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Agadir Morocco :
Agadir is a city in
south of Morocco, capital of the Souss-Massa-Daraa region. It has a population
of 678,596 (2004; census figures for the agglomeration include the near-by
cities of Inezgane and Aït
Melloul); the population of the city proper is estimated at 200,000. The
mild winter climate (January average midday temperature 20°C/68°F) and good
beaches have made it a major "winter sun" destination for Northern
Europeans.
The city is located on
the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just
north of the point where the Sous River empties
into the sea, founded by the
Portuguese around 1500, the city came under Moroccan control in 1526. In 1911,
the arrival of a German gunboat (the Panther), officially to protect the
local German community, triggered the Agadir Crisis between France and Germany
that in 1913 caused France to establish a protectorate in Morrocco.
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At 15 minutes to
midnight on February 29, 1960, Agadir was almost totally destroyed by an
earthquake that lasted 15 seconds, burying the old city and killing thousands, the death toll is estimated at 15,000. The earthquake destroyed the ancient
Kasbah on the summit of Cap Ghir hill, which was built in 1540. On its front
gate can still be read the following sentence in Dutch: "Fear God and honor thy
King".
Agadir today is
a seaport (exporting cobalt, manganese and zinc) and seaside resort with a large
sandy beach. Because of its large buildings, wide roads, modern hotels, and
European-style cafés, some consider it not typically Moroccan. Agadir is famous
for its sea foods and agriculture.
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