Subnational flags of Morocco (pre-1997)

Last modified: 2001-05-23 by antonio martins
Keywords: morocco |
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• About these flags

• Morocco

• Current administraive divisions of Morocco, official government website (in french)
  reported by Thanh-Tâm Lê, 12 Jan 1999
• Armoiries des Wilayas, Provinces et Préfectures du Maroc. Moroccan subnational coats of arms; official government website (in french)

Editorial note: Since the Moroccan government considers Western Sahara as a part of its own territory, it has included it on it's administrative divisions’ structure, wich we reflect on this page and on those linked to it. This does not necessarily imply any partiality on the territorial issue in question, as also doesn’t the existence of our page about the flags of sahrawi independentists and RASD.

I have some flags of Moroccan provinces (the old ones: 37 provinces, 5 municipalities), but I am not sure about their source. I have the following provinces and municipalities:

• Agadir
• Al Hoceima
• Azilal
• Beni Mellal
• Ben Slimane
• Boulemane
• Casablanca (mun.)
• Chaouen
• El Jadida
• El Kelaa des Srarhna
• Er Rachidia
• Essaouira
• Fes
• Fes (mun.)
• Figuig
• Guelmim
• Ifrane
• Kenitra
• Khemisset
• Khenifra
• Khouribga
• Laayoune
• Larache
• Marrakech
• Marrakech (mun.)
• Meknes
• Meknes (mun.)
• Nador
• Ouarzazate
• Oujda
• Rabat-Sale (mun.)
• Safi
• Settat
• Sidi Kacem
• Tanger (Tangiers)
• Tan-Tan
• Taounate
• Taroudannt
• Tata
• Taza
• Tetouan
• Tiznit

Looking at the flags it is hard not to notice the strange pentagonal sheld of the coats of arms. Is there any explanation / tradition / story to tell? One idea would be the “imitation” of the Solomon's seal — the pentagon of the national flag.
Zeljko Heimer, 14 Jan 1999

Why is it that many coats of arms in these flags do not match the coats of arms of the wilayas as shown in the Moroccan government website? Maybe these latter are still the old Spanish/French coats of arms? Certainly many of these have Spanish heraldic features, like bordures with charges, pomegranates etc.
Santiago Dotor, 21 Jan 1999

Some of these Moroccan provinces were under Spanish protectorate until 1956. These are Al Hoceima, (Che-)Chaouen, Nador, Tetouan, Larache, and parts of Kenitra, Taounate, Taza and Tiznit (the Sidi Ifni enclave). (I believe Laayoune is the old Spanish Aaiun).
Santiago Dotor, 12 Jan 1999