Study Guide: Morocco
Country and Culture
Introduction
Morocco is a country of more than 32 million people located on the northwest corner of
Africa. It has a long, rich history as a melting pot for many cultures and a natural
landscape that ranges from tropical beaches to snowy mountains to the world’s largest hot
desert, the Sahara. It is also a mix of ancient and modern, with Roman ruins and the
world’s oldest university nestled among a population of 31.9 million cell phone users.
Geography and Climate
Morocco lies on the northwest coast of Africa and is bordered by Algeria, the Western
Sahara, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco is also very close to
Europe—Spain is less than 9 miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Morocco has a range of natural landscapes, including plains, plateaus, mountains, and
desert, and the country can be divided into three general regions: a fertile plain in the
north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, rich lowlands and plateaus in the center
of the country, and a desert-like area in the south and east.
Mountains run through much of the country. The highest point in the country is Mount
Toubkal (13,665 feet) in the Atlas Mountains, which are located in the center and south of the
country. Another large mountain range, called the Rif Mountains, is located in the north.
Map of Morocco and
Morocco on world map.
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Like the landscape, the climate also varies widely across the country. Along the coasts and in the north, rain falls
regularly and keeps the land fertile. The central Atlas Mountains also receive significant rain and are covered in
evergreen, oak, and cedar trees. South of the Atlas Mountains, the land slopes down to the Sahara, which is very hot in
the summer (120°F) and very dry—the deserts in southern Morocco receive fewer than 4 inches of rainfall each year!
History
Morocco was first populated by Berber tribes. Berbers are the first people to
inhabit North Africa west of Egypt. Traders from the Middle East began
arriving more than 2,000 years ago, and the Roman Empire controlled Morocco
and North Africa during the 100s to the 400s AD.
Dry, mountainous land near Marrakech.
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Arab armies arrived in the mid-600s, and many people converted to Islam.
Islamic Berber kingdoms ruled Morocco as well as much of Spain and North
Africa from the 1000s to the 1200s, and Morocco became a strong, independent
Islamic kingdom by the end of the 1600s.
In 1830, France invaded Morocco’s neighbor, Algeria, and later took control of
most of Morocco in 1912. Spain also controlled parts of northern and southern Morocco. Although the Moroccan king
stayed on his throne, France held the real power. During World War II (1939–1945), Moroccans began to call for
independence, and in 1956, Morocco gained independence from both France and Spain.
Morocco is now a constitutional monarchy, with power shared between a hereditary king and an elected parliament
divided into two houses, the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Advisors. The national voting age is 18,
and women as well as men can vote.
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People
Today the people of Morocco are mainly Arabic or Berber in
ethnicity. Arabs are people whose native language is Arabic—this
includes people who live across North Africa, the Middle East, and
elsewhere. Most Berbers speak both the Berber language and
Arabic, and live primarily in North Africa, west of the Nile River.
Today Berbers are also called “Amazigh” (one person, not to be
misspelled as “amazing”) or “Imazighen” (plural). Trade and
slavery also brought a significant population of sub-Saharan
Africans to Morocco, and their descendants now live mainly in the
south or in cities. Some Moroccans are descendants of the Moors,
an Arab people who fled Spain in the 1400s. A significant number
of Jews also fled Spain during that time and settled in Morocco,
although some have since moved to Israel.
While Islam is the state religion, Moroccan law mandates freedom
of religion, and there are small groups of Christians and Jews.
A souk vendor selling carpets in Marrakech
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Almost all Moroccans speak either Moroccan Arabic, the country’s official language, or Berber / Amazigh. French is an
important language throughout the country, and Spanish is also spoken, particularly in the north.
More than half of Morocco’s people live in cities along the coast or in the center of the country, although many of the
Berber / Amazigh people live in villages and towns in the mountains and Sahara. The capital city of Morocco is Rabat,
on the northwest coast of the Atlantic Ocean. However, the largest city is the coastal city of Casablanca. Other major
cities include Marrakesh, Fes, and Tangier.
Culture
Big cities such as Casablanca have many movie theaters, shopping centers, and restaurants. The sidewalk café is popular
gathering place to watch a soccer match on television. Most cities in Morocco have a “souk,” an open-air market where
vendors sell food, clothing, and arts and crafts. Historically, souks were locations where caravans loaded with goods
would stop to sell their wares.
Many Moroccan cities also have a “medina,” an ancient section of the city with
many winding, narrow streets that are too small for cars—you’ll often see donkeys
loaded with goods in the medina! “Medina” simply means “city” or “town” in
modern Arabic, and these sections of the city are usually crowded with people.
Medinas often have many mosques where people still pray as well as historical
landmarks, including fountains and palaces. The first university in the world, the
“Al- Karaouine” or “University of Al-Karaouine,” was established in the medina
of Fes in 859 AD.
Moroccan couscous with vegetables
CC-BY-2.0 by gatos.rojos
A favorite Moroccan dish is couscous, a very small pasta typically served with a
hot, tasty stew. This stew, called tajine, is named after the special clay pot in which
it is cooked. Chicken and lamb are common ingredients as well as olives, apples, apricots, prunes, dates, nuts, preserved
lemons, or honey. Tea with mint is the most popular drink, and it is usually offered to a visitor as a sign of hospitality.
References and Resources
National Geographic Country Guide for Morocco
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/morocco-guide/
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Morocco
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ma
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