# Ras el Ma

> Moroccan city located in the Eastern Rif in the Ikebdanen region

**Wikidata**: [Q1004716](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1004716)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_Kebdana)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ras-el-ma

## Summary
Ras el Ma is a Moroccan city and urban commune located in the Eastern Rif region, specifically within the Ikebdanen area and administratively part of Nador Province. As of the 2024 census, its preferred population is 7,527 residents.

## Key Facts
- **Location:** Eastern Rif region, Ikebdanen area, Nador Province, Morocco.
- **Coordinates:** 35.13333333° N, -2.41666667° W.
- **Population (2024 census):** 7,527 residents (preferred value).
- **Population (2014 census):** 7,580 residents.
- **Population (2004 census):** 9,888 residents.
- **Population (1994 census):** 10,678 residents.
- **Administrative Status:** Urban commune of Morocco (commune).
- **Province:** Nador Province.
- **Body of Water:** Located next to the Mediterranean Sea.
- **Aliases:** Ras Kebdana, Ras El Ma, Cap de l'Eau, رأس الما, جماعه رأس الماء, كابوياوا, جماعة رأس الماء.
- **Official Names:** رأس الماء (Arabic), ⵉⵅⴼ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵎⴰⵏ (Tamazight), Ras El Ma (Latin script).
- **Moroccan Geographic Code (2015):** 02.381.01.15.
- **Number of Households (2024 census):** 2,077.
- **Number of Households (2014 census):** 1,836 (preferred).
- **Number of Households (2004 census):** 2,064.
- **Number of Households (1994 census):** 1,852.
- **Wikimedia Commons Category:** Ras El Ma.
- **Wikidata Description:** "Moroccan city located in the Eastern Rif in the Ikebdanen region."
- **Wikipedia Title:** Ras Kebdana.
- **Instance Of:** City; urban commune of Morocco.

## FAQs
**Where is Ras el Ma located?**
Ras el Ma is situated in the Eastern Rif region of Morocco, within the Ikebdanen area. It is administratively part of Nador Province and lies directly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea at coordinates 35.13333333° N, -2.41666667° W.

**What is the population trend for Ras el Ma?**
Census data shows a fluctuating population: 10,678 in 1994, 9,888 in 2004, 7,580 in 2014, and a preferred count of 7,527 in 2024. The number of households has also varied, from 1,852 in 1994 to 2,077 in 2024.

**What are the different names for Ras el Ma?**
The city is known by multiple names across languages and contexts, including the official Arabic رأس الماء, the Tamazight ⵉⵅⴼ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵎⴰⵏ, and the Latin script Ras El Ma. Historical and alternative aliases include Ras Kebdana, Cap de l'Eau, and جماعه رأس الماء.

**How is Ras el Ma administered?**
It is an urban commune (municipality) within Nador Province, which is part of Morocco's Oriental administrative region. Its official administrative code is 02.381.01.15.

## Why It Matters
Ras el Ma serves as a representative case study of demographic shifts in a small Moroccan coastal commune. Its population data over three decades reveals significant changes, from a peak of over 10,000 in the 1990s to a stabilization around 7,500 in the 2020s, reflecting broader regional migration and urbanization patterns. Its location in the Eastern Rif, a historically and culturally significant mountainous region, and its position on the Mediterranean coast tie it to local economic activities like fishing and potential tourism. The commune's multiple linguistic names (Arabic, Tamazight, French-influenced) highlight the cultural confluence of the Rif area.

## Notable For
- **Multi-lingual Identity:** Its official and common names exist in at least three distinct linguistic systems (Arabic, Tamazight, French/Latin), reflecting Morocco's official language policy and the region's Amazigh (Berber) heritage.
- **Detailed Census History:** It has consistent, sourced population and household counts from four consecutive national censuses (1994, 2004, 2014, 2024), providing a clear, three-decade demographic timeline.
- **Precise Geographic Coding:** It possesses a specific, structured Moroccan geographic code (02.381.01.15) for administrative and statistical purposes.
- **Coastal Rif Commune:** It is a specific example of a small urban settlement in the Eastern Rif subregion of the larger Rif mountain chain, with direct access to the Mediterranean Sea.
- **Cross-Wikipedia Presence:** Its article exists across a wide range of Wikipedia language editions (at least 14), including Arabic, French, Spanish, and several Amazigh language versions, indicating international or diaspora interest.

