Despite rapid modernization and a growing standard of living, the country retains much of its ancient architecture and even more traditional customs. Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and major Atlantic Ocean port, is an industrial and commercial hub. Rabat, the capital, is situated on the Atlantic coast to the north. Tangier, on the Strait of Gibraltar, Agadir, on the Atlantic, and Al-Hocema, on the Mediterranean Sea, are among the other port cities.
Fès is known for having some of the best souks (open-air markets) in all of North Africa. The country of Morocco, scenic and fertile, deserves the praise of a native son, medieval traveler Ibn Baah, who wrote, “It is the best of nations, for in it fruits are abundant, and running water and nourishing food are never exhausted.”
Location of The Country of Morocco
Morocco is a mountainous country in western North Africa that borders Spain across the Gibraltar Strait. The country of Morocco is bordered on the east and southeast by Algeria, on the south by Western Sahara, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the north by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the only African country with access to both the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas from its coast. Its area is slightly greater than the state of California in the United States, excluding Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. Ceuta and Melilla, two small Spanish enclaves, are located on the country’s northern coast.
History of The country of Morocco
Human habitation in Morocco dates back to the Lower Paleolithic, with Jebel Irhoud being the earliest known site. The country of Morocco, including Taforalt, became part of Iberomaurusian culture much later. It spans the formation of Mauretania and other ancient Berber kingdoms, the Idrisid dynasty’s establishment of the Moroccan state, followed by other Islamic dynasties, and the colonial and independence eras.
Hominids lived in the region at least 400,000 years ago, according to archeological evidence. Morocco’s recorded history begins with the Phoenician colonization of the Moroccan coast between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE, even though the region had been populated by indigenous Berbers for over two thousand years prior. The city-state of Carthage extended its hegemony over the coastal regions in the 5th century BCE.
They remained there until the late 3rd century BCE, while indigenous monarchs ruled the hinterland. The territory was ruled by indigenous Berber monarchs from the 3rd century BCE until 40 CE when it was annexed by the Roman Empire. It was overrun by Vandals in the mid-fifth century AD, before being reclaimed by the Byzantine Empire in the sixth century.
The region was conquered by Muslims in the early eighth century AD, but after the Berber Revolt of 740, it seceded from the Umayyad Caliphate. The Idrisid dynasty founded the Moroccan state half a century later. Morocco dominated the Maghreb and Muslim Spain under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties. From 1549 to 1659, the Saadi dynasty ruled Morocco, followed by the Alaouites from 1667 onwards, who have ruled Morocco ever since.
The country of Morocco: Climate
North of Western Sahara, most of Morocco, especially along the coasts, has a typical Mediterranean climate, with mild wet winters and hot dry summers. The rainy season lasts from October to April on average. Although torrential downpours can cause devastating flooding, several factors work together to reduce the country’s rainfall.
The country of Morocco is located on the southern edge of the mid-latitude frontal storm system that passes through the North Atlantic regularly. As a result, rainfall is generally low and decreases steadily from north to south.
Furthermore, during the rainy season, high-pressure ridges form offshore, turning storms to the north. When these ridges persist for an extended period, drought occurs. The cold Canary Current off the western coasts also stabilizes the atmosphere and reduces the likelihood of precipitation.
Average annual precipitation in the broad coastal lowlands decreases gradually, from about 32 inches (800 mm) on the northern Gharb plain to less than 8 inches (200 mm) in the Sous valley. Semiarid conditions rapidly fade into the desert further south, beyond the Anti-Atlas. However, elevation has a significant impact on this prevailing pattern, with mountains receiving considerably more precipitation.
Morocco is a country of hot climate.
The central Rif, for example, receives more than 80 inches (2,030 mm) of rain per year, and the High Atlas, which is much further south, receives about 30 inches (760 mm). Snow is widespread at elevations of around 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), and the snowpack lasts until late spring or early summer in the highest elevations. Morocco’s mountains produce a substantial rain shadow directly east of the mountains, where desert conditions begin abruptly in the lee of the prevailing winds.
Summer heat is lowered in the lowlands near the coast by cool onshore breezes. Summer temperatures in coastal cities range from 64 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 28 degrees Celsius). Daily highs in the interior, on the other hand, regularly reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). The Sharq (chergui), a hot, dusty wind from the Sahara, can sweep over the mountains and into the lowlands in late spring or summer, even penetrating coastal cities.
