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{{Short description|Country in North Africa}}
{{other uses}}
{{About|the country in North Africa|the subregion|Maghreb|5=Morocco (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Pp-semi-indef}}
{{Pp-move}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox country {{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Morocco | conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Morocco
| common_name = Morocco
|native_name =
| native_name = {{ubl|{{native name|ar|المملكة المغربية|italic=no}}<br />{{resize|80%|{{transliteration|ar|al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah}}}}|{{native name|ber|ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ|italic=no|paren=omit}} (])<br />{{resize|80%|{{transliteration|zgh|Tageldit n Lmeɣrib}}}}}}
{{unbulleted list
| image_flag = Flag of Morocco.svg
| <hr/>{{native name|ar|{{lower|0.2em|{{big|المملكة المغربية&nbsp;}}}}|italics=off}}<br/>{{smaller|''Al-Mamlakah al-Maġribiyah''}}
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Morocco.svg
| <hr/>{{lang|ber|ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ}}{{nbsp|2}}{{small|{{nobold|(])}}}}<br/>{{smaller|''Tagldit N Lmġrib''}}
| national_motto = {{native phrase|ar|{{lower|0.1em|ٱللَّٰه، ٱلْوَطَن، ٱلْمَلِك&nbsp;}}|italics=off|nolink=on|paren=omit}}<br />"Allāh, al-Waṭan, al-Malik"<br />"God, Country, King"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitution of Morocco |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011 |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=Constitute |language=en |archive-date=6 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006043401/https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
| national_anthem = {{native phrase|ar|{{lower|0.1em|ٱلنَّشِيْد ٱلْوَطَنِي&nbsp;}}|italics=off|nolink=on|paren=omit}}<br />"an-Našīd al-Waṭanīy"<br />"]"<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">{{center|]}}</div>
|common_name = Morocco
| image_map = Morocco (orthographic projection, WS claimed).svg
|image_flag = Flag of Morocco.svg
| map_caption = Location of Morocco in northwest ]
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Morocco.svg
{{legend|darkgreen|Undisputed territory of Morocco}}
|image_map =Morocco (orthographic projection).svg
|map_caption = Dark green: Internationally recognized territory of Morocco.<br/>Lighter striped green: ], a ] territory claimed by Morocco as its ]. {{legend|limegreen|], a ] claimed and occupied mostly by Morocco {{nowrap|as its ]}}{{efn|See ]}}}}
| capital = ]
|national_motto =
| coordinates = {{Coord|34|02|N|6|51|W|type:city(580,000)_region:MA-RAB}}
<div style="padding-top:0.2em;padding-bottom:0.5em;">{{native phrase|ar|{{lower|0.1em|{{big|الله، الوطن، الملك&nbsp;}}}}|italics=off|nolink=on}}<br/>''{{transl|ar|Allāh, al-Waṭan, al-Malik}}''</div>
| largest_city = ]<br />{{coord|33|32|N|7|35|W|type:city(3,710,000)_region:MA-CAS|display=inline}}
<div style="padding-bottom:0.35em;">{{lang|ber|ⴰⴽⵓⵛ, ⴰⵎⵓⵔ, ⴰⴳⵍⵍⵉⴷ}}{{nbsp|2}}{{small|(Tamazight)}}<br/>''{{transl|ber|Akuc, Amur, Agllid}}''</div>
| official_languages = {{hlist |]|]}}
{{small|"God, Homeland, King"}}
| languages_type = ]<br>{{nobold|(2024)<ref name="RGPH 2024">{{Cite web |last=Gauthier |first=Christophe |title=كلمة افتتاحية للسيد المندوب السامي للتخطيط بمناسبة الندوة الصحفية الخاصة بتقديم معطيات الإحصاء العام للسكان والسكنى 2024 |url=https://www.hcp.ma/%D9%83%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A9_a4025.html |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc |language=fr}}</ref>}}
|national_anthem =
| languages = {{Tree list}}
<br/>{{native phrase|ar|{{lower|0.1em|{{big|النشيد الوطني المغربي&nbsp;}}}}|italics=off|nolink=on}}<br/>{{small|'']''}}
* 92.7% ]
<center>]</center>
** 91.9% ]
|official_languages =
** 0.8% ]
{{unbulleted list
* 24.8% ]
| ]<ref name="const2011">{{cite web |title=Moroccan Constitution |year=2011 |url=http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/FR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Fr.pdf|work=sgg.gov.ma}}</ref>
** 14.2% ]
| ]<ref name="const2011"/>{{ref label|Official languages|a|}}
** 7.4% ]
}}
** 3.2% ]
|languages_type = Native languages{{ref label|Native languages|c|}}
{{Tree list/end}}
|languages =
| languages2_type = Foreign languages
{{unbulleted list
| languages2 = {{hlist|]{{efn|The ] is also used in official government documents and by the business community, although it has no official status: "French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)..."<ref name=CIA>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ |title=Morocco |work=] |date=12 January 2022 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=23 January 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=FR>{{cite web |title = Présentation du Maroc |url = https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/maroc/presentation-du-maroc/ |publisher = Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères |language = fr |access-date = 20 December 2020 |archive-date = 7 February 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230207193614/https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/maroc/presentation-du-maroc/ |url-status = live }}</ref>}}|]|]<ref>{{cite journal |title=The teaching of English in Morocco: the place of culture |last1=Hyde |first1=Martin |journal=ELT Journal |volume=48 |issue=4 |date=October 1994 |pages=295–305 |doi=10.1093/elt/48.4.295|issn=0951-0893}}</ref>}}
| ]{{ref label|Arabic dialects|d|}}|] Business and Education)|]|]|]
| ethnic_groups = See ]
}}
| religion = {{Tree list}}
| demonym = Moroccan
* 99.6% ] (])
| official_religion =
| religion = ] {{small|(official)}} ** 99.23% ]
** 0.45% ]
|ethnic_groups = <!--This is sourced (see ethnic_groups_year), so please do not change it without more recent source:-->{{unbulleted list |99% ] |1% others}}
* 0.3% ]
|ethnic_groups_year = 2012{{lower|0.2em|<ref name=CIA/>}}
** 0.13% ]
|capital = ]
** 0.10% ]
|latd=34 |latm=02 |latNS=N |longd=6 |longm=51 |longEW=W
** 0.09% ]
|largest_city = ]
** 0.01% ]
|government_type = ] ] ]<ref name="Const1">{{cite web|url=http://www.maroc.ma/NR/rdonlyres/2298ADD6-703C-471E-B924-A5E4F396FEA2/0/Texteint%C3%A9gralduprojetdenouvelleConstitution.pdf |title=Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco, I-1 |format=PDF |accessdate=2013-01-09}}</ref>
{{Tree list/end}}
|leader_title1 = ]
| religion_ref = <ref name=CIA/><ref>{{cite web |title=Regional Profiles: Morocco |url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=155c&u=23r |website=The Association of Religion Data Archives |publisher=World Religion Database |access-date=5 September 2022 |archive-date=5 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905001136/https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=155c&u=23r |url-status=live }}</ref>
|leader_name1 = ]
| demonym = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
| government_type = Unitary parliamentary ]<ref name="Const1">{{Cite book |url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011 |title=Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco |publisher=William S. Hein & Co. |year=2012 |location=Getzville |translator-last=Ruchti |translator-first=Jefri J. |language=en |access-date=6 October 2022 |archive-date=6 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006043401/https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Morocco_2011 |url-status=live }} First published in the Official Bulletin on 30 July 2011.</ref>
|leader_name2 = ]
|legislature = ] | leader_title1 = ]
|upper_house = ] | leader_name1 = ]
| leader_title2 = ]
|lower_house = {{nowrap|]}}
| leader_name2 = ]
|sovereignty_type = ]
| legislature = ]
|established_event2 = ]
| upper_house = ]
|established_date2 = 788
| lower_house = {{nowrap|]}}
|established_event3 = ]
| sovereignty_type = ]
|established_date3 = 1040
| established_event1 = ]
|established_event4 = ]
| established_date1 = 788
|established_date4 = 1121
|established_event5 = ] (presente) | established_event2 = '] (current dynasty)
|established_date5 = 1631 | established_date2 = 1631
| established_event3 = ]
|established_event6 = Independence from ]
| established_date3 = 30 March 1912
|established_date6 = March 2, 1956
| established_event4 = ]
|established_event7 = Independence from ]
| established_date4 = 7 April 1956
|established_date7 = April 7, 1956
| area_km2 = 446,550
|area_rank = 58th or 40th
| area_footnote = {{efn|The area {{convert|446,300|km2|abbr=on}} excludes all disputed territories, while {{convert|716550|km2|abbr=on}} includes the Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled parts of ] (claimed as the ] by the ]). Morocco also claims ] and ], making up about {{convert|22.8|km2|abbr=on}} more claimed territory.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Trinidad |first=Jamie |date=2012 |title=An Evaluation of Morocco's Claims to Spain's Remaining Territories in Africa |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23279813 |journal=The International and Comparative Law Quarterly |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=961–975 |doi=10.1017/S0020589312000371 |jstor=23279813 |issn=0020-5893 |access-date=8 March 2024 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726061247/https://www.jstor.org/stable/23279813 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
|area_magnitude = 1_E10
| area_rank = 57th <!-- Area rank should match ] -->
|area_footnote = {{ref label|Territory|f|}} or {{nowrap|710,850 km<sup>2</sup>&nbsp;{{ref label|Territory|e|}}&nbsp;}}
| area_sq_mi = 172,317
|area_km2 = 446 550
| percent_water = {{nowrap|0.056 (250 km{{sup|2}})}}
|area_sq_mi = 172,487 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
| population_estimate = 37,493,183<ref name=HCPclock>{{cite news | title = Horloge de la population | newspaper = Site Institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat Au Plan du Royaume du Maroc | language = fr | url = https://www.hcp.ma/Horloge-de-la-population_a3531.html | year = 2022 | publisher = ] | access-date = 18 December 2022 | archive-date = 20 May 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230520093947/https://www.hcp.ma/Horloge-de-la-population_a3531.html | url-status = live | last1 = Gauthier | first1 = Christophe }}</ref>
|percent_water = {{nowrap|0.056 <small>(250 km<sup>2</sup>)</small>}}
| population_census = 36,828,330<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hcp.ma/Population-legale-du-Royaume-du-Maroc-repartie-par-regions-provinces-et-prefectures-et-communes-selon-les-resultats-du_a3974.html |title=Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat (RGPH 2024) |publisher=] (HCP) |website=www.hcp.ma |date=22 November 2024 |access-date=11 December 2024 |language=fr}}</ref>
|population_estimate = 33,304,400<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan"/>
|population_estimate_year = 2014 | population_estimate_year = 2024
|population_estimate_rank = 39th | population_estimate_rank = 38th
| population_census_year = 2024
|population_density_km2 = 73.1
| population_density_km2 = 79.0
|population_density_sq_mi = 189.3 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
| population_density_sq_mi = 189.3 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_density_rank = 122nd
| population_density_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2013
|GDP_PPP = $181.9 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2013/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=33&pr.y=11&sy=2009&ey=2013&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=686&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a= |title=Morocco |publisher=International Monetary Fund |accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref> | GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $396.685 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.MA">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=686,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2029&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Morocco) |publisher=] |date=22 October 2024 |access-date=11 December 2024}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2024
|GDP_PPP_rank = 56th
| GDP_PPP_rank = 56th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $5,537<ref name=imf2/> <!--Do not edit!-->
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $10,615<ref name="IMFWEO.MA" />
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 114th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 120th
|GDP_nominal = $107.1 billion<ref name=imf2/> <!--Do not edit!-->
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $157.087 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.MA" />
|GDP_nominal_rank = 59th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2013 | GDP_nominal_year = 2024
| GDP_nominal_rank = 61st
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,260<ref name=imf2/> <!--Do not edit!-->
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $4,203<ref name="IMFWEO.MA" />
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 117th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 124th
|Gini = 40.9 <!--number only-->
| Gini = 40.3 <!--number only-->
|Gini_ref = <ref></ref>
|Gini_year = 2007 | Gini_year = 2015
| Gini_ref = <ref>{{cite book |url=https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/africa-s-development-dynamics-2018_9789264302501-en#page18 |title=Africa's Development Dynamics 2018: Growth, Jobs and Inequalities |publisher=AUC/OECD |access-date=18 December 2020 |page=179 |year=2018 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114190613/https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/africa-s-development-dynamics-2018_9789264302501-en#page18 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|HDI_year = 2013
| HDI = 0.698<!--number only-->
|HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
|HDI = 0.591 <!--number only-->
| HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
|HDI_ref =
| HDI_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2024 |title=Human Development Report 2023/2024 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313164319/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2024 |access-date=13 March 2024 |publisher=] |language=en}}</ref>
|HDI_rank = 130th
| HDI_rank = 120th
|PNB_rank = 60th
| currency = ]
|PIB_rank = 60th
| currency_code = MAD
|currency = ]
| time_zone = <!--Morocco defines its time zone as Greenwich Mean Time + 1 hour, please do not add "Central European Time" or "West Africa Time" without an official source.-->
|currency_code = MAD
| utc_offset = {{ubli|+1<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Décret royal n° 455-67 du 23 safar 1387 (2 juin 1967) portant loi relatif à l'heure légale |language=fr |url=http://bdj.mmsp.gov.ma/Fr/Document/10117-D%C3%A9cret-royal-n-455-67-du-23-safar-1387-2-juin-19.aspx?KeyPath=594/596/608/714/10117 |journal=Bulletin Officiel du Royaume du Maroc |issue=2854 |via=Banque de Données Juridiques |access-date=13 January 2023 |archive-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113013757/http://bdj.mmsp.gov.ma/Fr/Document/10117-D%C3%A9cret-royal-n-455-67-du-23-safar-1387-2-juin-19.aspx?KeyPath=594/596/608/714/10117 |url-status=live }}</ref>|UTC+0 (during ])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changements d'heure pour ramadan, quels impacts ? |url=https://telquel.ma/2018/05/14/changements-dheure-pour-ramadan-quels-impacts_1593439?fbrefresh=7 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=TelQuel |language=fr |archive-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113013715/https://telquel.ma/2018/05/14/changements-dheure-pour-ramadan-quels-impacts_1593439?fbrefresh=7 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
|time_zone = ]
| drives_on = right
|utc_offset = +0
| calling_code = ]
|time_zone_DST = ]
| cctld = {{ublist |] |{{lang|ar|]}}
|utc_offset_DST = +1
<!--Unused: | footnote_? = {{note|French}} 13.5% fluent, 19.5% partially fluent.<ref>"": () ]. p.&nbsp;16. Retrieved 15 October 2012.</ref>-->
|drives_on = right
| population_rank =
|calling_code = ]
| today =
|cctld = ]
}}
|footnote_a = {{note|Official languages}} ] is also used in official government documents and by the business community, although it has no official status.<big><ref name=CIA>"." () ]. Retrieved on 13 October 2012. "French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)"</ref></big>
| religion_year = 2020
|footnote_b = {{note|French}} 13.5% fluent, 19.5% partially fluent.<big><ref>"." () '']''. p. 16. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.</ref></big>
|footnote_c = {{note|Native languages}} See ].
|footnote_d = {{note|Arabic dialects}} Primarily ] and ].
|footnote_e = {{note|Territory}} The area {{convert|446550|km2|abbr=on}} excludes all disputed territories, while {{convert|710850|km2|abbr=on}} includes the Moroccan-administered parts of ] (claimed as the ] by the ]).
}} }}


