Morocco Country information

Morocco is located on the North West coast of Africa and has ports in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With a land size of 446,550 sq km, Morocco is 57^th largest country in the world and shares the largest part of its border with Algeria to the East and Western Saharan to the South. It is divided into 16 regions, which in turn are subdivided into 62 provinces and prefectures. Each region has geographical and historical features which make it attractive.

The Country’s capital is Rabat and Casablanca is its largest city as well as main port. Other prominent cities include Agadir, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Mohammadia, Oujda, Ouarzazat, Safi, Salé, Tangier and Tétouan.

Politically, Morocco is a constitutional monarchy and attained its Independence on March 2, 1956. The country’s major rival political parties include the Constitutional Union Party (UC), Istiqlal (Independence) Party (PI), Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Party of Justice and Development (PJD), National Rally of Independents (RNI), Socialism (PPS), Party of Progress and Popular Movement (MP).

Geography

Morocco is extensively mountainous. It’s a land however takes great pride in its scenic beauty with unforgettable places that are both fascinating to visit and intriguing to explore. The memorable Moroccan landscape is framed by impressive scenery such as the Sahara Desert and stunning mountain ranges – the Atlas located mainly in the center and the south of the country; the Chefchaouen Mountains and the Oregano Mountains. Most of the south east portion of the country is in the Sahara Desert and as such it’s generally sparsely populated and economically unproductive.

People

Majority Moroccans live west of the Atlas Mountains, a range that insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. It is the fourth most populous Arab country, after Algeria, Egypt and Sudan. With a population of 34,343,220 (July 2008), Arab-Berber is the major Ethnic group (99%). The Muslim religion accounts for 99.99% of the total population with an insignificant Jewish population estimated at 4,000 people. Christian population is estimated at less than 1,000 people. Arabic is the official language although supplemented by several Berber dialects. French functions as the language of business, government, and diplomacy.

Culture

Morocco enjoys a strong sense of culture and a long and ancient history that is diversely civilized. Culture is the people’s identity and origin. Throughout the country, there is a wide choice of museums. Going to the museum in Morocco is a way of discovering their history and birth. Every region is proud of its particular characteristics because every town you go to is charged with memories. Among several museums in the country include; Museum of Antiquities and Ethnographic Museum in Tetouan; Museum of Moroccan Art- which houses on-display unique collections of glass objects, manuscripts, exquisite carpets, jewelry, pottery and ancient manuscripts. For those enjoying live performances, Morocco boasts wonderful theatres such as Alliance Franco-Marocaine and Teatro de Cervantes Theatres & cultural centers. Popular outdoor festivals also abound with performances held at the Marrakech Popular Arts Festival and the Amazigh Theatre Festival in Casablanca. Moroccan music is predominantly of Arab origin.

Wildlife

Morocco is known for its wildlife biodiversity. With over 210 species of bird and 105 species of mammal, the National Parks in Morocco are truly a nature lovers’ hub. They are habitant to exotic animals such as the red fox, more common – the flamingos plus 29 endangered species (11 birds, 18 mammals). Birds represent the most important fauna. The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, of which five have been introduced by humans, and 156 are rare or accidental.

Economy

Morocco’s economy is considered a relatively liberal economy governed by free market forces of demand and supply. The major resources of the country’s economy are agriculture, phosphates, and tourism. Fish and seafood are similarly important. Industry and mining contribute about one-third of the annual GDP. The country’s most performing sectors are the tourism, telecoms and textile sectors. Morocco however, still depends to an inordinate degree on agriculture that accounts for only around 14% of GDP yet employs 45-50% of the population. The services sector accounts for just over half of GDP and industry- made up of mining, manufacturing and construction is an additional quarter.

Morocco is the world’s third-largest producer of phosphorous. The production of textiles and clothing is part of a growing manufacturing sector that accounted for approximately 34% of total exports in 2002, employing 40% of the industrial workforce. In 1993, government adopted a privatization policy of certain economic sectors which used to be in its hands. The objective was to improve performance. It further wishes to increase textile and clothing exports from $1.27 billion in 2001 to $3.29 billion by 2010. The national currency is the Moroccan Dirham.