Chtouka Aït Baha Province
Chtouka - Ait Baha (Arabic إقليم شتوكة آيت باها, DMG Iqlīm Šatūka Ayit BAHA ) is the name of about 3500 km ² large province with 300,000 inhabitants ( as of 2004) in the region of Souss -Massa- Draâ in southwestern Morocco.
- 3.1 argan tree
- 3.2 Other
- 4.1 Nature Park Souss -Massa
- 4.2 tortoises
- 4.3 gophers
- 6.1 Agadire
- 6.2 Tighremts
Geography
Location
The province - Chtouka Ait Baha is part of the Western Anti-Atlas; it is bounded on the northwest by the prefecture Inezgane - Aït Melloul, in the north- east by the province of Taroudant, to the south by the province of Tiznit and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
Landscape
During the northwest of the province ( Souss plain and coastline ) is relatively flat, the height profile increases towards the south and east by more and more and reaches heights of about 1000 m; a few mountain peaks reach heights of 1600 m even up to 2000 m.
Climate
The climate is - apart from the coast - in the hot, dry summer: day temperatures of 40 ° C and more are not uncommon; at night it cools down depending on the sky from 10 to 20 ° C. In the four winter months ( November to February) it rains sometimes, but daytime temperatures of 20 to 25 ° C still be achieved; at night go Temperaturenauf values by 5 to 10 ° C.
Population
Within the province Chtouka - Ait Baha there are only 3 more places; in the other is rural rural communities ( communes rurales ). While the numbers of city inhabitants have increased significantly in recent decades due to immigration, a stagnation or even a loss of population is in the rural communities due to greatly reduced or completely absence of rain since the 1970s to determine. Places like Tioulit or Tizourgane have been completely abandoned by their inhabitants; Tizourgane was rediscovered after a comprehensive restoration measures at the beginning of the 3rd millennium of tourism.
Flora
Argan tree
The characteristic tree of the region is the argan tree ( Argania spinosa). The argan tree is one of the oldest trees in the world and is in the southwest of Morocco endemic, that is, it grows nowhere else. The tree grows well on rocky and dry soils, where his crown can reach a circumference of about 15 meters. The most crooked branches of dead trees were used in earlier times for construction (ceiling and stair wood), but are used up to the present day as firewood to bake bread. The plum or olive-like fruits can not be eaten by humans. In the trees herumkletternde goats only eat the little green leaves; meantime, they must beware of the thorn occupied branches in eight. Although the trees grow wild, every tree has its owner, who must pick up the fruits in the summer. The seeds contained in the fruit flesh are about almond large and very heavy aufzuschlagen. The seeds in pairs contained therein are only slightly larger than sunflower seeds. From the roasted seeds of the fruit of the argan tree is the addition by crushing, won by a little hot water and hours of kneading a tasty oil - oil from unroasted seeds toward the manufacture of skin care products in the ( French ) cosmetics industry.
Other
Also typical of the region are wild cacti and cacti, which are mainly in the western parts of the province ( eg Imchiguegueln ) encountered. Opuntienbüsche are found mainly in the vicinity of villages, where they einzäunten smaller livestock enclosure or the Agadire surrounded with a green, but prickly defenses. Further east, it is even too dry for these frugal plants.
Date palms also grow only in spaces with adequate soil moisture is available - that is, in the low-lying and comparatively rainy western areas of the province. In addition to her sugar-sweet fruits were formerly trunks and palm fronds of importance - from them was lumber or ladders or mats, baskets, ropes, etc. produced; In addition, they were - covered with some soil and small stones - important as a roof cover.
While olives are rather rare and only thrive in slightly rainier west of the province, almond trees tolerate extreme drought. However, they are usually only two to three meters high.
Most important crop was and is the barley, the most extreme climates (see Tibet) is suitable and also in barren soil still produces income. Also only the western parts of the province are eligible for the cultivation of vegetables. The not yet migrated residents of the mountain villages have to fruits, vegetables and potatoes get to the markets, which is often difficult due to lack of money.