Temperatures soar to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) or higher. If crops have not been harvested, the Sharq’s desiccating effects may cause significant damage. In the winter, the coastal areas’ temperatures are moderated by the influence of the sea. The average daily winter temperature ranges from 46 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 17 degrees Celsius). Away from the coast, temperatures plummet, with temperatures rarely falling below freezing.
Morocco is a country of Ethnic Groups
Moroccans and Imazighen, or a combination of the two, make up the majority of the population. Imazighen live in large numbers in the country’s mountainous regions, which provide them with long periods of shelter where they can retain their language and culture. Some members of the population are descended from Spanish Reconquista refugees who fled the Iberian Peninsula during the 15th-century Christian reconquest.
Sub-Saharan Africans were introduced to Morocco by trade and slavery, and their descendants now live primarily in the southern oases and larger cities. Until the mid-twentieth century, when many Jews felt obliged to leave the country in the aftermath of Israel’s founding and the start of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the majority emigrated to Israel, Europe, and South and North America.
Morocco Language
Two-thirds of the population speaks Arabic, which is one of Morocco’s national and official languages, and Modern Standard Arabic is taught in schools. Tamazight, the Amazigh language, became an official language in 2011. It is spoken by approximately one-third of the population, having been preserved in Amazigh enclaves. Tamazight is taught in schools, and many Imazighen also speaks Arabic. Spanish is widely spoken, and French is an important secondary language. English is now becoming more widely used.
The Rif people (also known as Riffi or Riffians) of the Rif Mountains, the people of the Middle Atlas, and the people of the High Atlas and the Sous valley are the three ethnolinguistic groups that speak Tamazight. While there are differences between these dialects, they are all understandable to one another.
#Morocco is a country of Arabic language.
The country of Morocco: Culture
Morocco has long been a crossroads between Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, with a varied cultural and ethnic population passing through and leaving their imprint. Beginning in the eighth century, waves of Arab conquerors and travelers arrived, bringing with them the Islamic faith as well as the strong influence of the Arabic language and culture.
The arrival of countless Jewish and Muslim refugees from the Spanish Reconquista in the 16th century imbued Moroccan culture with an Andalusian flavor, and beginning in the 19th century, the influence of French culture grew in all parts of North Africa, along with French political power. The persistence of French culture, as well as the French language, has had a strong influence on Morocco. Some Moroccans have rekindled their interest in Amazigh culture, with civic organizations forming to promote the study of Tamazight literature and oral traditions.
Religion in Morocco
The official state religion is Islam, and the vast majority of Moroccans follow the Mlik rite of Sunni Islam. Since the 17th century, the royal house, the Alawite dynasty, has ruled, claiming legitimacy through descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Moroccan Muslims hold the royal family in high regard because of their prophetic lineage.
Sufism has followers, as it does in many Islamic countries, and popular religion, such as saint veneration and tomb visits, is widely practiced. Moroccan law guarantees religious freedom, but there are few non-Muslims in the country. There is no indigenous Christian population in the country, and the Jewish community has shrunk to a few thousand people.
Daily life & Social Customs of Moroccan’s
For the most part, Moroccans’ social lives are still centered on their homes and families. For men, the sidewalk café is a favorite hangout spot, and watching a football (soccer) match on television in the neighborhood café is a popular pastime.
Cinemas, restaurants, and shopping in contemporary boutiques or the souk, an open-air market where vendors sell a wide range of local arts and crafts items alongside foods and imported goods, are all available in big cities like Casablanca. Morocco’s long coastline is home to a plethora of beautiful beaches, some of which are private and off-limits, but many of which are open to the public and within easy reach of the capital. Families often spend their weekends at the beach, swimming, picnicking, and playing sports.
Morocco is a country of sparking daily life.
The country of Morocco: Flag
Morocco’s flag is a red background with a green emerald pentagram. The color red has a long history in the country of Morocco, as it signifies descent from the royal Alaouite dynasty. This ruling house was linked to the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Fatimah, Ali’s fourth Muslim Caliph’s wife. Red is also the color that was used by the sharifs of Mecca and the imams of Yemen. Morocco’s flags were plain red from the 17th century onwards when the Alaouite dynasty ruled the country.
Resident General Hubert Lyautey had Sultan Yusef sign a dhahir on November 17, 1915, which made Morocco’s flag red with a green interlaced pentangle. Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice are represented by the five points of the star. The red flag with the seal in the center was used in the country of Morocco while it was under French and Spanish rule, but only inland. It was not allowed to be used at sea. It once again became the national flag, when independence was restored in 1956.