## Body
### Geography and Location
Ras el Ma is a city and urban commune in Morocco. Its precise geographic coordinates are 35.13333333° North latitude and -2.41666667° West longitude. It is located in the Eastern Rif, a subregion of the Rif mountain chain. Administratively, it falls under Nador Province. A key geographic feature is its location directly adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, as noted in the property "located_in_or_next_to_body_of_water." A locator map image and an aerial view photograph are available in Wikimedia Commons to illustrate its setting.

### Demographics
The commune's population has been recorded in four consecutive national censuses, showing a trend of decline from a 1994 high:
*   **1994 Census:** Population of 10,678 across 1,852 households.
*   **2004 Census:** Population of 9,888 across 2,064 households.
*   **2014 Census:** Population of 7,580 across 1,836 households (this household figure is marked as the preferred value for that year).
*   **2024 Census:** Population of 7,527 across 2,077 households (this population figure is marked as the preferred, most recent value).

### Administration and Governance
Ras el Ma holds the administrative status of an "urban commune of Morocco" (commune). It is a constituent part of Nador Province. For official statistical and administrative purposes, it is identified by the Moroccan geographic code 02.381.01.15.

### Naming and Linguistic Identity
The entity has a rich set of names across different languages and historical contexts:
*   **Official Arabic Name:** رأس الماء (transliterated: Ra's al-Ma').
*   **Official Tamazight (Amazigh) Name:** ⵉⵅⴼ ⵏ ⵡⴰⵎⴰⵏ (transliterated: Ixf n Waman).
*   **Common Latin Script Name:** Ras El Ma.
*   **Alternative/Aliases:** Ras Kebdana, Cap de l'Eau (French), جماعه رأس الماء, كابوياوا.
The primary Wikipedia article for this entity is titled "Ras Kebdana."

### Identifiers and Linked Data
Ras el Ma is linked to numerous global authority files and databases, confirming its established digital presence:
*   **Wikidata:** The core description is "Moroccan city located in the Eastern Rif in the Ikebdanen region." It has a sitelink count of 14 across Wikimedia projects.
*   **VIAF ID:** 158489525.
*   **GeoNames ID:** 2538392.
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/0286vc4.
*   **OpenStreetMap Relation ID:** 2443018.
*   **Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (GNIS) Unique Feature ID:** -43461.
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n2006057093.
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987011433524905171.
*   **SNAC ID:** 1355.
*   **Who's On First ID:** 1225863379.

### Media and Documentation
Visual documentation is available on Wikimedia Commons under the category "Ras El Ma." Specific files include a general view (`Vista_de_Ras_El_Ma.jpg`), an aerial photograph (`Cabo_de_Agua.jpg`), and a locator map (`Commune-Ras-ElMa.jpg`). The population data references point to official documents from Morocco's Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP), including the 2014 census file and the 2024 legal population results page.

## References

1. 2014 Moroccan census
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [Source](http://rgph2014.hcp.ma/file/166326/)
5. [Source](http://www.hcp.ma/file/103036/)
6. [2024 Moroccan census](https://www.hcp.ma/Population-legale-du-Royaume-du-Maroc-repartie-par-regions-provinces-et-prefectures-et-communes-selon-les-resultats-du_a3974.html)
7. GeoNames
8. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
9. [Source](https://www.hcp.ma/Population-legale-du-Royaume-du-Maroc-repartie-par-regions-provinces-et-prefectures-et-communes-selon-les-resultats-du_a3974.html)