Morocco stands out for the warmth of its people, the colour of its landscapes, its old and exotic cities, the blinding beauty of the desert and the extensive beaches. This country, that attracted poets, artists and adventurers looking for exoticism and adventure over centuries, will be for many participants the first contact with Africa and the Islamic culture. The experience may be shocking due to the countless contrasts, colourful landscapes, strange aromas and unrepeatable sensations. Morocco is a stimulating and heady challenge for the senses, in addition to its incredibly rich architectural tradition and a dazzling cultural history.
Monarchical state in northern Africa, Morocco is located in the western corner of Northern Africa; its geographical coordinates are 32º 00′ North, 5º 00′ West. It borders on Algeria to the southeast, on Mauritania, Algeria and the Western Sahara to the south, on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Morocco is only 14 km away from Spain, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. It is surrounded by land and sea in almost equal parts. The Moroccan coast covers 1,835 km, while the land line covers 2,017 km, 1.559 of which make up the border with Algeria. The borders on the cities of Ceuta (Sebta) and Melilla, located on the northern coast and under Spanish administration, cover 6,3 and 9,6 km respectively, while the Western Sahara border covers 443 km.
With a surface of almost 500,000 km², there are only 250 km2 of water surrounded by 2,017 km of land. Mountains predominate the territory, with an average height of 800 metres over the sea level. There are two different systems: the Rif and the Atlas. The Rif mountains stretch over the northern coast and their highest point is mount Jebel Tidirhine with 2,458 m. The Atlas mountain chain crosses the country through the middle, from the fertile plains to the beaches of the Atlantic coast. Three mountain massifs make up the Atlas. The Big Atlas to the south, with its highest point on mount Toubkal with 4,180 metres; the Anti Atlas to the southeast, the southern part of it marking the start of the Sahara. The Central Atlas, located to the north reaches 3,290 m in height and it is covered with forests of pine trees, oak tress and cedar trees, with pastures and small lakes. Most part of the rivers springing up in the Atlas get lost in the desert, but the most important of them, such as the Oum-er-Rbia and the Sebou flow into the Atlantic Ocean, while the Mouloya flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
With Moroccos large geographical diversity, the weather is also very rich: Mediterranean on the coast, with more extreme conditions in the inside. During most part of the year there is mild weather due to the Atlas and the sea breezes, avoiding high summer heat in the coast areas. In winter, the temperature hardly ever drops under 10º and frost is something unknown. The inland has continental-like weather. It can be very hot in summer and very cold in winter. Days are warm or even hot in spring and summer in the plains, around 30ºC, while nights can become fresh or even cold, reaching 15ºC.
Demographically, the Moroccan population, of almost 30 million inhabitants, is made up by Berbers (29%) and Arabs (70%), mixed in a large degree. With an average population density of 65 inhabitants per km², the population is 48% urban and 52% rural. The yearly growth rate is of about 2,1%, and the average life expectancy is of 68 years (higher for women). The birth rate is of 27.39 births/1,000 persons and the infant mortality, a relevant indicator as regards the development of a country, is of approx. 43.2 per every 1,000 infants born alive.
The official language is Arab, but due to the colonial past, French is the language used for business, by the government and for diplomacy. A significant minority speaks Berber dialects, and you can also frequently hear people speaking Spanish. More than half of the population can neither read nor write, and illiteracy is higher among women. The mainly professed religion is Muslim (98.7%), with Jewish (0.2%) and Christian (1.5%) minorities.
The Moroccan Dirham is the official currency and is equivalent to 0.09 ¬. The economy is based on agriculture (fruit trees and cereals), mining (phosphates) and fishing. The soil is fertile, but the harvests are unpredictable due to the droughts. The countrys industry is still developing (food products, fertilisers, fabrics and tourism). With a GDP of 31.5 thousands of million dollars and an inflation of 2%, it is one of the countries with the lowest foreign debt, which amounts to 18 billion dollars. Despite being one of the most developed African countries, one fifth of the population lives under the poverty limit. Morocco has a large communication network, with almost 60,000 km roads, 1,893 km railways and 23 airports.
Known as the Kingdom of Morocco, Al Mamlakah, Al Majhribiyah or Al Magrib, Morocco recovered its independence from France on March 2, 1956. Today it is ruled by a constitutional Monarchy after the approval of the Constitution on March 10, 1972, which was amended on September 4, 1992. Since 1999, King Mohammed VI is the Chief of State and therefore the highest religious authority of the country. Abderrahmane Youssoufi was appointed Chief of Government by King Hassan II in 1998 and has occupied this post since then. The Government is made up by a Cabinet appointed by the King and the legal system is based on Islamic, French and Spanish Laws as well as on the laws agreed by the Supreme Court of the Constitutional Chamber. The House of Representatives is constituted by means of two-thirds of the seats elected by direct universal vote the minimum age to vote is 21 years -, and one third through direct vote of the electoral college of the Government, professionals and trade unions. Administratively, the Moroccan Kingdom is divided into 37 provinces and 2 wilayas (Rabat and Casablanca). The administrative capital is located in Rabat, in northern Morocco, while the economical capital is located in Casablanca, to the south.
The first documents of history prove the existence of Berber communities (Berber means to be free), living in the region more than 3,000 years ago. For centuries, Berbers kept themselves impenetrable against the dominance and influence of other expansionist people, such as the Phoenicians and the Romans who began to settle their coasts. In the 3rd century, the arrival of Christianity marked the future of many other nearby people, but again, the Berber people kept largely faithful to their traditional believes and culture. First the Romans, then the Vandals, the Byzantine Greeks until eventually the Arabs, in the 7th century, who had expanded all over the North of Africa, settled in Morocco becoming a territorial influence. It was then when the first Arab emigrants began to change this cultural impermeability and slowly but steadily, the Islam began to settle as the cultural guide for the coming centuries until today. Bearers of a new culture, the Arab emigrants and conquerors took over the political control, relegating the local population to socially less relevant positions.
Morocco was one of the last areas in Africa to attract the interest of European countries, which fought during the 19th century to get as much African territory as possible. French and Spaniards did not share out Morocco until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1912 (Protectorate Treaty between France and Spain), the Kingdom of Morocco was divided into three zones: the French, the Spanish and the international zone. Morocco recovered independence in 1956. The first chief of the new state was Sultan Mohammad V, who changed his title to King of Morocco. Mohamed V died in 1961 and he was succeeded by his son Hassan II. In January 1969, Spain returned Morocco the territory of Ifni, and between 1976 and 1979, Morocco took over the whole Western Sahara (previously known as Spanish Sahara). Hassan II died in 1999 and his son Mohamed VI, current regent of the Kingdom of Morocco, succeeded him.
