Laayoune

Laâyoune or El Aaiún are respectively the French and Spanish transliterations of one of the possible Romanized Maghrebi Arabic names for the city: Layoun, which means "the springs", in reference to the oases that furnish the town's water supply.[8]

The town was the scene of the Zemla Intifada that occurred on June 17, 1970, that culminated in a massacre, resulting in the deaths ranging from 2 to 11 people.

Laayoune has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), moderated by the Canary Current, with an average annual temperature just over 21 °C (70 °F).

Laayoune has a population of 217,732[1] and is the largest city in Western Sahara.

The city is a hub for fishing and for phosphate mining in the region.[11] In 2010, the country was negotiating a new fishing agreement with Europe over offshore fishing.

The football club of the city is Jeunesse Massira. The club plays in the Moroccan Second Division, the second highest football league in the country. Jeunesse Massira uses Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf for training and games.

Laayoune is served by Hassan I Airport.

Schools in Laâyoune include a Spanish international school, Colegio Español La Paz, owned by the Spanish government.[12]

On 18 December 2019, Comoros became the first nation to open a consulate in Laayoune in support of Moroccan claims to Western Sahara.[13] In January 2020, Gabon opened a consulate general in Laayoune.[14] Later on, São Tomé and Príncipe,[15] the Central African Republic,[16] Ivory Coast,[17] Burundi,[18] Eswatini,[19] Zambia,[20] the United Arab Emirates,[21] and Bahrain,[22] also opened consulates in Laayoune.

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  Mosque of Moulay Abd el Aziz
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  The old Spanish Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, chiefly serves European UN personnel
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  Avenue Makkah al-Mukarramah
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  Monumental arch near the airport
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  Road to Laayoune Port
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  Laayoune bus station.

• List of cities in Western Sahara

• Official TV channel
• Official radio channel