Spanish Agricultural Settlement in the Eastern Moroccan Rif (1912-1956)

Abstract

This article addresses an important aspect of Morocco's history during the foreign occupation. Agricultural settlement was central to the colonial project in the region, as the colonizer sought to occupy and exploit Morocco's resources by seizing local lands and distributing them to European settlers. This led to profound changes in the country's agricultural structures. The original landowners lost their  holdings, which were not returned to them after independence but instead transferred to new owners, marking a significant shift in  Morocco's economic and social history. To better understand this phenomenon, the article examines the case of the Kart Plain in the  eastern Moroccan Rif, which serves as a model for Spanish agricultural settlement. The effects of this settlement are still visible today.