The historical geography of Azemmour: environment and empire on the Moroccan Atlantic coast

This article examines the social history of the Moroccan city of Azemmour and its hinterland during the two decades straddling the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1912. The town's unique geographic location-near the hubs of European expansion in Casablanca and Mazagan, along a major river, proximate to the coast but without a port - shaped its economic development during the period of rebellion and French conquest. Its physical and political geography foreclosed maritime trade activity but its isolation from the Mediterranean sea-lanes opened up other opportunities to townspeople and helped to create a micro-region with the town at its centre. The years before 1912 were marked by the rapid expansion of European influence in neighbouring regions; Azemmour remained on the margins of these processes. After 1912, French development projects overlooked traditional sources of income for Zemmouris, effectively relegating the town to the margins of the Moroccan economy.