Morocco — map and facts

About Morocco

Morocco is a North African kingdom situated at the north-western corner of the African continent, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. With a population of around 37 million, it is a constitutional monarchy; King Mohammed VI holds significant executive authority while an elected parliament and prime minister manage day-to-day governance. Arabic and Tamazight (Berber) are both official languages, with French widely used in business, government, and education. Moroccan culture is a vibrant fusion of Amazigh (Berber), Arab, Andalusian, and sub-Saharan African influences, reflected in its architecture, cuisine, music, and crafts. Islam is the state religion and a central pillar of daily life and national identity. Rabat is the capital, while Casablanca is the largest city and economic hub. Morocco is the world's largest exporter of phosphates and has a diversified economy encompassing agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and a growing technology sector. Its relative political stability has made it an important partner for Europe and the United States.

Geography and Landscape

Morocco covers approximately 446,000 square kilometres (excluding the disputed territory of Western Sahara) and is divided into distinct geographical zones. The Rif Mountains in the north form a rugged coastal barrier. The Atlas Mountain system stretches from the Atlantic coast in the south-west to the Algerian border in the north-east: the High Atlas contains Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak at 4,167 metres, while the Middle Atlas and Anti-Atlas extend further. East of the Atlas lies the pre-Saharan transition zone, leading to the Sahara Desert at the south-eastern margins of the country. The Atlantic coastline is long and varied, with fertile lowland plains — the Haouz and Gharb plains — important for agriculture. The Mediterranean coast in the north is narrower and more mountainous. The Draa and Ziz valleys channel occasional floodwaters southward through stunning palm-lined gorges. Morocco's climate ranges from Mediterranean in the north to arid desert in the south and semi-arid continental in the interior.

History

Morocco has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Amazigh (Berber) peoples have populated the region for millennia. Phoenician traders established coastal settlements around 800 BCE, and Carthage later extended influence across the Maghreb. The Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana encompassed northern Morocco. Arab armies arrived in the seventh century, spreading Islam and founding the first Moroccan dynasties. The Idrisid dynasty established Fes as a centre of Islamic learning in the late eighth century. Successive dynasties — the Almoravids, Almohads, Marinids, Saadians, and Alaouites — shaped the country's political and architectural heritage; the Alaouite dynasty, founded in the seventeenth century, continues to reign today. Morocco resisted Ottoman expansion, maintaining independence unlike most of the Maghreb. European powers competed for influence in the nineteenth century, and France and Spain established a protectorate in 1912. Sultan Mohammed V's nationalist leadership was crucial to gaining independence in 1956, and he became the country's first king.