'''Morocco''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Morocco.ogg|m|ə|ˈ|r|ɒ|k|oʊ}}<br>{{bulleted list|{{langx|ar|المغرب|al-Maghrib|the place where the sun sets; the west}} {{IPA|ar|ælˈmaɣrɪb||Pronunciation of Morocco in Arabic.ogg}}||{{langx|zgh|links=no|ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ|Lmeɣrib}}|{{langx|fr|Maroc}}, {{IPA|fr|maʁɔk|IPA}}}}}} officially the '''Kingdom of Morocco''',{{efn|{{bulleted list|{{langx|ar|links=no|المملكة المغربية|al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah|the Western kingdom}}|{{langx|zgh|links=no|ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ|Tageldit n Lmeɣrib}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.ircam.ma/sites/default/files/Parutions/documents/%E2%B4%B0%E2%B4%B7%E2%B5%93%E2%B5%99%E2%B5%9C%E2%B5%93%E2%B5%94%20%E2%B5%8F%20%E2%B5%9C%E2%B4%B3%E2%B5%8D%E2%B4%B7%E2%B5%89%E2%B5%9C%20%E2%B5%8F%20%E2%B5%8D%E2%B5%8E%E2%B5%96%E2%B5%94%E2%B5%89%E2%B4%B1.pdf |script-title=zgh:ⴰⴷⵓⵙⵜⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵜⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ |publisher=] |year=2021 |isbn=978-9920-739-39-9 |translator-last=Ladimat |translator-first=Mohammed |trans-title=Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco}}</ref>|{{langx|fr|links=no|Royaume du Maroc}}}}}} is a country in the ] region of ]. It overlooks the ] to the north and the ] to the west, and has land borders with ] to ], and the disputed territory of ] to ]. Morocco also claims the ] ] of ], ] and ], and several small ] off its coast.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14114627 |title=Ceuta, Melilla profile |year=2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=13 November 2018 |language=en-GB |archive-date=19 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519055108/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14114627 |url-status=live }}</ref> It has a population of approximately 37 million. Islam is both the official and predominant religion, while Arabic and Berber are the official languages. Additionally, French and the Moroccan dialect of Arabic are widely spoken. The ] is a mix of ], ], ] and ] cultures. Its capital is ], while its largest city is ].<ref name="Abun-Nasr1987">{{cite book |first = Jamil M. |last=Abun-Nasr |title = A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=jdlKbZ46YYkC |date = 20 August 1987 |publisher = Cambridge University Press |isbn = 978-0-521-33767-0 |access-date = 20 March 2018 |archive-date = 9 May 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240509023833/https://books.google.com/books?id=jdlKbZ46YYkC |url-status = live }}</ref>
'''Morocco''' ({{lang-ar|المغرب}} (''{{transl|ar|al-Maġrib}}''); {{lang-ber|ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ircam.ma/amz/index.php |title=Tamazight name according to the Institut Royal de la Culture Amazighe |publisher=Ircam.ma|accessdate=2011-11-04}}</ref> ({{transl|ber|''Lmaġrib''}}), {{lang-fr|Maroc}}<!--The French name needs to be mentioned here - it is an important language in Morocco despite its non official status-->), officially the '''Kingdom of Morocco''',<ref name=CIA>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html|title=Morocco|work=World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> is a country in the ] region of ]. It is one of only three nations (along with ] and ]) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Geographically, Morocco is characterized by a rugged mountainous interior and large portions of desert. The Arabic name al-Mamlakah al-Maġribiyah ({{lang-ar|المملكة المغربية}}), which translates to "The Western Kingdom", and Al-Maghrib ({{lang-ar|المغرب}}), or ], meaning "The West", are commonly used as alternate names.


The region constituting Morocco has been inhabited since the ] era over 300,000 years ago. The ] was established by ] in 788 and Morocco was subsequently ruled by a series of other independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a ] in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the ] and ] dynasties, when it controlled most of the ] and the Maghreb.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Hall |first1 = John G. |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BhMuc6NacxgC&q=Since+the+foundation+of+the+first+Moroccan+state+by+Idris+I+in+788+AD,+the+country+has+been+ruled+by+a+series+of+independent+dynasties,+reaching+its+zenith+under+Almoravid+and+Almohad+rule,+when+it+spanned+parts+of+Iberia+and+northwestern+Africa.&pg=PA5 |title = North Africa |year = 2002 |publisher = Chelsea House<!--an imprint of Infobase--> |isbn = 978-0-7910-5746-9 }}</ref> Centuries of ] since the 7th century shifted the demographic scope of the region. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with ] seizing some territory and the ] encroaching from the east. The ] and ] dynasties otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape Ottoman dominion. The ], which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded ] and commercial relations with the ]. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest; in 1912, France and Spain divided the country into ], reserving an ]. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, in 1956, Morocco regained its independence and reunified.
Morocco has a population of over 33 million and an area of {{Convert|446,550|km2|abbr=on}}. Its political capital is ], although the largest city is ]; other major cities include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. A historically prominent regional power, Morocco has a history of independence not shared by its neighbours. Its distinct culture is a blend of ], ], African, and European influences.


Since independence, Morocco has remained relatively stable. It has the ] in Africa and wields significant influence in both Africa and the ]; it is considered a ] in global affairs and holds membership in the ], the ], the ], and the ].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Balfour |first=Rosa |date = March 2009 |title = The Transformation of the Union for the Mediterranean |journal = Mediterranean Politics |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=99–105 |doi = 10.1080/13629390902747491 |issn=1362-9395 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Morocco is a ] semi-] with an elected parliament. The ] is led by the ] and the ], while ] is vested in the two chambers of parliament: the ] and the ]. Judicial power rests with the Constitutional Court, which may review the validity of laws, elections, and referendums.<ref>. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721222938/https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Morocco-Access-Const-Ct-Advocacy-Position-paper-2018-ENG.pdf |date=21 July 2021 }}. International Commission of Jurists.</ref> The king holds vast executive and legislative powers, especially over the ], foreign policy and religious affairs; he can issue decrees called ], which have the force of law, and can also dissolve the parliament after consulting the ] and the president of the constitutional court.
Morocco claims the ] of ] as the "]". Morocco annexed the territory in 1975, leading to a guerrilla war with indigenous forces that was brought to a cease-fire in 1991. U.N. efforts have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.


Morocco claims ownership of the ] of ], which it has designated its ]. In 1975, after Spain ] and cede its control to Morocco and ], a ] broke out between those powers and some of the ]. In 1979, Mauritania relinquished ] to the area, but the war continued to rage. In 1991, a ceasefire agreement was reached, but the issue of sovereignty remained unresolved. Today, Morocco occupies two-thirds of the territory, and ] have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.
Morocco is a ] with an elected parliament. The ] holds vast executive and legislative powers, especially over the ], foreign policy, and religious affairs. ] is exercised by the ], while ] is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the ] and the ]. The king can issue decrees called ]s which have the force of law. He can also dissolve the parliament after consulting the ] and the president of the Constitutinal court.


== Etymology and name ==
Morocco's predominant religion is Islam, while the official languages are ] and ]. ], referred to as ''Darija'', and ] are also widely spoken.
The ] ''Morocco'' is an ] of the ] name for the country, {{lang|es|Marruecos}}, derived from the name of the city of ], which was the capital of the ], the ], and the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Country names |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/country-name#morocco |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=The CIA World Factbook |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207212750/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/country-name#morocco |url-status=live }}</ref> During the Almoravid dynasty, the city of Marrakesh was established under the name of {{lang|tzm-Latn|Tāmurākušt}}, derived from the city's ancient ] name of {{lang|tzm-Latn|amūr n Yakuš}} ({{Literally|land/country of God}}).<ref>{{Citation |last=Ghouirgate |first=Mehdi |title=Chapitre VIII. Le calife en son palais : maintenir son rang |date=2020-02-27 |url=http://books.openedition.org/pumi/12060 |work=L’Ordre almohade (1120-1269) : Une nouvelle lecture anthropologique |pages=357–402 |access-date=2023-12-09 |series=Tempus |place=Toulouse |publisher=Presses universitaires du Midi |language=fr |isbn=978-2-8107-0867-3 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002162449/https://books.openedition.org/pumi/12060 |url-status=live }}</ref> In English, the first vowel has been changed, likely influenced by the word "Moor".<ref>{{Cite web |title=morocco {{!}} Etymology of morocco by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/morocco |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203085844/https://www.etymonline.com/word/morocco |url-status=live }}</ref>


Historically, the territory has been part of what Muslim geographers referred to as {{Ill|al-Maghrib al-Aqṣā|ar|المغرب الأقصى|italic=y}} ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأقصى}}, 'the Farthest West ' designating roughly the area from ] to the ]) in contrast with neighbouring regions of {{Ill|al-Maghrib al-Awsaṭ|ar|المغرب الأوسط|italic=y}} ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأوسط}}, 'the Middle West': ] to ]) and {{Ill|al-Maghrib al-Adnā|ar|المغرب الأدنى|italic=y}} ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأدنى}}, 'the Nearest West': ] to ]).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hareir |first1=Idris El |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVYT4Kraym0C&pg=PA375 |title=The Spread of Islam Throughout the World |last2=Mbaye |first2=Ravane |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=UNESCO |isbn=978-92-3-104153-2 |language=en}}</ref>
==Etymology==<!--linked-->
The full ] name ''{{transl|ar|al-Mamlakat al-Maghribiyyah}}'' ({{lang|ar|المملكة المغربية}}) translates to "Kingdom of the West"; although the West in Arabic is ({{lang|ar|الغرب}}) ''{{transl|ar|Al-Gharb}}''); ({{lang|ar|المغرب}}), (meaning "the sunset"), is commonly used. For historical references, medieval Arab historians and geographers referred to Morocco as ''{{transl|ar|al-Maghrib al-Aqṣá}}'' ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأقصى}}, "The Farthest West") to distinguish it from neighboring historical regions called ''{{transl|ar|al-Maghrib al-Awsaṭ}}'' ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأوسط}}, "The Middle West", ]) and ''{{transl|ar|al-Maghrib al-Adná}}'' ({{lang|ar|المغرب الأدنى}}, "The Nearest West", ]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Yahya |first=Dahiru|title=Morocco in the Sixteenth Century|year=1981 |publisher=Longman |page=18}}</ref>


Morocco's modern ] name is {{transliteration|ar|al-Maghrib}} ({{lang|ar|المغرب}}, {{Translation|the land of the sunset; the west}}), with the Kingdom's official Arabic name being {{transliteration|ar|al-Mamlakah al-Maghribīyah}} ({{lang|ar|المملكة المغربية}}; {{Translation|the kingdom of sunset/the west}}).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Maghreb, en arabe Maghrib ou Marhrib (" le Couchant ") |url=https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/autre-region/Maghreb/131068 |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Encyclopédie Larousse |language=fr |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122095454/https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/autre-region/Maghreb/131068 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Introduction |date=1987 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-the-maghrib-in-the-islamic-period/introduction/0A276AD37271D71955A8C28E6578F617 |work=A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period |pages=1–25 |editor-last=Abun-Nasr |editor-first=Jamil M. |access-date=2023-12-09 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511608100.003 |isbn=978-0-521-33767-0 |archive-date=16 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616132301/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-the-maghrib-in-the-islamic-period/introduction/0A276AD37271D71955A8C28E6578F617 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maghreb |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Maghreb |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en |archive-date=13 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913035240/https://www.britannica.com/place/Maghreb |url-status=live }}</ref> In ], Morocco is known as {{lang|tr|Fas}}, a name derived from its medieval capital of ] which is derived from the Arabic word ''Faʾs'' ({{lang|ar|فأس}}; {{Translation|]}}), as the city's founder ] reputedly used a silver and gold pickaxe to trace the outlines of the city.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2007 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5 |editor-last=Dumper |editor-first=Michael R. T. |page=151 |editor-last2=Stanley |editor-first2=Bruce E. |access-date=10 March 2024 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316174542/https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Bressolette-2016">{{Cite book |last=Bressolette |first=Henri |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kNzeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |title=A la découverte de Fès |publisher=L'Harmattan |year=2016 |isbn=978-2-343-09022-1 |location= |pages= |chapter=Fondation de Fès El Bali par Idriss Ier et Idriss II |access-date=2021-11-17 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720213942/https://books.google.com/books?id=kNzeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}</ref> In other parts of the Islamic world, for example in Egyptian and Middle Eastern Arabic literature before the mid-20th century, Morocco was commonly referred to as {{lang|ar-Latn|Murrakush}} ({{lang|ar|مراكش}}).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gershovich |first=Moshe |title=French Military Rule in Morocco |date=12 October 2012 |isbn=9780203044988 |doi=10.4324/9780203044988}}</ref> The term is still used to refer to Morocco today in several ] languages, including ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web |trans-title=Morocco|title=مراکش - معنی در دیکشنری آبادیس |url=https://abadis.ir/fatofa/%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B4/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=abadis.ir|language=fa}}</ref>
The English name "Morocco" originates from Spanish "Marruecos" or the Portuguese "Marrocos", from medieval ] "Morroch", which referred to the name of the former ] and ] capital, ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statoids.com/uma.html |title=Regions of Morocco |accessdate=2007-09-07 |work=statoids.com }}</ref> In ] Morocco is still called "Marrakesh". Until recent decades, Morocco was called "Marrakesh" in Middle Eastern Arabic. In Turkish, Morocco is called "Fas" which comes from the ancient capital, ].


Morocco has also been referred to politically by a variety of terms denoting the ] of the '], such as {{Transliteration|ar|al-Mamlakah ash-Sharīfah}} ({{Lang|ar|المملكة الشريفة}}), {{Transliteration|ar|al-Iyālah ash-Sharīfah}} ({{Lang|ar|الإيالة الشريفة}}) and {{Transliteration|ar|al-Imbarāṭūriyyah ash-Sharīfah}} ({{Lang|ar|الإمبراطورية الشريفة}}), rendered in French as {{Lang|fr|l'Empire chérifien}} and in English as the 'Sharifian Empire'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=ملين |first=نبيل |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/994641823 |title=فكرة الدستور في المغرب : وثائق ونصوص (19012011) |year=2017 |publisher=Tīl Kīl Mīdiyā |isbn=978-9954-28-764-4 |language=ar |oclc=994641823}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Laskier |first=Michael M. |date=1 September 2019 |title=Prelude to Colonialism: Moroccan Muslims and Jews through Western Lenses, 1860–1912 |url=https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/european-judaism/52/2/ej520209.xml |journal=European Judaism |language=en |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=111–128 |doi=10.3167/ej.2019.520209 |s2cid=203553804 |issn=0014-3006 |access-date=5 November 2022 |archive-date=5 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105195922/https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/european-judaism/52/2/ej520209.xml |url-status=live }}</ref>
The word "Marrakesh" is made of the Berber word combination ''Mur N'Akush'', meaning ''Land of God''.


