Kenitra, city, northwestern Morocco, capital of Kenitra Province, on the Sebou River, near the Atlantic Ocean and Rabat. The city is on the coastal railroad and is a major port and naval base served by the outport at Mehdiya. Exports include grains, wine, citrus fruits, and vegetables from the Gharb plain to the east, zinc from the Midelt mines, and cork from the nearby Mamora forests to the south. Petroleum and natural gas are found to the east. Industries in the city include textile milling, fish and tobacco processing, and fertilizer manufacturing. Founded by Marshal Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyauteyin 1912, when the French protectorate was established, Kenitra was called Port-Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. The port was opened in 1913, and the city was the site of a U.S. naval air station until 1963. Population (1994) 448,785.
