Historical Overview
Situated in North Africa at the western edge of the Islamic world, Morocco dominates the southern shore of the Straits of Gibraltar and has been an important strategic prize since ancient times.
Around 1100 BC, the Phoenicians established trading settlements along Morocco’s Atlantic coast. The territory was added to the Roman Empire after the fall of Carthage in 146 BC. During the 7th and 8th
Centuries AD, Morocco was conquered by Arab armies and converted to Islam. Gradually, Arabic replaced Berber as the primary spoken language.
By the 16th Century, Morocco had become an important Sultanate that confronted Spanish expansion and established diplomatic ties with other European states. In 1777, Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ibn Abdullah, the most progressive of Morocco’s Barbary leaders, was one of the first foreign heads of state to grant diplomatic recognition to the newly independent United States of America.
Gradually, European colonial expansion threatened Moroccan independence. By 1912, the country was partitioned by Spain and France.
Morocco was granted independence in 1956 under King Mohamed V. The Spanish territories were soon incorporated, except for the port cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the Spanish Sahara, which was retained by Madrid until 1975.
The power of Morocco’s monarchy has remained remarkably resilient since independence. After the death of Mohamed V in 1961, the new King, Hassan II, deftly forged an alliance with rural leaders that would pave the way for a successful constitutional referendum in December 1962 and parliamentary elections in April 1963.
In the wake of political unrest directed at the monarchy in the early 1970s, Hassan II initiated a “Moroccanization” program that sped the transfer of French-held businesses to Moroccans.
In the 1980s, opposition political parties were permitted to emerge. During the 1990s, the King brought opposition leaders into the political mainstream, which in 1997 yielded a parliament with an opposition majority.
The death of Hassan II on July 29 1999 ushered in an entirely new style of royal leadership. H.M. King Mohammed VI, the late king’s oldest son, implemented a sweeping agenda that sought to reduce social inequalities and implement democratic reforms.
On May 16, 2003, Morocco was the target of several suicide bombings perpetrated by Islamic extremists. Today, Moroccans frequently equate the bloody episode to the terror attacks that occurred the United States on September 11, 2001. The bombings served as an object lesson to the monarchy that an open society requires vigilance and balanced policies in protecting the country against threats while proceeding with critical reforms.
Geography and Tourism
A majority of Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber, or mixed Arab-Berber stock.
Most of Morocco’s 32.2 million people live west of the Atlas Mountains, an Alps-like range that shelters the country’s fertile region from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca, an Atlantic seaport and the country’s largest city, is the focal point of business and industry. Rabat, the country’s second largest city, is the seat of government. Tangier, another major seaport, serves as the country’s gateway to Spain and Europe. The “Imperial Cities” of Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes are popular tourist destinations for Morocco’s 5 million annual visitors because of their handicrafts, shopping souks, and ancient architecture.
Morocco is similar in many respects to California, only it has 2,000 miles of coastline. Morocco has some of the most varied geographical attributes of any country in North Africa. It offers deserts, four mountain ranges (winter sports are enjoyed in the Atlas Mountains), over a thousand miles of beaches, and vast expanses of cultivated land that supply Europe with much of its produce. There are tremendous recreational and tourism opportunities that are rapidly being recognized by Europeans.
Morocco’s climate, like its geography, is remarkably varied. Weather in the coastal regions is mild, but can be cool and wet in the northern areas. The average daily temperature in Tangier and Casablanca ranges from 54° in the winter, to 77° F in the summer. Summer temperatures in inland cities like Marrakech can climb as high as 115° F, while winter temperatures in the Atlas mountains can fall below freezing.
Local Crafts and Cuisine
Moroccan handicrafts – particularly leatherwear -- have been exported from region since the 16th Century. In addition to leather, goods include carpets, decorated pottery and ceramics, silver jewelry, embossed brass and copperware, sculpted wood, and basket ware.
Moroccan cuisine is a reflection of the country’s rich cultural history. Many traditional Moroccan dishes – couscous, tajine (a meat and vegetable stew) and harira (spicy lentil soup) – originated with the Berbers. The Arabs, who invaded Morocco in the 7th Century, enlivened Moroccan cuisine with sweet and sour combinations of spices, nuts, dates, honey, and milk. The Moors of Andalusia offered their neighbors across the Gibraltar Straits citrus fruit, olives, and olive oil. The Ottomans introduced grilled meat. French colonists left a lasting impression on Moroccan cuisine with gifts of wine and pastries.
Morocco Statistical Data
Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco.
Independence Day: November 18
Capital: Rabat
Population: 33,757,175 (July 2007 estimate); Urban residents: 55.1 percent, rural residents: 44.9 percent. Casablanca, with 3.6 million inhabitants, is the largest city and commercial center.
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 31 percent (male 5,339,730; female 5,140,482); 15-64 years: 63.9 percent (male 10,750,240; female 10,815,470); 65 years and older: 5.1 percent (male 740,686 female 970,567) (2007 est.).
Median Age: Total: 24.3 years (male: 23.8 years; female: 24.8 years) (2007 est.).
Population Growth Rate: 1.528 percent (2007 est.).
Labor force: 11.25 million (2006 est.).
Language: Classical Arabic is Morocco’s official language, but the country’s unique Arabic dialect is the most widely spoken language. About 10 million Moroccans still speak various dialects of Berber. French is Morocco’s third unofficial language; it is widely taught in public schools and is used in government and business.
Labor Force – By Occupation: Agriculture 40 percent, Industry 15 percent, Services 45 percent (2003 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Arab-Berber 99.1 percent, other 0.7 percent, Jewish 0.2 percent.
Religions: Muslim 98.7 percent, Christian 1.1 percent, Jewish 0.2 percent.
Geography:
Area: 275,000 square miles
Arable land: 19.61 percent
Irrigated land: 12,910 square miles
Coastline: 1,140 miles
Ports and Harbors: Agadir, El Jadida, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Rabat, Safi, Tangier, plus Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla.
Railways: 1,182.34 miles (2006 est.)
Highways:
Total: 35,645.66 miles
Paved: 20,283.92 miles (includes 314.34 miles of expressways)
Unpaved: 15,361.74 miles (2004 est.)
Airports With Paved Runways: 26 (2006 est.)
Exports: $11.72 billion (2006 est.)
Export Commodities: Clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits, and vegetables.
Major Export Partners: France (21.4 percent), Spain (20.5 percent), United Kingdom (4.9 percent), Italy (4.7 percent), and India (4.1 percent). (2006 est.)
Imports: $21.22 billion (2006 est.).
Imported Commodities: Crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics.
Major Import Partners: France (17.4 percent), Spain (13.4 percent), Saudi Arabia (6.9 percent), China (6.8 percent), Italy (6.3 percent), and Germany (5.9 percent). (2006 est.)
International Organization Participation:
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique (ACCT), African Development Bank (AfDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Group of 77 (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Criminal Court (ICCt), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (IFRCS), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Interpol, International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organization of Migration (IOM), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), League of Arab States (LAS), Nonaligned Movement (NAM), Organization of American States (OAS) [observer], Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Conference of Labor (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Tourism Organization (WTO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
