CAPITAL CITY OF Morocco: Rabat
LANGUAGE OF Morocco: Arabic
CURRENCY OF Morocco: Moroccan dirham (MAD)
COMMENTS ABOUT Morocco:
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in North Africa with a population of 33,241,259.
Cities : Rabat (capital), Agadir, Amizmiz, Asni, Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakech, Meknes, Midelt, Ouarzazate, Rissani, Tangier, Taza, Tenerhir, Tetouan
Best Places : Merzouga and M'Hamid, Taroudannt, Asilah, The Atlas Mountains, Ait Benhaddou
Visas/Passport All visitors to Morocco require a valid passport. Tourists can stay for up to 90 days and visa extensions can be a frustrating and time-consuming process.
Eat : Tagine, Couscous, kaliya, Pastilla, harira, lentils, chick peas, lamb stock, tomatoes and vegetables, Besara
Electricity : 127-220V/50Hz (European plug)
Calling Code : +212
Time Zone : UTC
Morocco's long struggle for independence from France ended in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in September 2003.
CLIMATE OF Morocco: The climate is Mediterranean, which becomes more extreme towards the interior regions where it is mountainous. The terrain is such that the coastal plains are rich and accordingly, they comprise the backbone for agriculture. Forests cover about 12% of the land while arable land accounts for 18%. 5% is irrigated.
RELIGION OF Morocco: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
POPULATION OF Morocco: 32,209,101 (July 2004 est.)>>
CULTURA OF Morocco: Morocco is an ethnically diverse country with a rich culture and civilization. Through Moroccan history, Morocco hosted many people coming from East (Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Jews and Arabs), South (Sub-Saharan Africans) and North (Romans, Vandals, Andalusians (including Moors and Jews)). All those civilizations have had an impact on the social structure of Morocco. It conceived various forms of beliefs, from paganism, Judaism, and Christianity to Islam.
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Morocco: Morocco faces the problems typical of developing countries - restraining government spending, reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade, and achieving sustainable economic growth. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account transactions. Reforms of the financial sector are being contemplated. Droughts depressed activity in the key agricultural sector and contributed to a stagnant economy in 2002. Morocco reported large foreign exchange inflows from the sale of a mobile telephone license, and partial privatization of the state-owned telecommunications company and the state tobacco company. Favorable rainfall in 2003 led to a growth of 6%. Formidable long-term challenges include: preparing the economy for freer trade with the EU and US, improving education, and attracting foreign investment to boost living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youth