Subdivisions

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: These are figures from the 2004 census, please update with figures from the 2014 census. See "Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat de 2014 : Population Légale du Maroc" at this link. (February 2022)

The province is divided administratively into the following:^[4]

Environment

This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023)

Agriculture and sea fishing

Despite the significant rainfall, agricultural activity is limited due to the rugged and steep topography, the scarcity of arable land, the low mechanization level, and the lack of irrigation infrastructure. These factors have contributed to the emergence of traditional agriculture largely dependent on climatic hazards. Forests have been harvested for wood and pulp products and to clear land for agriculture. Villagers from rural areas form an important workforce in the agricultural field.^[12]

The province is dominated by cereal agriculture, goat herding in the mountains, and arboriculture of fig and almond trees.^[12] The countryside has a reputation as a prolific source of kief. The Chefchaouen region is one of the main producers of cannabis in Morocco.^{[citation needed]}

• Cereal cultivation: Occupying an area around 23,100 ha (57,000 acres), cereals are the most prevalent crops in the province;^[12]
• Legumes: Legumes are cultivated over an area of around 3,220 ha (8,000 acres). Beans and broad beans are the most widely cultivated and occupy more than three-quarters of the area devoted to this type of crop;^[12]
• Vegetable and forage crops: are cultivated over an area of about 180 ha (440 acres);^[12]
• Fruit arboriculture: fruit tree plantations cover approximately 52,013 ha (128,530 acres), producing 654,930 quintals (65,493 tonnes) of fruit. The olive tree is the most widespread with 83% of the area, representing 66% of the total production.^[12]
• Animal husbandry: Production of red meat is estimated at about 1,037.4 tons in 2016, of which 70% is beef, the rest mutton, and goat.^[12][13]
• Maritime fishing: The province's 120 km (75 mi) of the Mediterranean coast recorded landings of 2,166 tons of fish in 2016, valued at 14.3 million Moroccan dirhams. 94.4% of landings were bluefish.^[12]

This traditional agro-pastoral system – of olive and fig plantations, cereal fields, and limited grazing pastures – has been carried out for centuries. Local products are also diversified, such as fresh goat cheese and other animal products, medicinal and aromatic plants, and products based on wild olives, figs, wool, etc. These various agricultural models have contributed to a richness of food diversity and, in 2010, UNESCO recognized Chefchaouen for its Mediterranean diet.^[14]

Industry and commerce

The industrial sector remains very weak despite the province's potential with its availability of human and natural resources. The commercial sector is one of the main economic supports of Chefchaouen, bolstered by tourism activity and remittances from workers abroad. It is mainly focused on urban centers and the main rural communes and is based on the sale of traditional food products, construction materials, clothing, and household items. Commercial transactions become dynamic during summer, with the influx of tourists and the return of foreign workers to the province.^[12]