Khenifra ( Berber: ''Xnifṛa'', ⵅⵏⵉⴼⵕⴰ, ar, خنيفرة) is a city in northern central

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 ...

, surrounded by the Atlas Mountains and located on the

Oum Er-Rbia River Oum Er-Rbia (Berber: ⴰⵙⵉⴼ ⵏ ⵉⵙⴰⴼⴻⵏ, ar, أم الربيع, "the mother of springtime", spelling Oum el- rbia, is a large, long and high-throughput river in central Morocco. The river is long. With an average water throughp ...

. National Highway 8 also goes through the town. The population, as of a 2019 census, was 228,567

History

Khenifra has been the

Zayanes Zayanes ( ber, Azayi (singular), (plural); ) are a Berber population inhabiting the Khenifra region, located in the central Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. Zayanes tribes are known for their attachment to ancestral land and for their tena ...

' central town for centuries. As such, it was an important military holding in the

Zaian War Zayanes ( ber, Azayi (singular), (plural); ) are a Berber population inhabiting the Khenifra region, located in the central Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. Zayanes tribes are known for their attachment to ancestral land and for their tenac ...

. French General

Paul Prosper Henrys Paul Prosper Henrys (or Paul-Prosper) (13 March 1862 – 6 November 1943) was a French general. In his early career, Henrys was stationed in French Algeria. In 1912, he participated in the French conquest of Morocco under general Hubert Lyautey ...

had planned to lead the first attack on Khenifra on 10 June 1914. There would be three columns of troops, totaling up to 14,000 officers, to take Khenifra from the Zayanes control.. One column was under

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

Henri Claudel Henri Edouard Claudel (13 January 1871 – 20 February 1956) was a French general. Early career and First World War Claudel became a lieutenant-colonel on 24 September 1911, before being assigned to the 3rd Senegalese Tirailleurs regiment on 2 ...

, one under Colonel

Gaston Cros Colonel Marie Augstin Gaston Cros (known as Gaston Cros) (6 October 1861 – 10 May 1915) was a French army officer and archaeologist. He was born in Alsace and was displaced when that territory was incorporated into the German Empire. He ...

, and one under Colonel

Noël Garnier-Duplessix General Noël Marie Amédée Garnier-Duplessix or Duplessis (25 December 1860 – 2 March 1928) was a French army officer. Whilst still a colonel he commanded the 2nd Infantry Division in the Allied victory at the First Battle of the Marne befor ...

Mouha ou Hammou Zayani Mouha Ou Hammou Zayani, by his full name: Mohammed ou Hammou ben Akka ben Ahmed, also known as Moha Ou Hamou al-Harkati Zayani (c.1863 – 27 March 1921) was a Moroccan Berber military figure and tribal leader who played an important role in ...

led troops to attempt to stop the Khenifra campaign, but was eventually unsuccessful.. The French took control of the town, but with losing around 600 men. In addition to leading the Zayanes, Hammou was responsible for much of the early 20th century development of Khenifra, having overseen the development of accommodations and mosques in the town.

Demography

Khenifra is inhabited by

, a Berber tribe, and the language spoken is a variety of

Central Atlas Tamazight Central Atlas Tamazight or Atlasic (also known as Central Morocco Tamazight, variant of tashelhit, Middle Atlas Tamazight, Tamazight, Central Shilha and, rarely, Beraber or Braber; native name: ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ''Tamazight'' , ) is a Be ...

. The town population at the time of the 2019 census was 228,567.

Geography

Khenifra is located on the

National Highway 8 goes through Khenifra, and can provide travel to Marrakech and

Fès Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...

. Jebel Bououzzal, "Iron Mountain", provides a source of iron, but its usefulness is limited due to also having a high sulphur content. Khenifra National Park is east of the town, and contains forests of

Atlas cedar ''Cedrus atlantica'', the Atlas cedar, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae, native to the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco ( Middle Atlas, High Atlas), and to the Tell Atlas in Algeria.Gaussen, H. (1964). Genre ''Cedrus''. Les F ...

s (''Cedrus atlantica'').

Sports

The best known sport was soccer; the team was created in 1943 under the name: "Khenifra Union Club", Then Chabab Atlas Khénifra. In addition to a men's team, the club established a women's squad on 30 November 1998.

Notable people

Jaouad Gharib Jaouad Gharib ( ar, جواد غريب, born 22 May 1972 in Khenifra) is a Moroccan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. Winner of the 2003 World Championships and 2005 World Championships over the distance, he is als ...

, former long-distance runner *

Mohamed Rouicha Mohamed Rouicha ( ar, محمد رويشة; 1950 – 17 January 2012) was a Moroccan folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** F ...

, Moroccan singer and songwriter

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khenifra Province Populated places in Khénifra Province

Khenifra Khenifra (Berber: ''Xnifṛa'', ⵅⵏⵉⴼⵕⴰ, ar, خنيفرة) is a city in northern central Morocco, surrounded by the Atlas Mountains and located on the Oum Er-Rbia River. National Highway 8 also goes through the town. The population, a ...