ABOUT MOROCCO

Moroccan History, Geography and Climate

Morocco, officially known as the Kingdom of Morocco, with a population of nearly 35 million people, covers 171,834 square miles (445,050 sq km) in Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the West, Mauritania to the south and and Algeria to the east. Principal cities include the capital of Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Fes. The Atlas Mountains., rising to 13,671 ft (4,167 m) in Jebel Toubkal in the southwest, dominate most of the country. In the south lie the sandy expanse of the Sahara desert, but in the north is a fertile coastal plain, home of most of the population.

Agriculture and mining are economic mainstays. Morocco is a leading producer and exporter of phosphates; other important minerals include iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, manganese, and coal. Food processing and the manufacture of leather goods and textiles are also important. Half the labor force is employed in agriculture, growing cereals, citrus fruits, and vegetables. Tourism and fishing also contribute to the economy. Most Moroccans are of mixed Arab-Berber descent and are Muslim; Islam is the state religion. There are small Christian and Jewish minorities. Arabic is the official language; Berber dialects, French (a main language of commerce), and Spanish are also spoken.

History

Originally inhabited by Berbers, Morocco became a province of the Roman Empire in the 1st cent. AD After successive invasions by barbarian tribes, Islam was brought by the Arabs in 685. An independent Moroccan kingdom was established in 788; its dissolution in the 10th cent. began a period of political anarchy. The country was finally united in the 11th cent. by the Almoravids, a Berber-Muslim dynasty, who established a kingdom reaching from Spain to Senegal. Unity was never complete, however, and conflict between Arabs and Berbers was incessant. European encroachment began in 1415, when Portugal captured Ceuta, and ended with the Portuguese defeat at the battle of Ksar el Kebir (Alcazarquivir) in 1578. In the 19th and early 20th cent. the strategic importance and economic potential of Morocco once again excited the European powers, sparking an intense, often violent, rivalry among France, Spain, and Germany. Finally, in 1912, most of Morocco became a French protectorate; a small area became a Spanish protectorate. Nationalist feelings began to surface in the 1930s, becoming more militant after World War II, and in 1956 Morocco gained its independence.

In 1957 the sultan became King Muhammad V. He was succeeded in 1961 by his son, Hassan II. King Hassan died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son Muhammad VI. Initially extremely popular, the new king revealed himself to be a strong advocate of social change and economic improvement.

Geography & Climate 

Morocco boasts a diverse geography which includes four distinct mountain ranges, as well as verdant river valleys, breathtaking coastlines, and large desert areas. The three main mountain ranges, which run parallel to each other from the southwest to the northeast, are the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. Morocco’s highest peak is Jebel Toukbal at 13,665 feet or 4,165 meters. The Moroccan coastline, which borders the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean, beckons with fantastic beaches and historical coastal cities. Southeast Morocco is dominated by mountain ranges that yield to expanses of the Sahara desert. Rivers flow down this side of the High Atlas Mountains creating lush river valleys. 

Climate is moderate and subtropical, cooled by breezes off the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In the interior the temperatures are more extreme, winters can be fairly cold and the summers very hot.