==History== == History ==
{{Main|History of Morocco}} {{main|History of Morocco}}


===Prehistory and antiquity=== ===Prehistory and antiquity===
The area of present-day Morocco has been inhabited since ], sometime between 90,000 and 190,000 BCE.<ref>. Department of Human Evolution. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</ref> During the ], the ] was more fertile than it is today, resembling a ] more than today's arid landscape.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rubella|first=D.|title=From hunters to farmers the causes and consequences of food production in Africa|year=1984|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0520045742|pages=41–56|editor=J.D. Clark & S.A. Brandt|chapter=Environmentalism and Pi Paleolithic economies in the Maghreb (c. 20,000 to 5000 B.P.)}}</ref> 22,000 years ago, the ] was succeeded by the ] culture, which shared similarities with Iberian cultures. Skeletal similarities have been suggested between the ] "]" burials and European ] remains. The Iberomaurusian was succeeded by the ] in Morocco. The area of present-day Morocco has been inhabited since at least ], beginning sometime between 190,000 and 90,000&nbsp;BC.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112002657/http://www.eva.mpg.de/evolution/files/irhoud.htm |date=12 January 2017}}. Department of Human Evolution. ] Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</ref> A recent publication has suggested that there is evidence for even earlier human habitation of the area: '']'' fossils that had been discovered in the late 2000s near the ] in ] were recently dated to roughly 315,000 years ago.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116175722/http://www.nature.com/news/oldest-homo-sapiens-fossil-claim-rewrites-our-species-history-1.22114 |date=16 November 2017 }} News. ], International Weekly Journal of Science</ref> During the ], the ] was more fertile than it is today, resembling a ], in contrast to its modern arid landscape.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rubella |first=D. |title=From hunters to farmers the causes and consequences of food production in Africa |year=1984 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=978-0520045743 |pages=41–56 |editor=J.D. Clark & S.A. Brandt |chapter=Environmentalism and Pi Paleolithic economies in the Maghreb (c. 20,000 to 5000 B.P.)}}</ref>


DNA studies of ] peoples at ], Morocco dating to around 15,000 years ago have found them to have a distinctive Maghrebi ancestry formed from a mixture of ] and African ancestry, which is still found as a part of the genome of modern Northwest Africans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=van de Loosdrecht |first1=Marieke |last2=Bouzouggar |first2=Abdeljalil |last3=Humphrey |first3=Louise |last4=Posth |first4=Cosimo |last5=Barton |first5=Nick |last6=Aximu-Petri |first6=Ayinuer |last7=Nickel |first7=Birgit |last8=Nagel |first8=Sarah |last9=Talbi |first9=El Hassan |last10=El Hajraoui |first10=Mohammed Abdeljalil |last11=Amzazi |first11=Saaïd |last12=Hublin |first12=Jean-Jacques |last13=Pääbo |first13=Svante |last14=Schiffels |first14=Stephan |last15=Meyer |first15=Matthias |date=2018-05-04 |title=Pleistocene North African genomes link Near Eastern and sub-Saharan African human populations |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aar8380 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=360 |issue=6388 |pages=548–552 |doi=10.1126/science.aar8380 |bibcode=2018Sci...360..548V |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> Later during the ], from around 7,500 years ago onwards, there was a migration into Northwest Africa of ] from the Iberian Peninsula (who had originated in ] several thousand years prior), as well as pastoralists from the ], both of whom also significantly contributed to the ancestry of modern Northwest Africans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Simões |first1=Luciana G. |last2=Günther |first2=Torsten |last3=Martínez-Sánchez |first3=Rafael M. |last4=Vera-Rodríguez |first4=Juan Carlos |last5=Iriarte |first5=Eneko |last6=Rodríguez-Varela |first6=Ricardo |last7=Bokbot |first7=Youssef |last8=Valdiosera |first8=Cristina |last9=Jakobsson |first9=Mattias |date=2023-06-15 |title=Northwest African Neolithic initiated by migrants from Iberia and Levant |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=618 |issue=7965 |pages=550–556 |doi=10.1038/s41586-023-06166-6 |issn=0028-0836 |pmc=10266975 |pmid=37286608|bibcode=2023Natur.618..550S }}</ref> The ] tribes evolved from these prehistoric communities during the late ]- and early ] ages.<ref>Mário Curtis Giordani, ''História da África. Anterior aos descobrimentos.'' Editora Vozes, Petrópolis (Brasil) 1985, pp. 42f., 77f. Giordani references Bousquet, ''Les Berbères'' (Paris 1961).</ref>
] (MtDNA) studies have discovered a close link between ] and the ] of Scandinavia. This confirms theories that the ] was the source of late-glacial expansions of hunter-gatherers who repopulated northern Europe after the last ].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Saami and Berbers—an unexpected mitochondrial DNA link |journal=Am. J. Hum. Genet. |volume=76 |issue=5 |pages=883–6 |year=2005 |pmid=15791543 |pmc=1199377 |doi=10.1086/430073|author=Achilli A. ''et al.''}}</ref>


In the early part of ], Northwest Africa and Morocco were slowly drawn into the wider emerging ] world by the ], who established trading colonies and settlements there, the most substantial of which were ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |author=The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map |url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17926 |title=C. Michael Hogan, ''Mogador: Promontory Fort'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham |publisher=Megalithic.co.uk |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805181526/https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17926 |url-status=live }}</ref> Mogador was established as a Phoenician colony as early as the 6th century BC.<ref>Moscati, Sabatino (2001) ''The Phoenicians'', Tauris, {{ISBN|1-85043-533-2}}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2013}}
], ]]]
] Ruins]]
North Africa and Morocco were slowly drawn into the wider emerging ] world by the ], who established trading colonies and settlements in the early Classical period. Substantial Phoenician settlements were at ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|author=The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map |url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17926 |title=C. Michael Hogan, '&#39;Mogador: Promontory Fort'&#39;, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham |publisher=Megalithic.co.uk |accessdate=2010-06-02}}</ref> Mogador was a Phoenician colony as early as the early 6th century BC.<ref>Moscati, Sabatino (2001) ''The Phoenicians'', Tauris, ISBN 1-85043-533-2</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2013}}


]]]
Morocco later became part of a North African empire headquartered in ]. The earliest known independent Moroccan state was the ] under king ]. This kingdom in northern Morocco, not to be confused with the present state of ], dates at least to 110 BCE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70880/Bocchus-I|accessdate=September 27, 2010|title=Bocchus I}}</ref>
Morocco later became a realm of the Northwest African civilisation of ], and part of the Carthaginian empire. The earliest known independent Moroccan state was the ], under King ].<ref>] '']'' 29.30</ref> This ancient kingdom (not to be confused with the modern state of ]) flourished around 225&nbsp;BC or earlier. ] became a ] kingdom of the ] in 33 BC. Emperor ] annexed Mauretania directly in 44 AD, making it a ] ruled by an imperial ] (either a ''procurator Augusti'', or a ''legatus Augusti pro praetore'').


] in Morocco appeared during the ] times, when it was practiced by ] in Roman ].<ref>{{cite book | last=Asiwaju | first=A.I. |date=January 1985 | title=Partitioned Africans: Ethnic Relations Across Africa's International Boundaries | publisher=C. Hurst & Co |isbn=0-905838-91-2 | page=237 }}</ref> During the ], parts of Mauretania were reconquered by Berbers. By the late 3rd century, direct Roman rule had become confined to a few coastal cities, such as Septum (]) in ] and ] in ]. When, in 429 AD, the area was devastated by the ], the Roman Empire lost its remaining possessions in Mauretania, and local ] assumed control of them. In the 530s, the ], under Byzantine control, re-established direct imperial rule of Septum and ], fortified Tingis and erected a church.
The ] controlled this region from the 1st century BCE, naming it ]. ] was introduced in the 2nd century CE and gained converts in the Roman towns, among ] and some Berber farmers.


=== <span class="anchor" id="Foundation"></span><span class="anchor" id="Dynasties"></span><span class="anchor" id="Foundation and dynasties"></span> Foundation and dynasties ===
In the 5th century CE, as the Roman Empire declined, the region was invaded from the north first by the ] and then by the ]. In the 6th century CE, northern Morocco was nominally part of the East Roman, or ]. Throughout this time, the Berber inhabitants in the high mountains of the interior of Morocco remained unsubdued.
] coin in ], 840]]
The ] that had begun during the mid-7th century was completed under the ] by 709. The caliphate introduced both ] and the Arabic language to the area; this period also saw the beginning of a trend of ] which would last for centuries and effect a demographic shift in the region. While constituting part of the larger empire, Morocco was initially organised as a subsidiary province of ], with the local governors appointed by the Muslim governor in ].<ref>Abun-Nasr 1987, p.33</ref>


The indigenous Berber tribes adopted Islam, but retained their ]s. They also paid taxes and tribute to the new Muslim administration.<ref>Abun-Nasr 1987, pp. 33–34</ref> The first independent Muslim state in the area of modern Morocco was the ], an emirate in the ]. It was founded by ] in 710, as a client state to the Umayyad Caliphate. After the outbreak of the ] in 739, the Berbers formed other independent states such as the ] of ] and the ].
===Early Islamic Era===
], founded in ] in the 9th century, was a major spiritual, literary, and intellectual centre.]]
In 670 CE, the first Islamic conquest of the ]n coastal plain took place under ], a general serving under the ]s of ]. The ] Muslims brought their language, their system of government, and Islam to Morocco. Many of the Berbers slowly converted to Islam, mostly after Arab rule had receded. The first independent Muslim state in the area of modern Morocco was the ], an emirate in the ]. It was founded by ] in 710, as a client state to the ]. After the outbreak of the ] in 739, the Berbers formed other independent states such as the ] of ] and the ].
The founder of the ] and the great-grandson of ], ], had fled to Morocco after the massacre of his family by the ] in the ]. He convinced the Awraba Berber tribes to break their allegiance to the distant Abbasid caliphs and he founded the Idrisid dynasty in 788. The Idrisids established ] as their capital and Morocco became a centre of Muslim learning and a major ]. The Idrisids were ousted in 927 by the ] and their Miknasa allies. After Miknasa broke off relations with the Fatimids in 932, they were removed from power by the ] of Sijilmasa in 980.


] at its greatest extent, {{circa|1212}}]]
According to medieval legend, ] had fled to Morocco after the Abbasids' massacre of his tribe in Iraq. He convinced the ] Berber tribes to break their allegiance to the distant Abbasid caliphs in ] and he founded the ] in 788. The Idrisids established ] as their capital and Morocco became a centre of Muslim learning and a major ]. The Idrissids were ousted in 927 by the ] and their Miknasa allies. After Miknasa broke off relations with the Fatimids in 932, they were removed from power by the ] of Sijilmasa in 980.
From the 11th century onward, a series of Berber dynasties arose.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gGKsS-9h4BYC&pg=PT861 |title=Concise Encyclopaedia of World History |isbn=978-81-269-0775-5 |last1=Ramirez-Faria |first1=Carlos |date=2007 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804074800/https://books.google.com/books?id=gGKsS-9h4BYC&pg=PT861 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/almoravides/|title=Almoravides|encyclopedia=Universalis Encyclopedia|date=19 January 1999 |access-date=25 July 2011|archive-date=19 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719002639/http://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/almoravides/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365388/Marinid-dynasty|title=Marīnid dynasty|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=23 June 2022|archive-date=2 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602202549/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365388/Marinid-dynasty|url-status=live}}</ref> Under the ] ] and the ] ],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/418538/North-Africa/46490/The-Maghrib-under-the-Almoravids-and-the-Almohads |title=The Maghrib under the Almoravids and the Almohads |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=14 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314013819/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/418538/North-Africa/46490/The-Maghrib-under-the-Almoravids-and-the-Almohads |url-status=live }}</ref> Morocco dominated the Maghreb, ] in ], and the western Mediterranean region. From the 13th century onward the country saw a ] of the ] Arab tribes. In the 13th and 14th centuries the ] Berber ] held power in Morocco and strove to replicate the successes of the Almohads through military campaigns in Algeria and Spain. They were followed by the ]. In the 15th century, the ] ended Muslim rule in Iberia and many Muslims and ] fled to Morocco.<ref name="brit">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/392604/Morocco |title=Morocco – History |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=31 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110731173203/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/392604/Morocco |url-status=live }}</ref>


] efforts to control the Atlantic sea trade in the 15th century did not greatly affect the interior of Morocco even though they managed to control some possessions on the Moroccan coast but not venturing further afield inland.
===Berber dynasties===
], built by the Berbers from the 14th century onwards.]]
From the 11th century onwards a series of powerful Berber<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gGKsS-9h4BYC&pg=PT861|title=Concise Encyclopaedia of World History |isbn=978-81-269-0775-5 |author1=Ramirez-Faria |first1=Carlos |date=2007-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/almoravides/|title=Almoravides|work=Universalis Encyclopedia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365388/Marinid-dynasty|title=Marīnid dynasty|work=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> dynasties arose. Under the ] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/418538/North-Africa/46490/The-Maghrib-under-the-Almoravids-and-the-Almohads |title=The Maghrib under the Almoravids and the Almohads |publisher=Britannica.com|accessdate=2011-08-01}}</ref> and the ], Morocco dominated the Maghreb, much of present-day Spain and Portugal, and the western Mediterranean region. In the 13th and 14th centuries the ] held power in Morocco and strove to replicate the successes of the ] by military campaigns in Algeria and Spain. They were followed by the ]. In the 15th century, the ] ended Muslim rule in central and southern Spain and many ]s and ] fled to Morocco.<ref name="brit">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/392604/Morocco |title=Morocco – History |publisher=Britannica.com|accessdate=2011-08-01}}</ref> ] efforts to control the Atlantic coast in the 15th century did not greatly affect the interior of Morocco. According to Elizabeth Allo Isichei, "In 1520, there was a ] in Morocco so terrible that for a long time other events were dated by it. It has been suggested that the population of Morocco fell from 5 to under 3 million between the early sixteenth and nineteenth centuries."<ref>Allo Isichei, Elizabeth (1997). ''''. Cambridge University Press. p. 264. ISBN 0-521-45599-5</ref>


] was founded when ] led the ], which began the Portuguese presence in Morocco, lasting from 1415 to 1769.]]
], Rabat]]


In 1549, the region fell to successive Arab dynasties claiming descent from the Islamic prophet ]: first the ] who ruled from 1549 to 1659, and then the '], who have remained in power since the 17th century. Morocco faced aggression from ] in the north, and the Ottoman Empire's allies pressing westward.
], by ]]]


]'s 16th century ]]]
===Sharifian dynasties===
In 1549, the region fell to successive Arab dynasties claiming descent from the ], ]: first the ] who ruled from 1549 to 1659, and then the ], who remained in power since the 17th century.


Under the Saadi Dynasty, the country repulsed ] incursions and a ] invasion at the ] in 1578. The reign of ] brought new wealth and prestige to the Sultanate, and a large expedition to West Africa inflicted a crushing defeat on the ] in 1591. However, managing the territories across the ] proved too difficult. After the death of al-Mansur the country was divided among his sons. Under the Saadis, the sultanate ] in 1578 at the ]. The reign of ] brought new wealth and prestige to the Sultanate, and a ] to West Africa inflicted a crushing defeat on the ] in 1591. However, managing the territories across the ] proved too difficult.<ref name="Kaba81">{{citation | last=Kaba | first= Lansiné | year=1981 | title=Archers, musketeers, and mosquitoes: The Moroccan invasion of the Sudan and the Songhay resistance (1591–1612) | journal= Journal of African History | volume=22 | issue= 4 | pages=457–475 | jstor=181298 | doi=10.1017/S0021853700019861 | pmid=11632225| s2cid= 41500711 }}.</ref> Upon the death of al-Mansur, the country was divided among his sons.


In 1666 Morocco was reunited by the ], who have been the ruling house of Morocco ever since. Morocco was facing aggression from Spain and the Ottoman Empire lies pressing westward. The Alaouites succeeded in stabilizing their position, and while the kingdom was smaller than previous ones in the region, it remained quite wealthy. Against the opposition of local tribes ] (1672–1727) began to create a unified state.<ref>"". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2009. 2009-11-01.</ref> With his Jaysh d'Ahl al-Rif (the ]ian Army) he seized ] from the ] in 1684 and drove the ] from ] in 1689. After a period of political fragmentation and conflict during the decline of the Saadi dynasty, Morocco was finally reunited by the Alawi sultan ] in the late 1660s, who took Fez in 1666 and Marrakesh in 1668.<ref name="Abun-Nasr1987" />{{Rp|230}}<ref name=":20">{{Cite book |last=Rivet |first=Daniel |title=Histoire du Maroc: de Moulay Idrîs à Mohammed VI |publisher=Fayard |year=2012}}</ref>{{Rp|225}} The 'Alawis succeeded in stabilising their position, and while the kingdom was smaller than previous ones in the region, it remained quite wealthy. Against the opposition of local tribes ] (1672–1727) began to create a unified state.<ref>"". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2009. 1 November 2009.</ref> With his ]fian army, he re-occupied ] from the English who had abandoned it in 1684 and drove the Spanish from ] in 1689. The Portuguese abandoned ], their last territory in Morocco, in 1769. However, the ] against the Spanish ended in defeat in 1775.