Fauna
Natural Park of Souss -Massa
The Souss Massa National Park lies at the mouth of the Oued Massa, about 10 km south of Agadir to Tiznit into the province; in it is Morocco's largest bird sanctuary to find. Here live so rare bird species such as sand and desert flight chickens or little terns. Under the aegis of the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ ) Here extinct species such as the Addax and Mhorrgazelle from the Hanover Zoo have been reintroduced.
Thanks to an international Wiederansiedelungssprogramms also the bald ibis ( Geronticus eremita ) is again based in Morocco. He is already mentioned in the Pharaonic period in Egypt. Over time is close to extinction throughout the species. A few hundred copies only lived in Morocco and the border Turkey / Syria. Beginning of the 19th century were reported in Morocco about a hundred breeding colonies of the bird; Finally, there were only two. Now he is back in his natural environment to observe the created nature Park Souss -Massa; but also storks, cormorants and different species of heron found here enough food - a paradise for ornithologists.
Tortoises
The western Anti-Atlas is one of the last refuges of the Moorish tortoise, which is elsewhere extinct because of overgrazing or intensive agriculture. The animals are still trapped and offered to Moroccan markets - as it says they are not intended for human consumption but are used as a ' toy ' for children.
Gophers
Characteristic of much of southern Morocco, but because of the hunting becoming increasingly rare, are the Atlashörnchen ( anzid or sibsib ) mainly feed on seeds, almonds, walnuts and Arganienfrüchten; also fruit (apples, bananas) will not despise. Probably brought to the Canary Islands long ago of people, they thrive there, gorgeous.
History
The province - Chtouka Ait Baha was only created in 1994 by split from the former province of Agadir. The capital of the new province Biougra was charged. None of the few cities in the province has a far reaching back into the past tradition; in the mountain villages of the Berbers, this is certainly different, but exist - except for a few family documents ( marriage contracts, deeds ) - no written records.
Attractions
Agadire
The memory castles of the Berbers ( Agadire ) are both lonely on rocky hilltops surrounded by a valley encircled by mountains and on the edge or in the middle of villages ( Inoumar, Ighil, Imi'm grain, Imchiguegueln, Imhilene and others). They were originally a granary, the residents of the surrounding settlements - especially at the time of held annually during the summer months hiking with the cattle to higher mountain regions - for the storage of their crops (barley, almond, possibly dates and / or nuts ) or other valuables ( agricultural equipment, kitchen equipment, clothes, blankets and written on wooden bars family or deeds ) were used. They also provided protection from raids by nomadic nomads or neighboring villages, because in case of danger, the people fled to the fortress-like Agadire.
The Ksar Tizourgane is a fortified village with a few storage compartments. He is spectacularly situated on a hilltop and is unique in its kind in Morocco.
Tighremts
Building with the occurring locally available materials (clay, palm trunks, reeds, plant debris, etc.) has a centuries- old tradition in Morocco. Base of the Moroccan Ksar (Arabic: Kasbah ) is the extended family castle courtyard, where below the stables and store rooms on the upper floors and the living and economic activity are created. The corners of the residential castles ( Tighremts ) stand out for reasons of defense and in the later development into full-blown castle towers. To such a construction around arisen in later years, additional living quarters and stables. With increasing population and in particularly exposed to attacks by the nomadic areas, such as the valleys of the Draa and Ziz, emerged fortified settlements that started from the principle of the extended family home: eight, twelve or more dozen of these homes were built after careful plan a checkerboard pattern next to each other, that they formed a defensive front to the outside. Most of these residential castles are deserted and ruined - as a result of rural-urban migration, or simply because they have lost their original function.
Today is also the natural measure in Morocco, admire the Orient lovers in the old adobe buildings so lost. Due to the industrial production of building materials (cement / concrete and hollow stones ) have established an uniformity has returned in new buildings.