropolitan areas. Grands taxis, generally older Mercedes-Benz sedans, provide shared mini-bus like service within the city on pre-defined routes, or shared inter-city service. Grands Taxis may also be hired for private service by the hour or day, although typically only foreigners do so.
Trains
Casablanca is served by three principal railway stations run by the national rail service, the ONCF.
Casa-Voyageurs is the main inter-city station, from which trains run south to Marrakech or El Jadida and north to Mohammedia and Rabat, and then on either to Tangier or Meknes, Fes, Taza and Oujda. A dedicated airport shuttle service to Mohammed V International Airport also has its primary in-city stop at this station, for connections on to further destinations.
Casa-Port serves primarily commuter trains operating on the Casablanca - Kenitra rail corridor, with some connecting trains running on to Gare de Casa-Voyageurs. The station provides a direct interchange between train and shipping services, and is located near to several port-area hotels. It is the nearest station to the old town of Casablanca, and to the modern city centre, around the landmark Casablanca Twin Center. Casa-Port station is temporarily closed during 2011 and 2012, during which time the station is being totally demolished and rebuilt in a modern and enlarged configuration. From 2013 it will provide a close connection from the rail network to the city's new tram network.
Casa-Oasis was originally a suburban commuter station which was fully redesigned and rebuilt in the early twenty-first century, and officially re-opened in 2005 as a primary city rail station. Owing to its new status, all southern inter-city train services to and from Casa-Voyageurs now call at Casa-Oasis. ONCF stated in 2005 that the refurbishment and upgrading of Casa-Oasis to inter-city standards was intended to relieve passenger congestion at Casa-Voyageurs station.
Tram
A tram system is currently under construction and should open in December 2012.[27]
Administrative divisions
Casablanca is a commune, part of the Region of the Grand Casablanca. The commune is divided into 8 districts (prefectures عمالات), which are themselves divided into 16 subdivisions (arrondissements دوائر) and 1 municipality (بلدية).
Districts
| Districts (fr: Préfectures d'arrondissement, ar: عمالة دوائر) | Subdivisions (fr: Arrondissements, ar: دوائر) | Municipalities (fr: Municipalités, ar: بلديات ) | Area | Population (2004) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| عين الشق
Aïn Chock |
عين الشق
Aïn Chock |
28.89 km2 (11.15 sq mi) | 253,496 inhabitants | |
| عين السبع الحي المحمدي
Aïn Sebaâ-Hay Mohammadi |
عين السبع
Aïn Sebaâ |
26.7 km2 (10.3 sq mi) | 407,892 inhabitants | |
| الحي المحمدي
Hay Mohammadi |
||||
| الصخور السوداء / روش نوار
Roches Noires (Assoukhour Assawda) |
||||
| أنفا
Anfa |
أنفا
Anfa |
37.5 km2 (14.5 sq mi) | 492,787 inhabitants | |
| المعاريف
Maârif |
||||
| بركون
Bargoune |
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| سيدي بليوط
Sidi Belyout |
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| بن مسيك
Ben M'sick |
بن مسيك
Ben M'sick |
10.27 km2 (3.97 sq mi). | 285,879 inhabitants | |
| سباته
Sbata |
||||
| سيدي) برنوصي)
(Sidi) Bernoussi |
سيدي) برنوصي)
(Sidi) Bernoussi |
38.59 km2 (14.90 sq mi) | 453,552 inhabitants | |
| سيدي مومن
Sidi Moumen |
||||
| الفداء - مرس السلطان
Al Fida-Mers Sultan |
الفداء
Al Fida |
المشور
Mechouar |
17.9 km2 (6.9 sq mi) | 332,682 inhabitants |
| مرس السلطان
Mers Sultan |
||||
| الحي الحسني
Hay Hassani |
الحي الحسني
Hay Hassani |
25.91 km2 (10.00 sq mi) | 323,277 inhabitants | |
| مولاي رشيد
Moulay Rachid |
مولاي رشيد
Moulay Rachid |
13.38 km2 (5.17 sq mi) | 384,044 inhabitants | |
| سيدي عثمان
Sidi Othmane |
Photo
File:Twin Center, BoulevardMohamedZerktouni,Casablanca.JPG
Twin Center, Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni, Casablanca
BoulevardMohamedZerktouni,Casablanca.JPG|thumb|Twin Center, Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni, Casablanca]]
Twin towns
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Education
Public Colleges and universities
- Académie Mohammed VI Internationale de l'Aviation Civile (AIAC)
- École Hassania des Travaux Publics (EHTP)
- École Nationale Supérieure d'Electricité et de Mécanique (ENSEM)
- École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca (EST)
- École nationale des pilotes de ligne (ENPL)
- École supérieure des industries du textile et de l'habillement (ESITH)
- École nationale de commerce et de gestion de Casablanca (ENCGC)
- École supérieure des beaux-arts de Casablanca (ESBAC)
- École royale navale (ERN)
- Institut supérieur d'études maritimes (ISEM)
- Institut supérieur de commerce et d'administration des entreprises (ISCAE)
- University of Hassan II - Ain Chock
- University of Hassan II - Mohammedia
Private high schools and colleges
- American Academy Casablanca (AAC)
- Casablanca American School
- George Washington Academy
- Lycée Lyautey
- Nelson C. Brown High School
- Lycée Louis Massignon
Sports
Association football
Casablanca is home to two popular football clubs:
Raja's symbol is an eagle. Traditionally, Derb Sultane's neighborhood is where most of its fans live. Wydad's symbol is a goose. Old Medina's neighborhood constitutes the center where most of its supporters reside. This separation of both these clubs by neighborhoods is not necessarily reliable in these days since members of the same families could support Raja or Wydad regardless of the location.