Morocco was the first nation to recognize the fledgling United States as an independent nation in 1777.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=41811 |title=Cohen Renews U.S.-Morocco Ties |accessdate=2009-03-12 |author=Kozaryn, Linda D.|work=U.S. Department of Defense }}</ref> In the beginning of the ], American merchant ships in the ] were subject to attack by the ]. On 20 December 1777, Morocco's Sultan ] declared that American merchant ships would be under the protection of the sultanate and could thus enjoy safe passage. The ], signed in 1786, stands as the U.S.'s oldest non-broken friendship ].<ref>Roberts, Priscilla H. and Richard S. Roberts, ''Thomas Barclay (1728–1793): Consul in France, Diplomat in Barbary'', Lehigh University Press, 2008, pp. 206–223 ISBN 093422398X.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/perfrpt/2002/html/18995.htm |title=Milestones of American Diplomacy, Interesting Historical Notes, and Department of State History |accessdate=2007-12-17 |work=U.S. Department of State }}</ref> Morocco was the first nation to recognise the fledgling United States as an independent nation in 1777.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/11/22/joint-statement-united-states-america-and-kingdom-morocco|work=]|title=Joint Statement by the United States of America and the Kingdom of Morocco|via=]|date=22 November 2013|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=10 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110084924/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/11/22/joint-statement-united-states-america-and-kingdom-morocco|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=((USA (NA) International Business Publications))|title=Morocco Foreign Policy And Government Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5V77mdCXHJcC&pg=PA114|date=2004|publisher=Int'l Business Publications|isbn=978-0-7397-6000-0|pages=114–}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=41811 |title=Cohen Renews U.S.-Morocco Ties |access-date=12 March 2009 |author=Kozaryn, Linda D. |work=U.S. Department of Defense |archive-date=28 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228080125/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=41811 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the beginning of the ], American merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean were subject to attacks by other fleets. On 20 December 1777, Morocco's Sultan ] declared that American merchant ships would be under the protection of the sultanate and could thus enjoy safe passage. The 1786 ] stands as the United States' oldest unbroken friendship treaty.<ref>Roberts, Priscilla H. and Richard S. Roberts, ''Thomas Barclay (1728–1793): Consul in France, Diplomat in Barbary'', Lehigh University Press, 2008, pp. 206–223 {{ISBN|093422398X}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/perfrpt/2002/html/18995.htm |title=Milestones of American Diplomacy, Interesting Historical Notes, and Department of State History |access-date=17 December 2007 |work=U.S. Department of State |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210003512/https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/perfrpt/2002/html/18995.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


===French and Spanish protectorates=== ===French and Spanish protectorates===
{{Main|French Morocco|Spanish Protectorate in Morocco}} {{main|French protectorate in Morocco|Spanish protectorate in Morocco}}
] after the ] bankrupted Morocco's national treasury, forcing the ] to take on a British loan<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last=Miller, Susan Gilson.|title=A history of modern Morocco|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-62469-5|location=New York|pages=25|oclc=855022840}}</ref>]]
] had a highly heterogeneous population that included 40,000 Muslims, 31,000 Europeans and 15,000 Jews.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501181723/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0019_0_19572.html |title=Tangier(s) |publisher=] |accessdate=30 December 2013}}</ref>]]
As Europe industrialised, Northwest Africa was increasingly prized for its potential for colonisation. France showed a strong interest in Morocco as early as 1830, not only to protect the border of its Algerian territory, but also because of the strategic position of Morocco with coasts on the Mediterranean and the open Atlantic.<ref>{{cite book |title=Morocco since 1830: A History|isbn=978-0814766774 |last=Pennell |first=C. R. |year=2000 |publisher=New York University Press |location=New York |page=40}}</ref> In 1860, a dispute over Spain's Ceuta enclave led Spain to declare war. Victorious Spain won a further enclave and an enlarged Ceuta in the settlement. In 1884, Spain created a protectorate in the coastal areas of Morocco.
]'s population in 1956 included 40,000 Muslims, 31,000 Europeans and 15,000 Jews.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0019_0_19572.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501181723/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0019_0_19572.html |archive-date=1 May 2013 |title=Tangier(s) |encyclopedia=] |access-date=30 December 2013}}</ref>]]
In 1904, France and Spain carved out zones of influence in Morocco. Recognition by the ] of France's ] provoked a strong reaction from the ]; and a crisis loomed in 1905. The matter was resolved at the ] in 1906. The ] of 1911 increased tensions between European powers. The 1912 ] made Morocco a ] of France, and triggered the ].<ref name="Hirschberg1981">{{cite book|author=Hirschberg, H. Z|title=A history of the Jews in North Africa: From the Ottoman conquests to the present time / edited by Eliezer Bashan and Robert Attal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=idEUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA319|year=1981|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-06295-5|page=318|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114120228/https://books.google.com/books?id=idEUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA319|url-status=live}}</ref> Spain continued to operate its coastal protectorate. By the same treaty, Spain assumed the role of ] over the northern coastal and southern ]n zones.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Furlong |first=Charles Wellington |author-link=Charles W. Furlong |year=1911 |title=The French Conquest Of Morocco: The Real Meaning Of The International Trouble |journal=] |volume=XXII |pages=14988–14999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHAAAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA14988 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114120230/https://books.google.com/books?id=rHAAAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA14988 |url-status=live }}</ref>
] from 1907 to 1934]]
Tens of thousands of colonists entered Morocco. Some bought up large amounts of rich agricultural land, while others organised the exploitation and modernisation of mines and harbours. Interest groups that formed among these elements continually pressured France to increase its control over Morocco – with some Moroccan tribes allying with the French against other competing tribes from early on in its conquest. The French colonial administrator, Governor general Marshal ], sincerely admired Moroccan culture and succeeded in imposing a joint Moroccan-French administration, while creating a modern school system. Several divisions of Moroccan soldiers (]s or regular troops and officers) served in the ] in both ] and ], and in the Spanish ] in the ] and after ('']'').<ref>{{cite web |url-status=live |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-spain-war-idUSTRE50E0NT20090115 |title=Morocco tackles painful role in Spain's past |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817235436/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-spain-war-idUSTRE50E0NT20090115 |archive-date=17 August 2021 |website=Reuters |date=14 January 2009 |first1=Zakia |last1=Abdennebi }}</ref> The institution of ] was abolished in 1925.<ref>{{cite web |url-status=live |publisher=Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad6164.html |title=Morocco: Date of the abolishment of slavery in Morocco; whether descendants of ex-slaves are singled out in any way; and fate of the Palace household and grounds staff when King Mohamed V was in exile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203121733/http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad6164.html |archive-date=3 February 2014 |date=13 August 1999 |series=MAR32476.E |via=Refworld}}</ref>


Between 1921 and 1926, an ] in the ] Mountains, led by ], led to the establishment of the ]. The Spanish used anti-civilian bombing raids and mustard gas to prevent the Rif republic from gaining independence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wyrtzen |first=Jonathan |title=Worldmaking in the Long Great War: How Local and Colonial Struggles Shaped the Modern Middle East |publisher=Columbia University Press |date=2022 |isbn=978-0-231-54657-7 |location=New York |pages=195 |oclc=1336403490 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gWdOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT195 |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216052346/https://books.google.com/books?id=gWdOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT195 |url-status=live }}</ref> They lost more than 13,000 soldiers at ] in July–August 1921 alone.<ref>Porch, Douglas; ''Spain's African Nightmare''; MHQ: Quarterly Journal of Military History; (2006); 18#2; pp. 28–37.</ref> The Riffi were eventually suppressed by 1927 by the Franco-Spanish military. The casualties on the Spanish-French side were 52,000 and from the Riffi 10,000 died.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wyrtzen |first=Jonathan |title=Worldmaking in the Long Great War: How Local and Colonial Struggles Shaped the Modern Middle East |publisher=Columbia University Press |date=2022 |isbn=978-0-231-54657-7 |location=New York |pages=198 |oclc=1336403490 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gWdOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT198 |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216052345/https://books.google.com/books?id=gWdOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT198 |url-status=live }}</ref>
As Europe industrialized, North Africa was increasingly prized for its potential for colonization. France showed a strong interest in Morocco as early as 1830.<ref>{{cite book |title=Morocco since 1830: A History|isbn=0814766773 |last=Pennell |first=C. R. |year=2000 |publisher=New York University Press |location=New York |page=40}}</ref> In 1860, a dispute over Spain's Ceuta enclave led Spain to declare war. Victorious Spain won a further enclave and an enlarged Ceuta in the settlement. In 1884, Spain created a protectorate in the coastal areas of Morocco.


] of 1944]]
] general ] during the ]. ], 13 November 1893.]]
In 1943, the ] (Independence Party) was founded to press for independence, with discreet US support. Moroccan nationalists drew heavily on ] for lobbying to end colonial rule, primarily at the United Nations.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Stenner |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KLyXDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 |title=Globalizing Morocco: Transnational Activism and the Postcolonial State |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-5036-0900-6 |location=Stanford, California |pages=198 |oclc=1082294927 |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216052346/https://books.google.com/books?id=KLyXDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Istiqlal Party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement.
In 1904, France and Spain carved out zones of influence in Morocco. Recognition by the ] of France's ] provoked a strong reaction from the ]; and a crisis loomed in 1905. The matter was resolved at the ] in 1906. The ], increased tensions between European powers. The 1912 ] made Morocco a ] of France. Spain continued to operate its coastal protectorate. By the same treaty, Spain assumed the role of ] over the northern and southern ]n zones.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Furlong |first=Charles Wellington |authorlink=Charles W. Furlong |year=1911 |title=The French Conquest Of Morocco: The Real Meaning Of The International Trouble |journal=] |volume=XXII |pages=14988–14999 |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=rHAAAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA14988|accessdate=2009-07-10 }}</ref>


] during a visit to the United States in 1957]]
Tens of thousands of colonists entered Morocco and bought up large amounts of the rich agricultural land. Interest groups that formed among these elements continually pressured France to increase its control over Morocco.
France's exile of Sultan ] in 1953 to ] and his replacement by the unpopular ] sparked active opposition to the French and Spanish protectorates.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/81277/mohammed-arafa-morocco-s-unpopular-sultan.html|title=Mohammed Ben Arafa, Morocco's unpopular sultan and the story of his unmarked grave|last=Babas|first=Latifa|newspaper=Yabiladi|date=July 19, 2019|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref> The most notable violence occurred in ] where Moroccans attacked French and other European residents in the streets.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 30, 1954|title=Quatre-vingt-seize Marocains poursuivis pour participation à la « tuerie d'Oujda », qui fit trente morts le 16 août 1953, passent en jugement |language=fr |newspaper=Le Monde|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1954/11/30/quatre-vingt-seize-marocains-poursuivis-pour-participation-a-la-tuerie-qui-fit-le-16-aout-1953-trente-morts-a-oujda-passent-en-jugement_2026822_1819218.html|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref> France allowed Mohammed V to return in 1955, and the negotiations that led to Moroccan independence began the following year.<ref>"". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2009.</ref> In March 1956 Morocco regained its independence from France as the Kingdom of Morocco. A month later Spain forsook its protectorate in Northern Morocco to the new state but kept its two coastal enclaves (] and ]) on the Mediterranean coast which dated from earlier conquests, but over which Morocco still claims ] to this day.
Many Moroccan soldiers (]s) served in the ] in both ] and ], and in the Spanish ] in the ] and after ('']'').


===Post-independence===
From 1921–6 a Berber uprising in the Rif Mountains, led by ], led to the establishment of the Republic of the Rif. The rebellion was suppressed by French and Spanish troops.
{{expand section|date=July 2023}}
Sultan Mohammed became King in 1957. Upon the death of Mohammed V, ] became King of Morocco on 3 March 1961. Morocco held its first ]. However, Hassan declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament in 1965. In 1971 and 1972, there were two failed attempts to depose the king and establish a republic. A truth commission set up in 2005 to investigate human rights abuses during his reign confirmed nearly 10,000 cases, ranging from death in detention to forced exile. Some 592 people were recorded killed during Hassan's rule according to the truth commission.


In 1963, the ] was fought between Algerian and Moroccan troops over Moroccan claims to parts of Algerian territory. A formal peace agreement was signed in February 1964; however, relations remained strained between the two countries following the conflict.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Farsoun |first1=Karen |last2=Paul |first2=Jim |date=1976 |title=War in the Sahara: 1963 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3011767 |journal=MERIP Reports |issue=45 |pages=13–16 |doi=10.2307/3011767 |jstor=3011767 |issn=0047-7265 |access-date=13 August 2023 |archive-date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204210150/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3011767 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Spanish ] of ] in the south was returned to Morocco in 1969.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1969-01-05 |title=Spanish Return Ifni to Morocco |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/01/05/archives/spanish-return-ifni-to-morocco.html |access-date=2023-08-13 |archive-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813010516/https://www.nytimes.com/1969/01/05/archives/spanish-return-ifni-to-morocco.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1943, the ] (Independence Party) was founded to press for independence. That party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement.


The ] was formed in 1973, with the aim of establishing an independent state in the Spanish Sahara. On 6 November 1975, King Hassan asked for volunteers to cross into the Spanish Sahara. Some 350,000 civilians were reported as being involved in the "]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14123260 |title=Morocco profile – Timeline |work=BBC News |date=19 September 2012 |access-date=9 January 2013 |archive-date=23 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223035216/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14123260 |url-status=live }}</ref> A month later, Spain agreed to leave the Spanish Sahara, soon to become Western Sahara, and to transfer it to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control, despite the objections and threats of military intervention by Algeria. Moroccan forces occupied the territory.<ref name="brit" />
France's ] of ] in 1953 to ] and his replacement by the unpopular ] sparked active opposition to the French and Spanish protectorates. The most notable violence occurred in ] where Moroccans attacked French and other European residents in the streets. France allowed Mohammed V to return in 1955, and the negotiations that led to Moroccan independence began the following year.<ref>"". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2009. 2009-11-01.</ref> In March 1956 the French protectorate was ended and Morocco regained its independence from France and Spain as the "Kingdom of Morocco". Spain kept its two coastal enclaves. Sultan Mohammed became king in 1957.


Moroccan and Algerian troops ]. Morocco and Mauritania divided up Western Sahara. Fighting between the Moroccan military and Polisario forces continued for many years. The prolonged war was a considerable financial drain on Morocco. In 1983, Hassan cancelled planned elections amid political unrest and economic crisis. In 1984, Morocco left the Organisation of African Unity in protest at the ]'s admission to the body. Polisario claimed to have killed more than 5,000 Moroccan soldiers between 1982 and 1985.<ref>{{cite web |title=Western Sahara Short Mission Brief |url=https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/files/2017/07/Western-Sahara-brief.pdf |website=sites.tufts.edu/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182513/https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/files/2017/07/Western-Sahara-brief.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Algerian authorities have estimated the number of ] in Algeria to be 165,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20010418142816/http://groups.yahoo.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2001|title=Yahoo! Groups|website=groups.yahoo.com}}</ref> Diplomatic relations with Algeria were restored in 1988. In 1991, a UN-monitored ceasefire began in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. The following decade saw much wrangling over a ] on the future of the territory but the deadlock was not broken.<ref>{{cite book|title=Self-Determination and Secession in International Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZuzAwAAQBAJ&q=Houston+Agreement&pg=PA258|page=258| editor1-first=Christian | editor1-last=Walter| editor2-first= Antje von| editor2-last= Ungern-Sternberg| editor3-first= Kavus| editor3-last= Abushov|publisher=OUP Oxford |year=2014|isbn=9780191006913 }}</ref>
===Reign of King Hassan II===
] in Rabat]]
Upon the death of King Mohammed, ] became King of Morocco on March 3, 1961. Morocco held its first ]. However, Hassan declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament in 1965. In 1971, there was a failed attempt to depose the king and establish a republic. A truth commission set up in 2005 to investigate human rights abuses during his reign confirmed nearly 10,000 cases, ranging from death in detention to forced exile. Some 592 people were recorded killed during Hassan's rule according to the truth commission.


