# Tan-Tan

> city in Morocco

**Wikidata**: [Q936316](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q936316)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan-Tan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tan-tan

## Summary
Tan-Tan is a city and urban commune located in Tan-Tan Province, Morocco. Situated at coordinates 28.43°N, -11.1°W along the northwestern African coast, it serves as the provincial capital with an elevation of 51 metres above sea level. As of the 2024 census, Tan-Tan has a population of 76,134 residents across 18,797 households.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City and urban commune of Morocco
- **Location**: Tan-Tan Province, Morocco
- **Coordinates**: Latitude 28.433333333333, Longitude -11.1
- **Area**: 25.6 square kilometres
- **Elevation**: 51 metres above sea level
- **Population (2024)**: 76,134 (census)
- **Population (2014)**: 73,209 (census)
- **Population (2004)**: 60,698 (census)
- **Population (1994)**: 45,821 (census)
- **Households (2024)**: 18,797
- **Households (2014)**: 16,411
- **Households (2004)**: 12,832
- **Households (1994)**: 9,259
- **Moroccan Geographic Code (2015)**: 10.521.01.01
- **Official Name**: Tan Tan / طانطان
- **Native Labels**: طانطان (Arabic), ⵟⴰⵏⵟⴰⵏ (Tifinagh)
- **Administrative Role**: Capital of Tan-Tan Province
- **Bordering Entities**: Abteh, Ben Khlil, Tilemzoun

## FAQs

**What is Tan-Tan's population growth trend?**
Tan-Tan has experienced steady population growth over three decades, increasing from 45,821 residents in 1994 to 76,134 in 2024 — a 66% increase. Household counts similarly rose from 9,259 to 18,797 during the same period.

**Where is Tan-Tan located geographically?**
Tan-Tan is positioned at 28.433°N latitude and -11.1°W longitude in southwestern Morocco, within Tan-Tan Province. The city sits 51 metres above sea level and covers an area of 25.6 square kilometres.

**What administrative role does Tan-Tan serve?**
Tan-Tan functions as the capital of Tan-Tan Province and is officially classified as both a city and an urban commune of Morocco.

**What are the alternative names for Tan-Tan?**
The city is known by multiple names including Tan Tan, Tantan, Elwatya, Tan-Tan Plage, Tan-Tan Beach, El Ouatia, الطنطان, مدينة طنطان, and مدينة الطنطان.

## Why It Matters
Tan-Tan serves as a significant administrative center in southwestern Morocco, functioning as the provincial capital of Tan-Tan Province. Its steady population growth — increasing by over 30,000 residents between 1994 and 2024 — reflects its ongoing development and regional importance. The city's multilingual Wikipedia presence across 32 languages (including Arabic variants, European languages, Persian, and East Asian languages) indicates international recognition and documentation. Its coastal location at the edge of the Sahara region positions it as a gateway between northern Morocco and the disputed Western Sahara territory, giving it strategic geographical significance.

## Notable For
- **Provincial Capital**: Serves as the administrative center of Tan-Tan Province
- **Multilingual Documentation**: Has Wikipedia articles in 32 different languages, demonstrating global interest
- **Consistent Growth**: Maintained uninterrupted population growth across four consecutive censuses (1994–2024)
- **Cultural Naming Diversity**: Known by at least 10 different name variants across Arabic, Berber (Tifinagh), and European languages
- **Coastal Location**: Situated near Tan-Tan Plage (Tan-Tan Beach), also known as Elwatya or El Ouatia

## Body

### Geography and Location
Tan-Tan is positioned at coordinates 28.433333333333°N latitude and -11.1°W longitude in southwestern Morocco. The city occupies a land area of 25.6 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 51 metres above sea level. It shares borders with three neighbouring entities: Abteh, Ben Khlil, and Tilemzoun.

### Demographics and Population Trends
The city has demonstrated consistent population growth across four national censuses:

- **1994 Census**: 45,821 residents in 9,259 households
- **2004 Census**: 60,698 residents in 12,832 households
- **2014 Census**: 73,209 residents in 16,411 households
- **2024 Census**: 76,134 residents in 18,797 households

This represents a total population increase of 30,313 people (66%) over 30 years, with household counts more than doubling during the same period. All population data was collected through official census determination methods and sourced from Morocco's High Commission for Planning (HCP).

### Administrative Structure
Tan-Tan holds dual classification as both a city and an urban commune of Morocco. It serves as the capital of Tan-Tan Province, placing it at the center of regional governance. The city is assigned the Moroccan Geographic Code 10.521.01.01 as of 2015.

### Nomenclature and Cultural Identity
The city possesses rich linguistic and cultural naming traditions:

**Official Names**:
- Tan Tan (Latin script)
- طانطان (Arabic script)

**Native Labels**:
- طانطان (Arabic)
- ⵟⴰⵏⵟⴰⵏ (Tifinagh/Berber script)

**Alternative Names and Aliases**:
- Tantan
- Elwatya / El Ouatia
- Tan-Tan Plage / Tan-Tan Beach
- الطنطان
- مدينة طنطان
- مدينة الطنطان

The variants "Tan-Tan Plage" and "Tan-Tan Beach" (also known as Elwatya or El Ouatia) refer to the coastal beach area associated with the city.

### Digital and Catalog Identifiers
Tan-Tan is indexed across numerous international knowledge systems and databases:

**Library and Authority Systems**:
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n96104629
- GND ID (German National Library): 4671670-1
- VIAF ID: 158442747
- National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007533204405171

**Geographic Databases**:
- Geonames ID: 2530241
- GNS Unique Feature ID: -51648
- OpenStreetMap Node ID: 26756639
- OpenStreetMap Relation ID: 2890951
- Who's on First ID: 890451665
- WOEID (Yahoo! Where On Earth): 1540902

**General Knowledge Systems**:
- Freebase ID: /m/03n76l
- BBC Things ID: 2554b888-3363-42a8-81bf-72b3c1fb9f16
- SNARC ID: 1996
- FactGrid Item ID: Jean Cox
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: place/Tan-Tan-Morocco

### Media and Documentation
Tan-Tan has significant documentation across global knowledge platforms:

- **Wikipedia Presence**: Articles exist in 32 languages including Arabic (ar), Moroccan Arabic (ary), Egyptian Arabic (arz), Azerbaijani (azb), Belarusian (be), Catalan (ca), Cebuano (ceb), Welsh (cy), Danish (da), German (de), English (en), Spanish (es), Estonian (et), Persian (fa), French (fr), Hungarian (hu), Italian (it), Japanese (ja), Lithuanian (lt), Dutch (nl), Norwegian (no), Polish (pl), Portuguese (pt), Romanian (ro), Russian (ru), Serbo-Croatian (sh), Swedish (sv), Swahili (sw), Turkish (tr), Ukrainian (uk), Urdu (ur), and Chinese (zh)
- **Sitelink Count**: 35 interconnected pages across Wikimedia projects
- **Wikimedia Commons Category**: Tan-Tan
- **Wikipedia Title**: Tan-Tan
- **Topic's Main Category**: Category:Tan-Tan
- **Category for People Born Here**: Q18665474 (Wikidata identifier)
- **Available Image**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Tan_tan.jpg

## References

1. 2014 Moroccan census
2. [Source](http://rgph2014.hcp.ma/file/166326/)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [Source](http://www.hcp.ma/file/103036/)
5. [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)
6. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
7. GeoNames
8. BBC Things
9. [Source](http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/getElectronicVersion.aspx?nr=2350&alt=1)
10. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
11. [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)