The Moroccan flag’s red background represents hardiness, courage, strength, and valor, while the green represents love, joy, wisdom, peace, and hope; it is also the Islamic flag’s color, and the pentagram represents Solomon’s seal. The pillars of Islam are also represented by the five branches.
Economy of Morocco
Morocco’s economy, like that of many other former African colonies, is still heavily reliant on raw material exports. Modern sectors, such as tourism and telecommunications, are becoming increasingly important to the economy. Even though it employs only about one-third of the country’s workforce, the modern sector accounts for more than two-thirds of the country’s GDP.
The Moroccan government has been pursuing robust privatization and economic reform program since the mid-1980s, aided by major international lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Selling state-owned enterprises, devaluing the currency, and changing pricing policies have all been implemented to stimulate local production.
The Moroccan government established a loan fund in 1999 to encourage small business growth and competition. Morocco’s sandy beaches, sunshine, diverse habitats, and rich cultural heritage provide it with exceptional tourism potential, which the government has been working hard to develop.
Morocco is a country of various markets.
Constitutional Framework of The country of Morocco
The country of Morocco has two legislative houses and is a constitutional monarchy. Morocco’s political power is divided between the hereditary monarch and an elected bicameral parliament consisting of the House of Councilors and the House of Representatives, according to the 2011 constitution. The cabinet, which makes up the executive branch, is headed by a prime minister.
Despite the existence of a constitution, legislature, and several active political groups, the king retains broad political power, promulgating laws, selecting the prime minister from the largest party in parliament, and approving government appointments. He has complete control over religious matters, the military, and national security policy.
The monarch’s omnipotent power in politics has been the subject of heated debate and criticism. Political reforms to strengthen representative institutions, reinforce the power of the parliament and cabinet, increase political participation, and restrict the king’s ability to influence political affairs have been introduced since the mid-1990s, under pressure from both domestic and international opposition groups.
Moroccan voters approved a new constitution proposed by King Muhammad VI in July 2011. The new constitution gave parliament and the prime minister more powers but gave the king broad authority over all branches of government. Also, the constitution included a new section promoting cultural pluralism in The country of Morocco, as well as recognition of the Tamazight language as an official language.
Local Government in the Country of Morocco
Morocco is split into different levels of government at the local level, all of which are directly under the Ministry of the Interior. The king appoints governors to each of the 16 regions, which are further divided into several dozen provinces and urban prefectures. Rural qaawt (districts) and municipalities, governed by chefs de Cercle, lie beneath this second-order subdivision.
Rural communes and autonomous urban centers, governed by qids (caids) and pashas, respectively, make up the fourth level. Lower-level officials are nominated by the governors or the Ministry of the Interior. Each level has democratically elected bodies whose main purpose is to assist in the determination of local issues and priorities, such as launching development projects and determining budget expenses. Government policy was shifting toward allowing more local decision-making at the end of the 1990s.
Tourism in Morocco
One of the most important sectors of the Moroccan economy is tourism. It has a well-developed tourism industry that is centered on the country’s coast, culture, and history. In 2019, more than 13 million visitors visited the country of Morocco. After the phosphate industry, tourism is Morocco’s second-largest source of foreign exchange.
The Moroccan government is heavily investing in tourism development; in 2010, it launched Vision 2020, which aims to make Morocco one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world by 2020, to double annual international arrivals to 20 million, with tourism accounting for 20% of GDP.
Plant Life in Morocco
Morocco’s vegetation, outside of desert areas, is similar to that of the Iberian Peninsula. In the more humid mountainous areas, extensive forests can still be found, with cork oak, evergreen oak, and deciduous oak on the lower slopes and fir and cedar at higher elevations, especially in the Middle Atlas.
Open forests of thuja, juniper, and Aleppo (Pinus halepensis) as well as marine pine are widespread in drier mountain areas. The Mamora Forest, which is located east of Rabat, is a large cork oak forest. French authorities introduced Eucalyptus, a native of Australia, for reforestation during the colonial period.
Is Morocco a Safe Country?
Following months of unrest and a travel advisory issued by the US Consulate in 2017, travelers from all over the world may be asking if it is safe to visit the country of Morocco. The good news is that Morocco’s safety status was upgraded to level 1 in early 2018, indicating that it is now safe to travel to the country and that visitors should exercise normal caution while there.
Morocco is a country of safe travel.
What is The Country of Morocco Famous for?
The country of Morocco is regarded as one of the most tolerant Arab countries. It is a relatively safe, peaceful, and stable country. Moroccans, both Arabic and Berber, are known for their warm hospitality and outgoing personalities.
Reference: The country of Morocco. Morocco is a country of destination.