These two popular clubs have produced some of Morocco's best players such as: Salaheddine Bassir, Abdelmajid Dolmy, Baddou Zaki, Aziz Bouderbala and Noureddine Naybet
There are other football teams on top of these two big teams that are based in the city of Casablanca:
- Rachad Bernoussi
- TAS de Casablanca
- Majd Al Madina
- Racing Casablanca
Tennis
Casablanca hosts The Grand Prix Hassan II, a professional male tennis tournament of the ATP tour. It first began in 1986. It is played on clay courts type at Complexe Al Amal.
Notable winners of Grand-Prix Hassan II are: Thomas Muster in 1990, Hicham Arazi in 1997, Younes El Aynaoui in 2002 and Stanislas Wawrinka in 2010.
People born in Casablanca
See also: Category:People from Casablanca
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In fiction
- Casablanca is the setting of the 1942 film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The film has achieved worldwide popularity since then, having also won three Oscars and been nominated in five additional categories.
- Casablanca is one of the key locations in the 2006 video game Dreamfall, as it is where the primary protagonist of the game, Zoë Castillo, lives.
- Casablanca is the setting for several chapters in Doubleshot, a 2000 James Bond novel by Raymond Benson. In the novel, one of the characters mentions that the 1942 film was shot in Hollywood and not on location.
- The city is featured in The Mysterious Caravan, Volume 54 in the original Hardy Boys series.
- A Night in Casablanca (1946) was the twelfth Marx Brothers' movie. The film stars Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx. It was directed by Archie Mayo and written by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. The film contains the song "Who's Sorry Now?", with music by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It is sung in French by Lisette Verea playing the part of Beatrice Rheiner, and then later sung in English. Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" is played twice, once by Chico on piano as an intro to the "Beer Barrel Polka", and again by Harpo on the harp.
- The Post-Hardcore Band A Day To Remember have a song on their debut album, And Their Name Was Treason entitled "Casablanca Sucked Anyways"
References
- ^ "''Casablanca'' - ''Encyclopedia of the Orient''". Lexicorient.com. http://lexicorient.com/e.o/casablan.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "''Discovering Casablanca''". Africa-ata.org. http://www.africa-ata.org/mc_casablanca.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b "''Casablanca''". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Casablanca.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Tore Kjeilen. "Casablanca - LookLex Encyclopaedia". Lexicorient.com. http://www.lexicorient.com/e.o/casablanca.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Museum of History & Holocaust Education: Creating Community Collaboration". Kennesaw.edu. http://www.kennesaw.edu/historymuseum/creatingcommunity.shtml. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Pennel, CR: Morocco from Empire to Independence, Oneworld, Oxford, 2003, p 121
- ^ Pennel, CR: Morocco from Empire to Independence, Oneworld, Oxford, 2003, p 149
- ^ Albert Habib Hourani, Malise Ruthven (2002). "A history of the Arab peoples". Harvard University Press. p.323. ISBN 0674010175
- ^ "16 Dead in Casablanca Blast". New York Times. 25 December 1953. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C12FF3E59177B93C7AB1789D95F478585F9&scp=3&sq=casablanca+bomb&st=p. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ "Terror Cell: 'Police Hold Fifth Man'". News.sky.com. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1260317,00.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Independent Newspapers Online (2007-04-12). "Casablanca on alert after suicide bombings". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070412144633223C139447. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ U.S. Shuts Morocco Consulate After Bomb[dead link] April 15, 2007
- ^ AFP article retrieved 5 January 2012 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCfBbdJbTBmc9uJyTjspS8hVf0CA?docId=CNG.51879d3f2d1c38176a2bd02ade0f759e.161
- ^ "Climatological Information for Casablanca, Morocco". Hong Kong Observatory. 2011-08-15. http://www.worldweather.org/045/c00179.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
- ^ Casablanca, poumon économique du Maroc[dead link]