] (1975–1991)]]
The Spanish ] of ] in the south was returned to Morocco in 1969. The ] was formed in 1973, with the aim of establishing an independent state in the Spanish Sahara. On 6 November 1975 King Hassan asked for volunteers to cross into the Spanish Sahara. Some 350,000 civilians were reported as being involved in the "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14123260 |title=Morocco profile – Timeline |publisher=BBC News |date=2012-09-19 |accessdate=2013-01-09}}</ref> A month later, Spain agreed to leave the Spanish Sahara, soon to become Western Sahara, and to transfer it to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control, despite the objections and threats of military intervention by Algeria. Moroccan forces occupied the territory.<ref name="brit" />
Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature with Morocco's first opposition-led government coming to power. King Hassan II died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son, ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Morocco: Royal Succession and Other Developments |url=https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RS20391.html |website=everycrsreport.com |access-date=15 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182514/https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RS20391.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He is a cautious moderniser who has introduced some economic and social liberalisation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Morocco's king pardons satirist |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3376601.stm |work=BBC News |date=7 January 2004 |access-date=22 February 2011 |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511212519/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3376601.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Mohammed VI paid a controversial visit to the Western Sahara in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Morocco will not relinquish territory, King says |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2002/03/07/morocco-will-not-relinquish-territory-king-sayshttps://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2002/03/07/morocco-will-not-relinquish-territory-king-says |access-date=7 March 2002 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Morocco unveiled an autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara to the United Nations in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chronology-Western Sahara -- a 50 year dispute |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1118027 |work=Reuters |date=11 April 2007 |language=en |access-date=15 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182512/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL1118027 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Polisario rejected the plan and put forward its own proposal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Africa's oldest territorial dispute rumbles on |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sahara-idUSL1610108120070416 |work=Reuters |date=16 April 2007 |language=en |access-date=15 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182512/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sahara-idUSL1610108120070416 |url-status=live }}</ref> Morocco and the Polisario Front held UN-sponsored talks in New York City but failed to come to any agreement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Factbox-Some facts about Western Sahara dispute |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/western-sahara/factbox-some-facts-about-western-sahara-dispute |website=reliefweb.int |date=7 November 2010 |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=15 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915234147/http://reliefweb.int/report/western-sahara/factbox-some-facts-about-western-sahara-dispute |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, security forces stormed a protest camp in the Western Sahara, triggering violent demonstrations in the regional capital ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Deadly clashes as Morocco breaks up Western Sahara camp |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11710400 |work=BBC News |date=8 November 2010 |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003190001/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11710400 |url-status=live }}</ref>


] and other world leaders and representatives attend the ] in November 2018.]]
Moroccan and Algerian troops soon clashed in Western Sahara. Morocco and Mauritania divided up Western Sahara. Fighting between the Moroccan military and Polisario forces continued for many years. The prolonged war was a considerable financial drain on Morocco. In 1983, Hassan cancelled planned elections amid political unrest and economic crisis. In 1984, Morocco left the Organisation of African Unity in protest at the ]'s admission to the body. Polisario claimed to have killed more than 5,000 Moroccan soldiers between 1982 and 1985.
In 2002, Morocco and Spain agreed to a US-brokered resolution over the disputed island of ]. Spanish troops had taken the normally uninhabited island after Moroccan soldiers landed on it and set up tents and a flag.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spain withdraws after island deal - July 20, 2002 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/07/20/morocco.spain/ |work=edition.cnn.com |access-date=15 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182512/https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/07/20/morocco.spain/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There were renewed tensions in 2005, as dozens of African migrants stormed the borders of the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. In response, Spain deported dozens of the illegal migrants to Morocco from Melilla.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spain deports illegal enclave migrants |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/10/7/spain-deports-illegal-enclave-migrants |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |date=7 Oct 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182514/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/10/7/spain-deports-illegal-enclave-migrants |archive-date= Oct 3, 2023 }}</ref> In 2006, the Spanish Premier ] visited Spanish enclaves. He was the first Spanish leader in 25 years to make an official visit to the territories.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spain PM visits troubled enclaves |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4665310.stm |date=31 January 2006 |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182512/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4665310.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The following year, Spanish King ] visited Ceuta and Melilla, further angering Morocco which demanded control of the enclaves.<ref>{{cite news |title=Morocco king condemns royal visit |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7082766.stm |date=7 November 2007 |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182552/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7082766.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>


During the ], thousands of people rallied in Rabat and other cities calling for political reform and a new constitution curbing the powers of the king. In July 2011, the King won a landslide victory in a ] on a reformed constitution he had proposed to placate the ] protests.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-11-24 |title=Why has Morocco's king survived the Arab Spring? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15856989 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306045108/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15856989 |archive-date=6 March 2014 }}</ref> In the first ] that followed, the moderate Islamist ] won a plurality of seats, with ] being designated as head of government per the new constitution.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-11-29 |title=Maroc: Mohammed VI nomme Abdelilah Benkirane chef du gouvernement |url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/178337/politique/maroc-mohammed-vi-nomme-abdelilah-benkirane-premier-ministre/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121010554/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/178337/politique/maroc-mohammed-vi-nomme-abdelilah-benkirane-premier-ministre/ |archive-date=21 January 2016 |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=Jeune Afrique |language=fr-FR }}</ref> Despite the reforms made by Mohammed VI, demonstrators continued to call for deeper reforms. Hundreds took part in a trade union rally in Casablanca in May 2012. Participants accused the government of failing to deliver on reforms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mass anti-government protest in Morocco |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2012/5/28/mass-anti-government-protest-in-morocco |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |date=28 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003182518/https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2012/5/28/mass-anti-government-protest-in-morocco |archive-date= Oct 3, 2023 }}</ref>
Diplomatic relations with Algeria were restored in 1988. In 1991, a U.N.-monitored ceasefire began in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. The following decade saw much wrangling over a proposed referendum on the future of the territory but the deadlock was not broken.


On 10 December 2020, ] was announced and Morocco announced its intention to resume diplomatic relations with Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=bin Taher |first1=Ahmed |last2=Barakat |first2=Mahmoud |date=December 20, 2020 |title=Morocco, Israel: 6 decades of secret ties, cooperation |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/morocco-israel-6-decades-of-secret-ties-cooperation/2083157 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216052347/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/morocco-israel-6-decades-of-secret-ties-cooperation/2083157 |archive-date=Feb 16, 2024 |website=Anadolu Ajansı}}</ref> Joint Declaration of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States of America and the State of Israel was signed on 22 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Joint Declaration |date=22 December 2020 |url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Joint-Declaration-US-Morrocco-Israel.pdf |website=state.gov |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240216044129/https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Joint-Declaration-US-Morrocco-Israel.pdf |archive-date= Feb 16, 2024 }}</ref>
Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997 and Morocco's first opposition-led government came to power in 1998.


On 24 August 2021, neighbouring Algeria cut diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing Morocco of supporting a separatist group and hostile actions against Algeria. Morocco called the decision unjustified.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ahmed |first1=Hamid Ould |title=Algeria cuts diplomatic relations with Morocco |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/algeria-says-cutting-diplomatic-ties-with-morocco-2021-08-24/#:%7E:text=Speaking%20at%20a%20news%20conference,on%20the%20Western%20Sahara%20issue |work=Reuters |date=25 August 2021 |language=en |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-date=7 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907051009/https://www.reuters.com/world/algeria-says-cutting-diplomatic-ties-with-morocco-2021-08-24/#:%7E:text=Speaking%20at%20a%20news%20conference,on%20the%20Western%20Sahara%20issue |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Reign of King Mohammed VI===
]
King Hassan II died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son, ]. He is a cautious modernizer who has introduced some economic and social liberalization.<ref>{{cite news|title=Morocco's king pardons satirist|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3376601.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2004-01-07}}</ref>


On 8 September 2023, a 6.8 magnitude ] hit Morocco killing more than 2,800 people and injuring thousands. The ] of the quake was around 70&nbsp;km southwest of city of Marrakech.<ref>{{cite web |title=Timeline: The Deadly September 8 Earthquake in Morocco |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/09/357589/timeline-the-deadly-september-8-earthquake-in-morocco |website=moroccoworldnews.com |access-date=12 September 2023 |archive-date=12 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912063411/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/09/357589/timeline-the-deadly-september-8-earthquake-in-morocco |url-status=live }}</ref>
King Mohammed paid a controversial visit to the Western Sahara in 2002. Morocco unveiled an autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara to the United Nations in 2007. The Polisario rejected the plan and put forward its own proposal. Morocco and the Polisario Front held U.N.-sponsored talks in New York but failed to come to any agreement. In 2010, security forces stormed a protest camp in the Western Sahara, triggering violent demonstrations in the regional capital ].


== Geography ==
In 2002, Morocco and Spain agreed to a US-brokered resolution over the disputed island of Perejil. Spanish troops had taken the normally uninhabited island after Moroccan soldiers landed on it and set up tents and a flag. There were renewed tensions in 2005 as hundreds of African migrants tried to storm the borders of the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Morocco deported hundreds of the illegal migrants. In 2006 the Spanish Premier Zapatero visited Spanish enclaves. He was the first Spanish leader in 25 years to make an official visit to the territories. The following year, Spanish ] visited Ceuta and Melilla, further angering Morocco which demanded the return of the enclaves.
{{main|Geography of Morocco}}
], the highest peak in Northern Africa, at {{convert|4167|m|abbr=on|0}}]]
] near ]]]
] tree in the Atlas range]]
Morocco has a coast by the ] that reaches past the ] into the ]. It is bordered by ] to the north (a water border through the Strait and ] with three small Spanish-controlled ]s, ], ], and ]), ] to the east, and ] to the south. Since Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, its ''de facto'' southern boundary is with ].<ref name="West_Sahara">{{cite book | last=French | first=D. | title=Statehood and Self-Determination: Reconciling Tradition and Modernity in International Law | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-107-02933-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujd84R1TL2AC&pg=PA260 | access-date=June 14, 2024| pages=259–260}}</ref>


The internationally recognised borders of the country lie between latitudes ] and 36°N, and longitudes 1° and ].
In February 2003, a Casablanca court jailed three Saudi members of al-Qaeda for 10 years after they were accused of plotting to attack US and British warships in the Straits of Gibraltar. Three months later, more than 40 people were killed in the ], when suicide bombers attacked several sites in Casablanca, including a Spanish restaurant and Jewish community centre.


The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara desert. Morocco is a ]n country, bordering the ] and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and the annexed Western Sahara. It is one of only three nations (along with ] and ]) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://infcis.iaea.org/udepo/Resources/Countries/Morocco.pdf|title=Morocco|publisher=IAEA|website=IAEA.org|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref>
Those responsible were believed to be Salafiya Jihadiya adherents linked to the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group. One of those extremists was Nourredine Nafia, leader of the GICM (Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group), who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the attacks.


A large part of Morocco is mountainous. The ] are located mainly in the centre and the south of the country. The ] are located in the north of the country. Both ranges are mainly inhabited by the ].<ref name="Aïtel-2014">{{Cite book |last=Aïtel |first=Fazia |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/895334326 |title=We are Imazigen : the development of Algerian Berber identity in twentieth-century literature and culture |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-8130-4895-6 |location=Gainesville, FL |publisher=University of Florida Press |oclc=895334326}}</ref> Its total area is about {{convert|446300|km2|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="BBC country profile">{{cite web |date=26 November 2023 |title=Morocco country profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14121438 |access-date=26 November 2023 |website=BBC News |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127170356/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14121438 |url-status=live }}</ref> Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast, though the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/morocco-wants-normal-ties-with-algeria-king-says-2023-07-29/|title=Morocco wants normal ties with Algeria, king says|date=29 July 2023|accessdate=3 January 2024|work=Reuters|language=en}}</ref>
] demand that authorities follow through on promises of political reform.]]
In the ], three suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up, a few weeks after a suicide blast in an internet cafe that injured three. More than 40 people were given long prison sentences for this bombing. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the US diplomatic offices in Casablanca.


Spanish territory in Northwest Africa neighbouring Morocco comprises five enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: ], ], ], ], the ] islands, and the disputed islet ]. Off the Atlantic coast the ] belong to Spain, whereas ] to the north is ]. To the north, Morocco is bordered by the Strait of Gibraltar, where international shipping has unimpeded ] between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
In 2008, two Moroccan men, Abdelilah Ahriz and Hicham Ahmidan, were sentenced to 20 and 10 years in jail respectively in Morocco over the ] of 2004. Islamist Saad Housseini was given 15-year sentence in 2009 over the 2003 Casablanca bombings. He was also wanted in Spain over the Madrid bombings. Soon after, the alleged al-Qaeda leader in Morocco, Belgian-Moroccan ], was imprisoned for life on being found guilty of leading an Islamist militant group and committing six murders in Belgium.


The Rif mountains stretch over the region bordering the Mediterranean from the north-west to the north-east. The Atlas Mountains run down the backbone of the country,<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Morocco |volume=18 |page=852 |first1=James |last1=Meakin |first2=Kate |last2=Meakin}}</ref> from the northeast to the southwest. Most of the southeast portion of the country is in the ] and as such is generally sparsely populated and unproductive economically. Most of the population lives to the north of these mountains, while to the south lies the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was annexed by Morocco in 1975 (see ]).{{efn|Pending resolution of the ]}} Morocco claims that the Western Sahara is part of its territory and refers to that as its ].<ref name="West_Sahara"/>
In the April ], 17 people, mainly foreigners, were killed in a bomb attack on a Marrakesh cafe. The Maghreb arm of al-Qaeda denied involvement. A man was later sentenced to death for the bombing.


Morocco's capital city is ]; its largest city is its main port, ]. Other cities recording a population over 500,000 in the ] are ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name=moroccocensus2014>{{cite web |url=http://rgph2014.hcp.ma/file/166326/ |title=Population Légale des Régions, Provinces, Préfectures, Municipalités, Arrondissements et Communes du Royaume D'Après Les Résultats du RGPH 2014 |language=ar, fr |publisher=High Commission for Planning, Morocco |date=8 April 2015 |access-date=29 September 2017 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010160550/http://rgph2014.hcp.ma/file/166326/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the ], thousands of people rallied in Rabat and other cities calling for political reform and a new constitution curbing the powers of the king. In July 2011 the King won a landslide victory in a referendum on a reformed constitution he had proposed to placate the ] protests.


Morocco is represented in the ] geographical encoding standard by the symbol ''MA''.<ref name="ISO3166">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/english_country_names_and_code_elements.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721191154/http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/english_country_names_and_code_elements.htm |archive-date=21 July 2011 |title= English country names and code elements |access-date=24 May 2008 |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |date=15 May 2008}}</ref> This code was used as the basis for Morocco's internet domain, ].<ref name="ISO3166"/>
Despite the deep and understanding reforms made by Mohamed 6, that answered most of the concerns raised by the international community, demonstrators continued to call for deeper reforms. Hundreds took part in a trade union rally in Casablanca in May 2012. Participants accused the government of failing to deliver on reforms.


==Geography== ===Climate===
] climate types in Morocco]]
{{Main|Geography of Morocco}}
In area, Morocco's climate is mainly "]" (''Csa'') and "]" (''BWh'') zones.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/morocco|title=Morocco - Summary|publisher=The World Bank Group|website=ClimateChangeKnowledgePortal.WorldBankGroup.org|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref>
], the highest peak in North Africa, at {{convert|4167|m|abbr=on|0}}]]
] in central Morocco]]
] in northern Morocco]]
]
] beach]]
Morocco has a coast on the ] that reaches past the ] into the ]. It is bordered by ] to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with three small Spanish-controlled ]s, ], ], and ]), ] to the east, and ] to the south. Since Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, its ''de facto'' southern boundary is with ].


Central mountain ranges and the effects of the cold ], off the ] coast, are significant factors in Morocco's relatively large variety of vegetation zones, ranging from lush forests in the northern and central mountains, giving way to steppe, semi-arid and desert areas in the eastern and southern regions. The Moroccan coastal plains experience moderate temperatures even in summer.<ref name="climate">{{cite web|url=https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mtzd.pdf|title=Climate Change Risk Profile Morocco|publisher=United States Agency for International Development|website=USAID.gov|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref>
The internationally recognized borders of the country lie between latitudes ] and 36°N, and longitudes 1° and ]. Adding Western Sahara, Morocco lies mostly between ] and ], and ] and ] (the ] peninsula is slightly south of 21° and west of 17°).


In the Rif, Middle and High Atlas Mountains, there exist several different types of climates: Mediterranean along the coastal lowlands, giving way to a humid temperate climate at higher elevations with sufficient moisture to allow for the growth of different species of oaks, moss carpets, junipers, and Atlantic fir which is a royal conifer tree ] to Morocco.<ref name=gaussen>Gaussen, H. (1964). Genre ''Cedrus''. Les Formes Actuelles. ''Trav. Lab. For. Toulouse'' T2 V1 11: 295-320</ref> In the valleys, fertile soils and high precipitation allow for the growth of thick and lush forests. Cloud forests can be found in the west of the Rif Mountains and Middle Atlas Mountains. At higher elevations, the climate becomes alpine in character, and can sustain ski resorts.<ref name="climate"/>
The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara desert. Morocco is a ]n country, bordering the ] and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and the annexed Western Sahara.


