Oriental (Morocco)

Oriental is one of the twelve regions of Morocco, located in the eastern part of the country. It covers an area of 90,127 km² and has a population of 2,314,346 .The capital and the largest city is Oujda, and the second largest city is Nador. The region includes 7 provinces and one prefecture. Mohamed Mhidia became wali of the region in 2015.A majority of the population of Oriental speak Moroccan Darija Arabic as a first or second language. A big minority speak the Rif-Berber language as a first language. Small numbers speak Eastern Middle Atlas Tamazight and Figuig Tamazight, principally in the south of Oriental.EtymologyThe English name Oriental is derived from the French term L'Oriental (for "the east") and comes directly from the Latin orientalis, "of the east", being that the region is located in the east of Morocco. The Arabic name Ash-Sharq also means "the east", as does the Berber name Tagmuḍant (from agmuḍan).GeographyOriental is situated in the eastern part of the country, with a northern coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. The regions of Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate, Fès-Boulemane and Meknès-Tafilalet lie to its west, with the Algerian provinces of Tlemcen and Naâma to its east and Béchar to the south. Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city, also borders the region. In 2015, Oriental was expanded to include Guercif Province.