- ^ "Les bonnes raisons d’investir à Casablanca". Casainvest.ma. http://www.casainvest.ma/casainvest/tabid/55/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Casablanca , capitale economique du Maroc". Topbladi.com. http://www.topbladi.com/villes/casablanca.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ Tore Kjeilen. "Casablanca - LookLex Encyclopaedia". Looklex.com. http://looklex.com/e.o/casablanca.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "votre partenaire pour investir à Casablanca au Maroc". CasaInvest.ma. http://www.casainvest.ma/. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "Non-airline partners". Royalairmaroc.com. 2009-09-23. http://www.royalairmaroc.com/Marchand/Us/index.jsp?rub=1801&rubid=1803. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Royal Air Maroc.(Africa/Middle East)(Brief Article)[dead link]." Air Transport World. 1 July 2004. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Casablanca: Nouaceur abritera le futur siège de la RAM." L'Économiste. 18 August 2009. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ Casablanca.ma[dead link]
- ^ "Hassan II Mosque in Morocco, Morocco". Lonely Planet. 2010-08-20. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/sights/religious-spiritual/hassan-ii-mosque. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ http://www.morocco.com/blog/visiting-the-venerated-site-of-marabout-de-sidi-abderrahmane
- ^ http://www.casablanca.ma/index/docs/deplacement_urbain_casa.pdf
- ^ "Casablanca tram contracts awarded". Railway Gazette. http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/casablanca-tram-contracts-awarded.html. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ "La Préfecture de Casablanca (in French)". Casablanca.ma. http://www.casablanca.ma/index/html/html/prefecture-casa.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "Jumelage Casablanca-Chicago". Bladi.net. http://www.bladi.net/jumelage-casablanca-chicago.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Kuala Lumpur fact file". Urc.or.jp. http://www.urc.or.jp/summit/summit/map/more_e.php?id=0605&apcs_mbr=715654f62317576a55d2271bbc82c814. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Liste des protocoles et ententes internationales impliquant la ville de Montréal". 1.ville.montreal.qc.ca. http://www11.ville.montreal.qc.ca/sherlock2/servlet/template/sherlock%2CAfficherDocumentInternet.vm/nodocument/20146. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Russie - Maroc : les relations bilatérales ont fait leurs preuves". Fr.rian.ru. http://fr.rian.ru/analysis/20060906/53558247.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- ^ "Vers la concrétisation de l'accord de jumelage entre Shanghai et Casablanca". French.peopledaily.com.cn. 2003-11-18. http://french.peopledaily.com.cn/french/200311/18/fra20031118_64015.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Casablanca |
- Official web site of Casablanca
- Official Casablanca Tourism Website (French)
- Casablanca entry in Lexicorient
- Casablanca photo gallery (buildings and other landmarks with a history dating back to the French Protectorate)
Coordinates: 33°32′N 7°35′W / 33.533°N 7.583°W
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Translations:
Casablanca |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - Casablanca
Français (French)
n. - Casablanca
Deutsch (German)
n. - Casablanca
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Casablanca
Español (Spanish)
n. - Casablanca
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
卡萨布兰卡
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 卡薩布蘭卡
한국어 (Korean)
카사블랑카 (모로코 서북부의 항구)
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- What is casablanca about?
- What Bar is in Casablanca?
- When did Casablanca come out?
- How many times is the word casablanca said in the movie casablanca?
- How do you get from casablanca to marrakesh?
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Mentioned in
- Best of Bogart (1943 Film)
- Village People/Macho Man (1999 Album by The Village People)
- Morocco (Geography)
- Casablanca (Fine Arts)
- Juan Pena Lebrijano (World Artist, '70s-2000s)
- The Wanderer (1980 Album by Donna Summer)
- Ted Casablanca (Columnist / TV Personality)
- Bogart, Humphrey DeForest (American actor)
- Fez (city of north-central Morocco)
- Rabat (capital of Morocco)
- Casablanca Conference (war, historical event, United States/England)
- Keefer (1978 War Film)
- Dooley Wilson (Actor / Musician)
- Jeannie Reynolds (Rhythm & Blues Artist, '70s)
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