Southeast of the Atlas mountains, near the Algerian borders, the climate becomes very dry, with long and hot summers. Extreme heat and low moisture levels are especially pronounced in the lowland regions east of the Atlas range due to the rain shadow effect of the mountain system. The southeasternmost portions of Morocco are very hot, and include portions of the ] desert, where vast swathes of sand dunes and rocky plains are dotted with lush ].<ref name="city_climate">{{cite journal|title=Spatiotemporal Thermal Variations in Moroccan Cities: A Comparative Analysis|pmid=37448080|doi=10.3390/s23136229|author=Ahmed Derdouri|journal=Sensors|date=2023 |volume=23 |issue=13 |page=6229 |doi-access=free |pmc=10346751 |bibcode=2023Senso..23.6229D }}</ref>
A large part of Morocco is mountainous. The ] are located mainly in the center and the south of the country. The ] are located in the north of the country. Both ranges are mainly inhabited by the ]. At {{convert|446550|km2|0|abbr=on}}, Morocco is the fifty-seventh largest country in the world (after ]). Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast, though the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994.


In contrast to the Sahara region in the south, coastal ]s are fertile in the central and northern regions of the country, and comprise the backbone of the country's agriculture, in which 95% of the population live. The direct exposure to the North Atlantic Ocean, the proximity to mainland Europe and the long stretched Rif and Atlas mountains are the factors of the rather European-like climate in the northern half of the country. That makes Morocco a country of contrasts. ] cover about 12% of the country while arable land accounts for 18%. Approximately 5% of Moroccan land is irrigated for agricultural use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/15725-WB_Morocco%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf|title=Climate Change Risk Profile Morocco|publisher=World Bank Group|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref>
Spanish territory in North Africa neighbouring Morocco comprises five enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: ], ], ], ], the ] islands, and the disputed islet ]. Off the Atlantic coast the ] belong to Spain, whereas ] to the north is ]. To the north, Morocco is bordered by the Strait of Gibraltar, where international shipping has unimpeded ] between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
]]]
]]]
In general, apart from the southeast regions (pre-Saharan and desert areas), Morocco's climate and geography are very similar to the Iberian peninsula. Thus Morocco has the following climate zones:
* '''Mediterranean:''' Dominates the coastal Mediterranean regions of the country, along the (500&nbsp;km strip), and some parts of the Atlantic coast. Summers are hot to moderately hot and dry, average highs are between {{convert|29|C|1}} and {{convert|32|C|1}}. Winters are generally mild and wet, daily average temperatures hover around {{convert|9|C|1}} to {{convert|11|C|1}}, and average low are around {{convert|5|C|1}} to {{convert|8|C|1}}, typical to the coastal areas of the west Mediterranean. Annual Precipitation in this area vary from 600 to 800&nbsp;mm in the west to 350–500&nbsp;mm in the east. Notable cities that fall into this zone are ], ], ], ] and ].
* '''Sub-Mediterranean:''' It influences cities that show Mediterranean characteristics, but remain fairly influenced by other climates owing to their either relative elevation, or direct exposure to the North Atlantic Ocean. We thus have two main influencing climates:


:* ''Oceanic:'' Determined by the cooler summers, where highs are around {{convert|27|C|1}} and in terms of the Essaouira region, are almost always around {{convert|21|C|1}}. The medium daily temperatures can get as low as {{convert|19|C|1}}, while winters are chilly to mild and wet. Annual precipitation varies from 400 to 700&nbsp;mm. Notable cities that fall into this zone are ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="city_climate"/>
The Rif mountains stretch over the region bordering the Mediterranean from the north-west to the north-east. The Atlas Mountains run down the backbone of the country, from the northeast to the south west. Most of the southeast portion of the country is in the ] and as such is generally sparsely populated and unproductive economically. Most of the population lives to the north of these mountains, while to the south lies the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was annexed by Morocco in 1975 (see ]).<ref name="border">Pending resolution of the ].</ref> Morocco claims that the Western Sahara is part of its territory and refers to that as its ].


:* ''Continental:'' Determined by the bigger gap between highs and lows, that results in hotter summers and colder winters, than found in typical Mediterranean zones. In summer, daily highs can get as high as {{convert|40|C|1}} during heat waves, but usually are between {{convert|32|C|1}} and {{convert|36|C|1}}. However, temperatures drop as the sun sets. Night temperatures usually fall below {{convert|20|C|1}}, and sometimes as low as {{convert|10|C|1}} in mid-summer. Winters are cooler, and can get below the freezing point multiple times between December and February. Also, snow can fall occasionally. Fès for example registered {{convert|-8|C|1}} in winter 2005. Annual precipitation varies between 500 and 900&nbsp;mm. Notable cities are ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="city_climate"/>
Morocco's capital city is ]; its largest city is its main port, ]. Other cities include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
* '''Continental:''' Dominates the mountainous regions of the north and central parts of the country, where summers are hot to very hot, with highs between {{convert|32|C|1}} and {{convert|36|C|1}}. Winters on the other hand are cold, and lows usually go beyond the freezing point. And when cold damp air comes to Morocco from the northwest, for a few days, temperatures sometimes get below {{convert|-5|C|1}}. It often snows abundantly in this part of the country. Precipitation varies between 400 and 800&nbsp;mm. Notable cities are ], ], ] and ].
* '''Alpine:''' Found in some parts of the Middle Atlas Mountain range and the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountain range. Summers are very warm to moderately hot, and winters are longer, cold and snowy. Precipitation varies between 400 and 1200&nbsp;mm. In summer highs barely go above {{convert|30|C|1}}, and lows are cool and average below {{convert|15|C|1}}. In winters, highs average around {{convert|8|C|1}}, and lows go well below the freezing point. In this part of country, there are many ski resorts, such as Oukaimeden and Mischliefen. Notable cities are ], ] and ].
* '''Semi-arid:''' This type of climate is found in the south of the country and some parts of the east of the country, where rainfall is lower and annual precipitations are between 200 and 350&nbsp;mm. However, one usually finds Mediterranean characteristics in those regions, such as the precipitation pattern and thermal attributes. Notable cities are ], ] and ].<ref name="city_climate"/>


South of Agadir and east of Jerada near the Algerian borders, arid and desert climate starts to prevail.
Morocco is represented in the ] geographical encoding standard by the symbol ''MA''.<ref name="ISO3166">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/english_country_names_and_code_elements.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721191154/http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/english_country_names_and_code_elements.htm |archivedate=2011-07-21 |title= English country names and code elements |accessdate=2008-05-24 |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |date=2008-05-15 }}</ref> This code was used as the basis for Morocco's internet domain, .ma.<ref name="ISO3166"/>


Due to Morocco's proximity to the Sahara desert and the North Sea of the Atlantic Ocean, two phenomena occur to influence the regional seasonal temperatures, either by raising temperatures by 7–8 degrees Celsius when ] blows from the east creating heatwaves, or by lowering temperatures by 7–8 degrees Celsius when cold damp air blows from the northwest, creating a coldwave or cold spell. However, these phenomena do not last for more than two to five days on average.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Impact of climate change on extremes events in Morocco|author1=W. Hammoudy|author2=R. Ilmen|author3=M. Sinan|journal=IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci|date=2022 |volume=1090 |issue=1 |page=012034 |doi=10.1088/1755-1315/1090/1/012034|bibcode=2022E&ES.1090a2034H |doi-access=free}}</ref>
===Climate===

], Middle Atlas, where the lowest temperature in Africa and the Arab world was recorded {{Convert|−24|C|0}}, in 1935]]
] is expected to significantly impact Morocco on multiple dimensions. As a coastal country with hot and arid climates, environmental impacts are likely to be wide and varied. As of the 2019 ], Morocco was ranked second in ].<ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Morocco: Ranked second worldwide in climate change control|url=https://www.afrik21.africa/en/morocco-ranked-second-worldwide-in-climate-change-control/|date=30 April 2020|website=Afrik 21|language=en-US|access-date=29 May 2020|archive-date=10 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210154206/https://www.afrik21.africa/en/morocco-ranked-second-worldwide-in-climate-change-control/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The climate is ] in the North and in some mountains (West of Atlas), which becomes more extreme towards the interior regions. The terrain is such that the coastal ]s are rich and accordingly, they comprise the backbone for ], especially in the North. ]s cover about 12% of the land while arable land accounts for 18%; 5% is irrigated. In the Atlas (Middle Atlas), there are several different climates: Mediterranean (with some more humid and fresher variants), Maritime Temperate (with some humid and fresher variants too) that allow different species of oaks, moss carpets, junipers, atlantic cedars and many other plants, to form extensive and very rich humid cloud forests. The climate changes when moving east of the Atlas mountains due to the barrier, or shelter, effect of the mountain system, becoming very dry and extremely warm during the long summer, especially on the lowlands and on the valleys facing the Sahara. The Sahara Desert begins here, and it is perfectly visible, for example, on the Draa Valley, where it is possible to find ], sand dunes and rocky desert landscapes.


===Biodiversity=== ===Biodiversity===
{{main|Wildlife of Morocco}}
Morocco is known for its ]; ] being the most notable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.africanconservation.org/moroccoprofile.html |title=Profile on Morocco |accessdate=2007-05-10 |work=African Conservation Foundation |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20040302201903/http://www.africanconservation.org/moroccoprofile.html |archivedate = March 2, 2004}}</ref> The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, five of which have been ] by humans, and 156 are rarely or accidentally seen.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.go-south.org/08_Go_SouthBulletin/gsb_7_15-55.pdf|author=Bergier, P. and Thévenot, M. |year=2006|title= Liste des oiseaux du Maroc|journal=Go-South Bull|volume=3|pages= 51–83}}</ref>
] carrying his offspring, a behaviour rarely found in other primates]]
]]]
Morocco has a wide range of ]. It is part of the ], an area with exceptional concentrations of endemic species undergoing rapid rates of habitat loss, and is therefore considered to be a hotspot for conservation priority.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Myers|first1=Norman|last2=Mittermeier|first2=Russell A.|last3=Mittermeier|first3=Cristina G.|last4=da Fonseca|first4=Gustavo A. B.|last5=Kent|first5=Jennifer|date= 2000|title=Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities|journal=Nature|volume=403|issue=6772|pages=853–858|doi=10.1038/35002501|pmid=10706275|bibcode=2000Natur.403..853M|s2cid=4414279}}</ref> ] are notably variant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.africanconservation.org/moroccoprofile.html |title=Profile on Morocco |access-date=10 May 2007 |publisher=African Conservation Foundation |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040302201903/http://www.africanconservation.org/moroccoprofile.html |archive-date = 2 March 2004}}</ref> The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, five of which have been ] by humans, and 156 are rarely or accidentally seen.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.go-south.org/08_Go_SouthBulletin/gsb_7_15-55.pdf|author=Bergier, P.|author2=Thévenot, M.|year=2006|title=Liste des oiseaux du Maroc|journal=Go-South Bull|volume=3|pages=51–83|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118223945/http://www.go-south.org/08_Go_SouthBulletin/gsb_7_15-55.pdf|archive-date=18 January 2012}}</ref>

The ], hunted to extinction in the wild, was a subspecies native to Morocco and is a national emblem.<ref name=CIA/> The last Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922.<ref>{{Cite book|editor=Nowell K, Jackson P|title=Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan|chapter-url=http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf|year=1996|publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group|location=Gland, Switzerland|isbn=978-2-8317-0045-8|pages=17–21|chapter=Panthera Leo|access-date=20 March 2011|archive-date=7 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807215533/http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The other two primary predators of northern Africa, the ] and ], are now extinct and critically endangered, respectively. Relic populations of the ] persisted in the ] until the 20th century.<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810113430/http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0014734 |date=10 August 2018 }}". '']''. 25 February 2011.</ref>

The Barbary macaque, a primate endemic to Morocco and Algeria, is also facing extinction due to offtake for trade<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nijman|first1=Vincent|last2=Bergin|first2=Daniel|last3=Lavieren|first3=Els van|date=1 July 2015|title=Barbary macaques exploited as photo-props in Marrakesh's punishment square|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280111452|journal=ResearchGate|volume=Jul–Sep|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-date=31 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133214/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280111452|url-status=live}}</ref> human interruption, urbanisation, wood and real estate expansion that diminish forested area – the macaque's habitat.

Trade of animals and plants for food, pets, medicinal purposes, souvenirs and photo props is common across Morocco, despite laws making much of it illegal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bergin|first1=Daniel|last2=Nijman|first2=Vincent|date=21 December 2015|title=Potential benefits of impending Moroccan wildlife trade laws, a case study in carnivore skins|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287807462|journal=Biodiversity and Conservation|volume=25|issue=1|pages=199–201|doi=10.1007/s10531-015-1042-1|s2cid=34533018|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-date=7 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107220433/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287807462_Potential_benefits_of_impending_Moroccan_wildlife_trade_laws_a_case_study_in_carnivore_skins|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bergin|first1=Daniel|last2=Nijman|first2=Vincent|date=1 November 2014|title=Open, Unregulated Trade in Wildlife in Morocco's Markets|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267748463|journal=ResearchGate|volume=26|issue=2|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-date=31 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133219/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267748463|url-status=live}}</ref> This trade is unregulated and causing unknown reductions of wild populations of native Moroccan wildlife. Because of the proximity of northern Morocco to Europe, species such as cacti, tortoises, mammal skins, and high-value birds (falcons and bustards) are harvested in various parts of the country and exported in appreciable quantities, with especially large volumes of eel harvested – 60 tons exported to the Far East in the period 2009‒2011.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nijman|first1=Vincent|last2=Bergin|first2=Daniel|last3=Lavieren|first3=Els van|date=1 September 2016|title=Conservation in an ever-globalizing world: wildlife trade in, from, and through Morocco, a gateway to Europe|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307598081|journal=ResearchGate|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-date=5 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905012505/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307598081_Conservation_in_an_ever-globalizing_world_wildlife_trade_in_from_and_through_Morocco_a_gateway_to_Europe|url-status=live}}</ref>


Morocco is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> It had a 2019 ] mean score of 6.74/10, ranking it 66th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref>
The ], hunted to extinction in the wild, was a subspieces native to Morocco and is a national emblem.<ref name=CIA/> The last Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922.<ref>{{Cite book|editor=Nowell K, Jackson P|title=Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan|url=http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf|format=PDF|year=1996|publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group|location=Gland, Switzerland|isbn=2-8317-0045-0|pages=17–21|chapter=Panthera Leo}}</ref> The other two primary predators of northern Africa, the ] and ], are now extinct and critically endangered, respectively.


== Government and politics ==
==Politics==
{{Main|Politics of Morocco}} {{Main|Politics of Morocco}}
], ]]] ], ]]]
According to the 2022 '']'', Morocco is ruled under a ], scoring #3 in the ], and #95 in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Democracy Index 2022: Frontline democracy and the battle for Ukraine |url=https://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/DI-final-version-report.pdf |website=] |language=en-GB |access-date=2 July 2023 |archive-date=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330123307/https://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/DI-final-version-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Morocco has a "difficult" ranking on the 2023 '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=Morocco / Western Sahara |url=https://rsf.org/en/country/morocco-western-sahara |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=rsf.org |language=en |archive-date=2 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702083153/https://rsf.org/en/country/morocco-western-sahara |url-status=live }}</ref>
Morocco is a ] ], whereby the ] is the ], and of a ]. ] is exercised by the government. ] is vested in both the ] and the two chambers of parliament, the ] and the ].


Following the March 1998 elections, a coalition government headed by opposition ] leader ] and composed largely of ministers drawn from opposition parties, was formed. Prime Minister Youssoufi's government was the first ever government drawn primarily from opposition parties, and also represents the first opportunity for a coalition of socialists, left-of-center, and nationalist parties to be included in the government until October 2002. It was also the first time in the modern political history of the Arab world that the opposition assumed power following an election.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} The current government is headed by ]. Following the March 1998 elections, a coalition government headed by opposition ] leader ] and composed largely of ministers drawn from opposition parties, was formed. Prime Minister Youssoufi's government was the first ever government drawn primarily from opposition parties, and also represents the first opportunity for a coalition of socialists, left-of-centre, and nationalist parties to be included in the government until October 2002. It was also the first time in the modern political history of the Arab world that the opposition assumed power following an election. The current government is headed by ].


