Fez-Meknes
Fez-Meknes Region
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|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Morocco | |
| Coordinates: 34°02′N 5°0′W / 34.033°N 5.000°W | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Capital | Fez |
| Government | |
| • Wali | Khalid Aït Taleb |
| • President | Abdelouhed El Ansari (PI) |
| Area | |
• Total | 38,881.5 km2 (15,012.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2024 census)[1] | |
• Total | 4,467,911 |
| • Density | 114.911/km2 (297.618/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| ISO 3166 code | MA-03 |
Fez-Meknes[a] is one of the twelve administrative regions of Morocco. Located in the north-central part of the country, it is known for its cultural and historical heritage, spiritual importance, and growing modern economy. The regional capital is Fez. Its current president is Abdelouhed El Ansari, and its current wali (governor) is Khalid Aït Taleb.
Fez-Meknes lies between the Rif Mountains in the north and the Middle Atlas Mountains in the south. The landscape includes fertile plains, forests, and mountain ranges. Major rivers include the Sebou, Inaouen, and Ouergha.
The region experiences a Mediterranean climate [3] in the plains and a continental mountain climate in the highlands. It is home to the Ifrane National Park and Tazekka National Park.[4]
Demographics
[edit source]The region's population is ethnically diverse, consisting of Arab and Berbers communities. Both Arabic and Berber languages are spoken.[5] Approximately 62% of the population lives in urban areas.
History
[edit source]Fez-Meknes was formed in September 2015 by merging Fès-Boulemane with the prefecture of Meknès and the provinces of El Hajeb and Ifrane (in Meknès-Tafilalet region) and the provinces of Taounate and Taza (in Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region).[6]
Following the 2021 regional elections, Abdelouahed El Ansari, a member of the Istiqlal Party, was elected president of the regional council.[7]
On 19 October 2025, Khalid Aït Taleb was appointed Wali of the Fès-Meknès region and Governor of the Fès prefecture by King Mohammed VI, during a Council of Ministers meeting in Rabat.[8][9]
Administrative divisions
[edit source]
Fez-Meknes is divided into 2 prefectures and 7 provinces:[6][10]
| Province or Prefecture | Administrative type | Geographical code | ISO code | HASC Code[11] | Surface[12]km2 | Number of municipalities or arrondissement | Number of rural communes | Population 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fez Prefecture | Prefecture | 03.231. | MA-FES | MA.FM.FS | 311.5 | 6 | 3 | 1,150,131 |
| Meknès Prefecture | Prefecture | 03.061. | MA-MEK | MA.FM.ME | 1,787 | 6 | 15 | 835,695 |
| El Hajeb Province | Province | 03.171. | MA-HAJ | MA.FM.EH | 2,135 | 4 | 12 | 247,016 |
| Ifrane Province | Province | 03.271. | MA-IFR | MA.FM.IF | 3,777 | 2 | 8 | 155,221 |
| Sefrou Province | Province | 03.451. | MA-SEF | MA.FM.SE | 3,462 | 5 | 18 | 286,489 |
| Moulay Yacoub Province | Province | 03.591. | MA-MOU | MA.FM.ZM | 1,480 | 1 | 10 | 174,079 |
| Boulemane Province | Province | 03.131. | MA-BOM | MA.FM.BO | 14,234 | 4 | 17 | 197,596 |
| Taza Province | Province | 03.561. | MA-TAZ | MA.FM.TZ | 6,097 | 4 | 34 | 528,419 |
| Taounate Province | Province | 03.531. | MA-TAO | MA.FM.TN | 5,598 | 5 | 44 | 662,246 |
Climate and terrain
[edit source]The region's terrain is characterized by the diversity of its constituent natural features: the Saïss, the Pre-Rif hills to the north, the Middle Atlas ranges, and the high hills of the Missour area. This topographical variety results in contrasting climatic conditions across the different sectors.[13]
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Population légale du Royaume du Maroc répartie par régions, provinces et préfectures et communes selon les résultats du Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2024". Haut-Commissariat au Plan (in French).
- ↑ "ⵜⴰⴷⵍⵙⴰ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ". maroc.ma (in Standard Moroccan Tamazight).
- ↑ "Fez, Morocco weather in June: average temperature & climate". Wanderlog. Archived from the original on 29 April 2026. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ↑ "THE NATIONAL PARKS OF MOROCCO | Moroccan National Tourist Office". www.visitmorocco.com. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ↑ "Démographie". Région Fès Meknès (in French). Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- 1 2 "Décret fixant le nom des régions" (PDF). Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales (in French). 20 February 2015. Archived from the original (pdf) on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ "Abdelouahed El Ansari (Istiqlal) nouveau président de la région Fès-Meknès". Médias24 - Numéro un de l'information économique marocaine (in French). 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- ↑ MASAITI, Amira EL (2025-10-20). "Who are the 15 new Walis and Governors appointed by the King?". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ "Conseil des ministres: Khalid Aït Taleb nommé nouveau wali de Fès-Meknès". Le 360 Français (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ pncl.gov.ma Official Journal of the Kingdom of Morocco in March 2015 Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ HASC code for moroccan subdivisions
- ↑ www.citypopulation.de
- ↑ "la-region-de-fes-meknes" (PDF).
- ↑ Arabic: فاس - مكناس
Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴼⴰⵙ - ⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ[2]
| from 2015 |  | |
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| 1997–2015 |
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| 1971–1997 | ||
Regions falling partly (*) or entirely (**) within the disputed territory of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation | ||