Sidi Ifni

Sidi Ifni (Berber: Ifni, ⵉⴼⵏⵉ, Arabic: سيدي إفني) is a city on the west coast of Morocco. It sits right by the Atlantic Ocean and has about 20,051 people living there. The city is known for its fishing industry, which is the main way people make a living.

Sidi Ifni is found in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region and is part of the Sidi Ifni Province. Most of the people there belong to the Shilha group, especially from the Aït Baâmrane tribe.

In the year 2000, a big fishing port was finished. This port helps the city send fish to other places around the world.

History

The Aït Baâmrane tribe lived in the area around Sidi Ifni for a long time. They worked with animals and traded with people from Europe and northern Morocco.

In 1476, people from Spain built a small settlement called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña nearby. Later, in 1860, after a war, Morocco gave Sidi Ifni to Spain. Spain controlled the area until 1969, when it was returned to Morocco. During this time, there were some conflicts, but Sidi Ifni is now part of Morocco.

Ifni protests

In June 2008, there were big protests in Sidi Ifni. Many people were unhappy because they wanted jobs at the port but were not hired. The protests caused problems, and police came to control the situation. Sadly, there were reports that some people were hurt during these events.

An international news group shared stories about what happened, and there were concerns about how people were treated during the protests. Some groups spoke up about these concerns, which led to some discussions between different groups in the country.

Unique sea cable car system

In the 1960s, Spanish authorities built a special system to help ships unload goods near Sidi Ifni. Because the water was too shallow for ships to reach the shore, they built a strong concrete platform 550 metres out to sea. From there, cargo and people were lifted from ships and moved on carts hanging from large steel cables to a station closer to town. This system worked for a few years but stopped when Spain gave the area to Morocco. Though the cables are gone now, you can still see some of the old stations and tall supports.

Climate

Sidi Ifni has a hot desert climate, which means the weather is mild to warm all year. Because of the nearby Canary Current, there is very little rain, and when it does rain, it usually happens in the winter months from November to April. The rain is often linked to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation, which can bring storms to the area.