The ] provides for a monarchy with a ] and an independent ]. With the ], the King of Morocco still retains few executive powers whereas those of the prime minister have been enlarged. The ] provides for a monarchy with a ] and an independent ]. With the ], the King of Morocco retains less executive powers whereas those of the prime minister have been enlarged.<ref>Schemm, Paul (17 June 2011) . Associated Press.</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024053618/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0702/breaking8.html |date=24 October 2012 }}. ''The Irish Times''. 2 July 2011.</ref>


The constitution grants the king honorific powers; he is both the secular political leader and the "Commander of the Faithful" as a direct descendant of the Prophet ]. He presides over the Council of Ministers; appoints the ] from the political party that has won the most seats in the parliamentary elections, and on recommendations from the latter, appoints the members of the government. The constitution grants the king honorific powers (among other powers); he is both the secular political leader and the "]" as a direct descendant of the Prophet ]. He presides over the Council of Ministers; appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that has won the most seats in the parliamentary elections, and on recommendations from the latter, appoints the members of the government.


The previous constitution of 1996 theoretically allowed the king to terminate the tenure of any minister, and after consultation with the heads of the higher and lower Assemblies, to dissolve the Parliament, suspend the constitution, call for new elections, or rule by decree, the only time this happened was in 1965. The King is formally the chief of the military. The constitution of 1996 theoretically allowed the king to terminate the tenure of any minister, and after consultation with the heads of the higher and lower Assemblies, to dissolve the Parliament, suspend the constitution, call for new elections, or rule by decree. The only time this happened was in 1965. The King is formally the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.


===Legislative branch=== ===Legislative branch===
].]] ]
Since the constitutional reform of 1996, the bicameral legislature consists of two chambers. The ] (''Majlis an-Nuwwâb/Assemblée des Répresentants'') has 325 members elected for a five-year term, 295 elected in multi-seat ] and 30 in national lists consisting only of women. The ] (''Majlis al-Mustasharin'') has 270 members, elected for a nine-year term, elected by local councils (162 seats), professional chambers (91 seats) and wage-earners (27 seats). Since the constitutional reform of 1996, the bicameral legislature consists of two chambers. The ] (''Majlis an-Nuwwâb/Assemblée des Répresentants'') has 395 members elected for a five-year term, 305 elected in multi-seat ] and 90 in national lists consisting of women and youth.


The ] (''Majlis al-Mustasharin'') has 120 members, elected for a six-year term. 72 members are elected at the regional level, 20 members are elected from trade unions, 8 seats from professional organisations and 20 from wage-earners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morocco - House of Councillors |url=https://data.ipu.org/parliament/MA/MA-UC01/ |access-date=2024-06-01}}</ref>
The Parliament's powers, though still relatively limited, were expanded under the 1992 and 1996 and even further in the 2011 constitutional revisions and include ]ary matters, approving ]s, questioning ministers, and establishing ad hoc commissions of inquiry to investigate the government's actions. The lower chamber of Parliament may dissolve the government through a ].


The Parliament's powers, though still relatively limited, were expanded under the 1992 and 1996 and even further in the 2011 constitutional revisions and include ]ary matters, approving ]s, questioning ministers, and establishing ad hoc commissions of inquiry to investigate the government's actions. The lower chamber of Parliament may dissolve the government through a ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amraoui |first=Ahmed El |title=Morocco election: Everything you need to know |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/9/30/morocco-election-everything-you-need-to-know |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210182618/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/9/30/morocco-election-everything-you-need-to-know |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-03-11 |title=Morocco |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100602.htm |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=US Department of State |archive-date=6 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206195317/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100602.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Morocco: Government |url=https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/morocco/government |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=globaledge.msu.edu |language=en-us |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605041633/https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/morocco/government |url-status=live }}</ref>
The latest parliamentary elections were held on ], and were considered by some neutral observers to be mostly free and fair. Voter turnout in these elections was estimated to be 43% of registered voters.


The latest parliamentary elections were held on ]. Voter turnout in these elections was estimated to be 50.35% of registered voters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Elections: High Turnout in Southern Provinces, Tangible Proof of Attachment to Morocco - Mauritanian Political Parties {{!}} MapNews |url=https://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/politics/2021-elections-high-turnout-southern-provinces-tangible-proof-attachment-morocco |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=www.mapnews.ma |date=14 September 2021 |archive-date=1 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601064949/https://www.mapnews.ma/en/actualites/politics/2021-elections-high-turnout-southern-provinces-tangible-proof-attachment-morocco |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=2021-09-09 |title=Morocco elections: Islamists suffer losses as liberal parties gain ground |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/09/islamists-suffer-losses-as-liberal-parties-gain-ground-in-morocco-elections |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
=== Military ===

] of the ].]]
=== Administrative divisions ===
{{Main|Military of Morocco}}
]
Compulsory military service in Morocco has been officially suppressed since September 2006, and the country’s reserve obligation lasts until age 50. The country’s military consists of the Royal Armed Forces—this includes ] (the largest branch) and ] and ]—the National Police Force, the Royal Gendarmerie (mainly responsible for rural security), and the Auxiliary Forces. Internal security is generally effective, and acts of political violence are rare (with one exception, the ] which killed 45 people<ref>Migdalovitz, Carol (2010-02-03). '''', Congressional Research Service.</ref>). The U.N. maintains a small observer force in Western Sahara, where a large number of Morocco’s troops are stationed. The Saharawi group ] maintains an active militia of an estimated 5,000 fighters in Western Sahara and has engaged in intermittent warfare with Moroccan forces since the 1980s.
Morocco is officially divided into 12 ]s,<ref name=reg>{{cite web |url=http://www.pncl.gov.ma/fr/EspaceJuridique/DocLib/d%C3%A9cret%20fixant%20le%20nombre%20des%20r%C3%A9gions.pdf |title=Décret fixant le nom des régions |access-date=11 July 2015 |work=Portail National des Collectivités Territoriales |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083233/http://www.pncl.gov.ma/fr/EspaceJuridique/DocLib/d%C3%A9cret%20fixant%20le%20nombre%20des%20r%C3%A9gions.pdf |archive-date=18 May 2015}}</ref> which, in turn, are subdivided into ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/yma.html|title=Morocco Prefectures|website=www.statoids.com|access-date=4 November 2006|archive-date=16 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516150543/http://www.statoids.com/yma.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Regions'''
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===Foreign relations=== ===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Morocco}} {{main|Foreign relations of Morocco}}
Morocco remains the only African state not to be a member of the ] due to its unilateral withdrawal on November 12, 1984 over the admission of the ] in 1982 by the ] as a full member without the organization of a referendum of self-determination in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.


Morocco is a member of the ] and belongs to the ] (AU), ], ] (UMA), ] (OIC), the ] and the ] (CEN_SAD). Morocco's relationships vary greatly between African, Arab, and Western states. Morocco has had strong ties to the West in order to gain economic and political benefits.<ref name="nationsencyclopedia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/World-Leaders-2003/Morocco-FOREIGN-POLICY.html|title=Encyclopedia of the Nations: Morocco Foreign Policy|access-date=23 October 2009|archive-date=5 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205210719/http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/World-Leaders-2003/Morocco-FOREIGN-POLICY.html|url-status=live}}</ref> France and Spain remain the primary trade partners, as well as the primary creditors and foreign investors in Morocco. From the total foreign investments in Morocco, the ] invests approximately 73.5%, whereas, the Arab world invests only 19.3%. Many countries from the ] and ] regions are getting more involved in large-scale development projects in Morocco.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?article=190 |title=GCC Countries Invest Heavily in Morocco |access-date=23 October 2009 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807190426/http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?article=190 |url-status=live }}</ref>
A dispute with Spain in 2002 over the tiny island of Perejil revived the issue of the sovereignty of ] and ]. These small enclaves on the Mediterranean coast are surrounded by Morocco and have been administered by Spain for centuries.


] and ].]]
Morocco has been given the status of non-NATO ally by the US government.
Morocco's membership in the ] has been marked by significant events. In 1984, Morocco withdrew from the organisation after it admitted the ] in 1982 without conducting a referendum of self-determination in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.<ref name="worldbulletin">{{cite news |date=30 January 2017 |title=Morocco rejoins African Union |url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/183967/morocco-rejoins-african-union |access-date=31 January 2017 |publisher=Worldbulletin |archive-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720013737/http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/183967/morocco-rejoins-african-union |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=30 January 2017 |title=Morocco to rejoin African Union despite Western Sahara dispute |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38795676 |access-date=31 January 2017 |work=BBC News |publisher=bbc.com |archive-date=15 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415234904/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38795676 |url-status=live }}</ref> This decision was made unilaterally by Morocco. However, in 2017, Morocco rejoined the AU, signaling a shift in its diplomatic stance. In August 2021, ] severed diplomatic relations with Morocco.<ref>{{cite web |title=Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with Morocco over 'hostile actions' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/24/algeria-cuts-diplomatic-ties-with-morocco |website=Al-Jazeera |date=24 August 2021 |ref=1 |access-date=29 August 2021 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404144707/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/24/algeria-cuts-diplomatic-ties-with-morocco |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2002, a ] arose, which brought attention to the issue of the sovereignty of ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tremlett |first=Giles |date=2002-07-13 |title=Moroccans seize Parsley Island and leave a bitter taste in Spanish mouths |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jul/13/spain.gilestremlett |access-date=2024-04-03 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=16 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416115708/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jul/13/spain.gilestremlett |url-status=live }}</ref> These small enclaves on the Mediterranean coast are surrounded by Morocco and have been under Spanish administration for centuries.

In 2004, the ] granted Morocco the status of ].<ref>{{Cite news|date=4 June 2004|title=US rewards Morocco for terror aid|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3776413.stm|access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129053156/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3776413.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Morocco was the first country in the world to recognise US sovereignty, in 1777.

After gaining independence, ], receiving significant economic and military aid.<ref name=":8" /> This partnership flourished during the ], with Morocco becoming a key ally against communist expansion in ]. In return, the US supported Morocco's territorial ambitions and efforts to modernise its economy. Morocco received more than $400 million in American aid between 1957 and 1963, which elevated it to the fifth-largest recipient of US agricultural assistance by 1966. The long-lasting relationship between the two nations has endured, with the US remaining one of Morocco's top allies.

Additionally, Morocco is included in the European Union's ] (ENP), which aims at bringing the ] and its neighbours closer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-01 |title=Morocco - European Commission |url=https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy/countries-region/morocco_en |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu |language=en |archive-date=3 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403192324/https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy/countries-region/morocco_en |url-status=live }}</ref>


===Western Sahara status=== ===Western Sahara status===
{{Main|Legal status of Western Sahara}} {{main|Legal status of Western Sahara}}
] is the territory controlled by the Polisario Front]] ] control the territory east of the ].]]
Because of the conflict over ], the status of both regions of "]" and "]" is disputed. The ] saw the Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement ] battling Morocco and Mauritania from 1976 to 1991. There is a ceasefire in effect since 1991, and a U.N. mission (]) is tasked with organizing a referendum on whether the territory should become independent or recognized as a part of Morocco. The status of the ] and ] regions is disputed. The ] saw the ], the Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement, battling both Morocco and Mauritania between 1976 and a ceasefire in 1991 that is still in effect. A United Nations mission, ], is tasked with organising a referendum on whether the territory should become independent or recognised as a part of Morocco.


Part of the territory, the ], is a mostly uninhabited area controlled by the ] as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic with Headquarters at ] in Algeria. As of 2006, no ] has recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.<ref name="daccess-dds-ny.un.org">{{cite web|title=Paragraph 37|url=http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2006/249|work=Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (S/2006/249)|publisher=United Nations Security Council|page=10}}</ref> Part of the territory, the ], is a mostly uninhabited area that the Polisario Front controls as the ]. Its administrative headquarters are located in ], Algeria. {{As of|2006}}, no ] had recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.<ref name="daccess-dds-ny.un.org">{{cite web |title=Paragraph 37 |url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2006/249 |work=Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (S/2006/249) |publisher=United Nations Security Council |page=10 |access-date=29 June 2017 |archive-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018112734/http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2006/249 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, the United States under the ] became the first Western country to back Morocco's contested sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, on the agreement that Morocco would simultaneously normalise ].<ref>Majid, Jacob. " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016004918/https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-reportedly-wont-reverse-trump-recognition-of-western-sahara-as-moroccos/ |date=16 October 2021 }}", '']'' (1 May 2021).</ref>


In 2006, the government of Morocco has suggested ] status for the region, through the Moroccan ] (CORCAS). The project was presented to the ] in mid-April 2007. The proposal was encouraged by Moroccan allies such as the ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2006/03/06RABAT557.html |title=06RABAT557, SPANISH AMBASSADOR ON WESTERN SAHARA, MIGRATION|accessdate=2010-12-15 |date=2006-03-06}}</ref> The Security Council has called upon the parties to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to reach a mutually accepted political solution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minurso/reports.shtml|title=Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara |date=2007-04-13|accessdate=2007-05-18 |work=UN Security Council }}</ref> In 2006, the government of Morocco suggested ] status for the region, through the Moroccan ] (CORCAS). The project was presented to the ] in mid-April 2007. The proposal was encouraged by Moroccan allies such as the ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/the-western-sahara-conflict-a-fragile-path-to-negotiations/|title=The Western Sahara conflict: A fragile path to negotiations|last=Fabiani|first=Riccardo|publisher=Atlantic Council|date=August 3, 2023|website=AtlanticCouncil.org|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref> The Security Council has called upon the parties to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to reach a mutually accepted political solution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minurso/reports.shtml|title=Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara|date=13 April 2007|access-date=18 May 2007|work=UN Security Council|archive-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228172226/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minurso/reports.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Clear}}


===Military===
==Administrative divisions==
{{main|Royal Moroccan Armed Forces}}
]
] of the ]]]
Morocco is divided into 16 ]s,<ref></ref> and subdivided into 62 ]s and ]s.<ref></ref>
Morocco's military consists of the Royal Armed Forces—this includes the ] (the largest branch), the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ]. Internal security is generally effective, and acts of political violence are rare (with one exception, the ] which killed 45 people<ref>Migdalovitz, Carol (3 February 2010). '' {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125150908/http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS21579_20100203.pdf |date=25 January 2012}}'', Congressional Research Service.</ref>).


The UN maintains a small observer force in Western Sahara, where a large number of Moroccan troops are stationed. The Sahrawi ] maintains an active militia of an estimated 5,000 fighters in Western Sahara and has engaged in intermittent warfare with Moroccan forces since the 1970s.
# ]

# ]
=== Human rights ===
# ]
{{See also|Human rights in Morocco|LGBT rights in Morocco}}
# ]
During the early 1960s to the late 1980s, under the leadership of ], Morocco had one of the worst human rights records in both Africa and the world. Government repression of political dissent was widespread during Hassan II's leadership, until it dropped sharply in the mid-1990s. The decades during which abuses were committed are referred to as the ] (''les années de plomb''), and included ]s, assassinations of government opponents and protesters, and secret internment camps such as ]. To examine abuses committed during the reign of ] (1961–1999), the government under King Mohammed set up an ] (IER).<ref> – ] (ICTJ) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928230433/http://www.ictj.com/mena/morocco.asp |date=28 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hrw.org/reports/2005/morocco1105/6.htm#_Toc119468378|title=Morocco's Truth Commission: Honoring Past Victims during an Uncertain Present: V. Constraints on the ERC|website=hrw.org|access-date=3 June 2017|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031020038/https://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/morocco1105/6.htm#_Toc119468378|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# ]

# ]
According to a ] annual report in 2016, Moroccan authorities restricted the rights to peaceful expression, association and assembly through several laws. The authorities continue to prosecute both printed and online media which criticises the government or the ] (or the royal family).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2016/country-chapters/morocco/western-sahara|title=Morocco and Western Sahara|chapter=Morocco and Western Sahara: Events of 2015|date=12 January 2016|access-date=3 June 2017|archive-date=29 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529211942/https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2016/country-chapters/morocco/western-sahara|url-status=live}}</ref> There are also persistent allegations of violence against both ] pro-] and pro-] ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/18566|title=afrol News – Western Sahara activists released, re-arrested in riots|website=www.afrol.com|access-date=3 June 2017|archive-date=27 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727232116/http://www.afrol.com/articles/18566|url-status=live}}</ref> in Western Sahara; a disputed territory which is occupied by and considered by Morocco as part of its ]. Morocco has been accused of detaining Sahrawi pro-independence activists as prisoners of conscience.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGMDE290072006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422023532/http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGMDE290072006 |title=Morocco/Western Sahara: Sahrawi human rights defender on trial |website=Amnesty International |archive-date=22 April 2006}}</ref>
# ]

