جبالة | |
---|---|
Map of territories inhabited by Jebala in Northern Morocco | |
Total population | |
1,284,000[citation needed] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Northern Morocco, mostly concentrated in north-west Morocco and Rif | |
Languages | |
Jebli Arabic | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam |
The Jebala (Moroccan Arabic: جبالة, romanized: Jbāla) are a tribal confederation inhabiting an area in northwest Morocco from the town of Targuist to the west. The Jbala region (from Moroccan Arabic: جبال, romanized: jbāl, lit. 'mountains') thus occupies the western part of the Rif mountains. The Jbala has a population of 1,284,000[citation needed] and is divided into over 44 Arab tribes,[1] today known as "rural communes" (جماعات قروية), and adjacent to them are a small group of 9 Arabized tribes called the Ghomaras (غمارة), who inhabit the territory between the line of mountain peaks to the north of Chefchaouen and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to tribal heterogeneity, this region is also geographically diverse. High mountains are interspersed with hills and flatlands, and local inhabitants settle in both the high mountains and valleys. In addition to the rainy climate, which influences the way the inhabitants build their houses as well as their special agricultural practices,[2] there are also numerous cultural characteristics that contribute to an emphasised sense of identity[3] and make the Arab Jbala people clearly distinguishable from their Berber neighbours from the eastern part of the Rif Mountains (Riafa or Rwafa) who live between Targuist and Zaio where the climate is more arid. Nowadays, most Jebala no longer identify with a tribe and are also called Chamalis, just like the Arabs of the cities in northwest Morocco, (Chamalis simply means Northerners in Arabic). Most Jebala mainly live in cities such as Tangier, Tetouan, Ksar Kebir, Ksar es Sghir, Larache, Ouazzane, Asilah, Chefchaouen, Taounate.[4]