# ]
] as well as pre-marital sex are illegal in Morocco, and can be punishable by six months to three years of imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web |author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/469cd6af0.html |title=Refworld &#124; Morocco: The treatment of homosexuals, including protection offered by the state and the attitude of the population |publisher=UNHCR |date=5 March 2007 |access-date=3 June 2017 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010154533/http://www.refworld.org/docid/469cd6af0.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/criminal-laws-on-homosexuality/african-nations-laws.php |title=Laws on Homosexuality in African Nations |work=Library of Congress |date=2015 |access-date=3 June 2017 |archive-date=19 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619211045/http://www.loc.gov/law/help/criminal-laws-on-homosexuality/african-nations-laws.php |url-status=live }}</ref> It is illegal to ] for any religion other than ] (article 220 of the Moroccan Penal Code), and that crime is punishable by a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment.<ref>{{cite book|title=Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam|author1=Saeed, A.|author2=Saeed, H.|date=2004|publisher=Ashgate|isbn=9780754630838|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HzFZKWc9SCgC|page=19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bladi.net/famille-francaise-proselytisme-marrakech,42177.html |title=Une famille française arrêtée pour prosélytisme à Marrakech |date=4 July 2015 |work=bladi.net |language=fr |access-date=3 June 2017 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010160613/https://www.bladi.net/famille-francaise-proselytisme-marrakech,42177.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Violence against women and sexual harassment have been criminalised. The penalty can be from one month to five years, with fines ranging from $200 to $1,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/morocco-violence-women-law-effect-180912061837132.html|title=Morocco criminalises violence against women and sexual harassment|website=Al Jazeera|access-date=14 September 2018|archive-date=13 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913214246/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/morocco-violence-women-law-effect-180912061837132.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
# ]

# ]
It is a criminal offence in Morocco to undermine the monarchy; in August 2023, a Moroccan resident of Qatar was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for criticising the King's policy decisions on Facebook.<ref>{{cite news |title=Moroccan man jailed for five years for criticising king in Facebook posts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/03/moroccan-man-jailed-for-five-years-for-criticising-king-in-facebook-posts |website=Guardian |date=3 August 2023 |access-date=4 August 2023 |agency=Agence France-Presse }}</ref>
# ]
# ]
# ]
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==Economy== == Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Morocco}} {{main|Economy of Morocco}}
]]]
]
Morocco's economy is considered a relatively ] governed by the ]. Since 1993, the country has followed a policy of ] of certain economic sectors which used to be in the hands of the ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Leonard |first=Thomas M. |title=Encyclopedia of the Developing World |publisher= Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-97663-3 |page=1085 |year=2006}}</ref> Morocco has become a major player in African economic affairs,<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304222839/http://www.moroccobusinessnews.com/Content/Article.asp?idr=18&id=1299 |date=4 March 2016 }}. Moroccobusinessnews.com (16 December 2009). Retrieved 17 April 2015.</ref> and is the ] by GDP (PPP). Morocco was ranked as the first African country by the ]'s ], ahead of ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Democracy Index 2020 |url=https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2020/ |access-date=17 May 2022 |website=Economist Intelligence Unit |language=en-GB |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303040250/https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, in the years since that first-place ranking was given, Morocco has slipped into fourth place behind ].
] (background) on the Mohamed Zerktouni Boulevard, the commercial and economic heart of Casablanca]]
Morocco's economy is considered a relatively ] governed by the ]. Since 1993, the country has followed a policy of ] of certain economic sectors which used to be in the hands of the ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Leonard |first=Thomas M. |title=Encyclopedia of the Developing World|publisher= Taylor & Francis |isbn=0-415-97663-4 |page=1085}}</ref>


Government reforms and steady yearly growth in the region of 4–5% from 2000 to 2007, including 4.9% year-on-year growth in 2003–2007 helped the Moroccan economy to become much more robust compared to a few years ago. For 2012 the World Bank forecasts a rate of 4% growth for Morocco and 4.2% for following year, 2013.<ref></ref> Government reforms and steady yearly growth in the region of 4–5% from 2000 to 2007, including 4.9% year-on-year growth in 2003–2007 helped the Moroccan economy to become much more robust compared to a few years earlier. For 2012 the World Bank forecast a rate of 4% growth for Morocco and 4.2% for following year, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.nuqudy.com/General_Overview/North_Africa/IMF_Gives_Morocco_P-875|title=IMF Gives Morocco Positive Review. nuqudy.com (2012-02-09).|access-date=12 February 2012|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630031256/http://english.nuqudy.com/General_Overview/North_Africa/IMF_Gives_Morocco_P-875}}</ref>


The ] accounts for just over half of ] and industry, made up of mining, construction and manufacturing, is an additional quarter. The industries that recorded the highest growth are ], telecoms, information technology, and textile. The ] accounts for just over half of ] and industry, made up of mining, construction and manufacturing, is an additional quarter. The industries that recorded the highest growth are ], telecoms, information technology, and textile.


===Tourism===
] accounts for only around 14% of GDP but employs 40–45% of the Moroccan working population. With a semi-arid climate and an ill-developed irrigation system, it is difficult to assure enough irrigation. Morocco’s economy depends heavily on the weather, a typical characteristic of third-world countries.
{{main|Tourism in Morocco}}
] in Marrakech]]
Tourism is one of the most important sectors in Moroccan economy.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyGjpyNAur0C&pg=PA367|title=Geography of Travel & Tourism|last1=Hudman|first1=Lloyd E.|last2=Jackson|first2=Richard H.|date=2003|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=0766832562|language=en}}</ref> It is well developed with a strong tourist industry focused on the country's coast, culture, and history. Morocco attracted more than 13&nbsp;million tourists in 2019. Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in Morocco after the phosphate industry. The Moroccan government is heavily investing in tourism development, in 2010 the government launched its Vision 2020 which plans to make Morocco one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world and to double the annual number of international arrivals to 20&nbsp;million by 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelnewsdigest.in/?p=16905|title=Morocco sets the goal of attracting 20 million tourists by 2020|work=India's leading B2B travel news website|access-date=26 July 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727215100/http://www.travelnewsdigest.in/?p=16905|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the hope that tourism will then have risen to 20% of GDP.


Large government sponsored marketing campaigns to attract tourists advertised Morocco as an inexpensive and exotic, yet safe, place for tourists. Most of the visitors to Morocco continue to be European, with French nationals making up almost 20% of all visitors. Most Europeans visit between April and August.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tourisme.gov.ma/en/tourism-figures/dashboards|title=Dashboards|website=Kingdom of Morocco, Ministry of Tourism|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=29 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329175651/https://www.tourisme.gov.ma/en/tourism-figures/dashboards}}</ref> Morocco's relatively high number of tourists has been aided by its location—Morocco is close to Europe and attracts visitors to its beaches. Because of its proximity to Spain, tourists in southern Spain's coastal areas take one- to three-day trips to Morocco.
The major resources of the Moroccan economy are ], ]s, and ]. Sales of fish and seafood are important as well. ] and mining contribute about one-third of the annual GDP. Morocco is the world's third-largest producer of phosphorus after China and the United States,<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0609-54|title=Phosphorus: A Looming Crisis|year=2009|last1=Vaccari|first1=David A.|journal=Scientific American|volume=300|issue=6|pages=54–9|pmid=19485089|url=http://www2.research.uky.edu/pimser/p12mso/pub/LeaPS%20STM%20Units/8th/Phosphorus%20Cycle%20Sci%20Am.pdf}}</ref> and the price fluctuations of phosphates on the international market greatly influence Morocco's economy.


Since air services between Morocco and Algeria have been established, many Algerians have gone to Morocco to shop and visit family and friends. Morocco is relatively inexpensive because of the devaluation of the dirham and the increase of hotel prices in Spain. Morocco has an excellent road and rail infrastructure that links the major cities and tourist destinations with ports and cities with international airports. Low-cost airlines offer reduced-price flights to the country.
Morocco suffers both from unemployment (9.6% in 2008), and a large external debt estimated at around $20 billion, or half of GDP in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Morocco-ECONOMY.html |title=Economy – Morocco – import, problem, growth, crops, annual, sector |publisher=Nationsencyclopedia.com |accessdate=2010-06-02}}</ref>


]]]
Although Morocco runs a structural trade deficit, this is typically offset by substantial services earnings from tourism and large remittance inflows from the diaspora, and the country normally runs a small current-account surplus.<ref>. economist.com</ref>
Tourism is increasingly focused on Morocco's culture, such as its ancient cities. The modern tourist industry capitalises on Morocco's ancient and Islamic sites, and on its landscape and cultural history. 60% of Morocco's tourists visit for its culture and heritage.
Agadir is a major coastal resort and has a third of all Moroccan bed nights.<ref name="tourism">{{cite book|title=Geography of Travel & Tourism|last=Hudman|first=Lloyd E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyGjpyNAur0C|year=2002|publisher=Thomson Delmar Learning|isbn=0-7668-3256-2|pages=367}}</ref> It is a base for tours to the Atlas Mountains.<ref name="tourism"/> Other resorts in north Morocco are also very popular.<ref name=Eur>{{cite book |title=The Middle East and North Africa 2003 |year=2002 |publisher=Europa Publications, Routledge|isbn=978-1-85743-132-2 |page=863}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=http://morocco-berbertrips.com/|access-date=5 August 2020|website=Morocco berber trips|language=en-US|archive-date=11 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811215125/http://morocco-berbertrips.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Casablanca is the major cruise port in Morocco, and has the best developed market for tourists in Morocco, Marrakech in central Morocco is a popular tourist destination, but is more popular among tourists for one- and two-day excursions that provide a taste of Morocco's history and culture. The Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech is a popular tourist attraction. It was bought by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. Their presence in the city helped to boost the city's profile as a tourist destination.<ref>{{cite news |title=Yves Saint Laurent's Ashes Scattered In Marrakesh |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-morocco-saintlaurent.html |work=The New York Times |date=11 June 2008 |access-date=14 June 2008 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

{{As of|2006}}, activity and adventure tourism in the Atlas and Rif Mountains are the fastest growth area in Moroccan tourism. These locations have excellent walking and trekking opportunities from late March to mid-November. The government is investing in trekking circuits. They are also developing desert tourism in competition with ].<ref name=Shackley>{{cite book |title=Atlas of Travel And Tourism Development |last=Shackley |first=Myra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VWOw_U8WpZUC |year=2006 |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |isbn=978-0-7506-6348-9 |pages=43–44}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
{{main|Agriculture in Morocco}}
{{Excerpt|Agriculture in Morocco}}

===Infrastructure===
] RGV2N2 high-speed trainset at Tanger-Ville railway station in November 2018]]
According to the ] of 2019, Morocco Ranked 32nd in the world in terms of Roads, 16th in Sea, 45th in Air and 64th in Railways. This gives Morocco the best infrastructure rankings in the African continent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wef.ch/2l9V8ND|title=Economy Profiles}}</ref>

Modern infrastructure development, such as ports, airports, and rail links, is a top government priority. To meet the growing domestic demand, the Moroccan government invested more than $15 billion from 2010 to 2015 in upgrading its basic infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.export.gov/article?id=Morocco-Infrastructure|title=Morocco - Infrastructure &#124; export.gov|website=www.export.gov|access-date=24 November 2019|archive-date=13 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213063733/https://www.export.gov/article?id=Morocco-Infrastructure|url-status=live}}</ref>

Morocco has one of the best road systems on the continent. Over the past 20 years, the government has built approximately 1770 kilometers of modern roads, connecting most major cities via toll expressways. The Moroccan Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water aims to build an additional 3380 kilometers of expressway and 2100 kilometers of highway by 2030, at an expected cost of $9.6 billion. It focuses on linking the southern provinces, notably the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla to the rest of Morocco.

In 2014, Morocco began the construction of the first high-speed railway system in Africa linking the cities of Tangier and Casablanca. It was inaugurated in 2018 by the King following over a decade of planning and construction by Moroccan national railway company ONCF. It is the first phase of what is planned to eventually be a 1,500 kilometeres (930&nbsp;mi) high-speed rail network in Morocco. An extension of the line to Marrakesh is already being planned.

Morocco also has the largest port in Africa and the Mediterranean, ], which is ranked the 18th in the world with a handling capacity of over 9 million containers. It is situated in the Tangier free economic zone and serves as a logistics hub for Africa and the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmpa.ma/en/activites-services/activite-conteneurs/|title=Tanger Med Port Authority – Containers Activity|access-date=2 September 2021|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902203857/https://www.tmpa.ma/en/activites-services/activite-conteneurs/|url-status=dead}}</ref>


===Energy=== ===Energy===
{{Main|Energy in Morocco}} {{main|Energy in Morocco}}
] panels in eastern Morocco]] ] panels in eastern Morocco]]
In 2008, about 56% of the ] source of Morocco came from ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/morocco/electricity-production-from-coal-sources|title=Morocco – electricity production from coal sources|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> However, as forecasts indicate that energy requirements in Morocco will rise 6% per year between 2012 and 2050,<ref name="english.nuqudy.com"></ref> a new law passed encouraging Moroccans to look for ways to diversify the energy supply, including more ]. The Moroccan government has launched a project to build a ] ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://liveweb.archive.org/http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-ma-fac-012/|title=Ain Beni Mathar, Morocco Solar Thermal Power Station Project|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> and is also looking into the use of ] as a potential source of revenue for Morocco’s government.<ref name="english.nuqudy.com"/> In 2008, about 56% of Morocco's electricity supply was provided by coal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/morocco/electricity-production-from-coal-sources |title=Morocco – electricity production from coal sources |access-date=18 May 2011 |archive-date=8 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808221544/http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/morocco/electricity-production-from-coal-sources |url-status=live }}</ref> However, as forecasts indicate that energy requirements in Morocco will rise 6% per year between 2012 and 2050,<ref name="english.nuqudy.com">{{cite web|url=http://english.nuqudy.com/North_Africa/Natural_Gas_to_Fuel-1576|title=Natural Gas to Fuel Morocco. Nuqudy.com (2012-04-12)|access-date=15 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630022606/http://english.nuqudy.com/North_Africa/Natural_Gas_to_Fuel-1576|archive-date=30 June 2017}}</ref> a new law passed encouraging Moroccans to look for ways to diversify the energy supply, including more ]. The Moroccan government has launched a project to build a ] ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-ma-fac-012/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406010949/http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-ma-fac-012/ |archive-date=6 April 2011 |title=Ain Beni Mathar, Morocco Solar Thermal Power Station Project |access-date=18 May 2011}}</ref> and is also looking into the use of natural gas as a potential source of revenue for Morocco's government.<ref name="english.nuqudy.com"/>


Morocco has embarked upon the construction of large ] farms to lessen dependence on fossil fuels, and to eventually export electricity to ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Solar-powered plane lands in Morocco|url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/solar-powered-plane-lands-morocco-223555031.html|author=Sschemm, Paul |agency=Associated Press|date=2012-06-06}}</ref> Morocco has embarked upon the construction of large ] farms to lessen dependence on fossil fuels, and to eventually export electricity to ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Solar-powered plane lands in Morocco |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/solar-powered-plane-lands-morocco-223555031.html |author=Sschemm, Paul |agency=Associated Press |date=6 June 2012 |access-date=17 January 2017 |archive-date=21 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421195022/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/solar-powered-plane-lands-morocco-223555031.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 17 April 2022, Rabat-Moroccan agency for solar energy (Masen) and the ministry of energy transition and sustainable development announced the launch of phase one of the mega project Nor II solar energy plant which is a multi-site solar energy project with a total capacity set at 400 ] (MN).


===Narcotics=== ===Narcotics===
]
] has been cultivated in the ] Region since the 7th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/KIF_IN_MOROCCO/Histoire_CannabisMaroc.htm |title=Historique de la culture de cannabis au Maroc d'après l'UNODC |publisher=Laniel.free.fr |date= |accessdate=2013-01-09}}</ref> According to the U.N. 2004 World Drugs Report, cultivation and transformation of ] represents 0.57% of the national GDP of Morocco in 2002.<ref name="crime2004">{{cite book|author=Nations Unies. Office pour le contrôle des drogues et la prévention du crime|title=Rapport mondial sur les drogues|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=k6iHj5DNGxMC|accessdate=30 January 2013|year=2004|publisher=United Nations Publications|isbn=978-92-1-248122-7}}{{page needed|date=January 2013}}</ref> According to a French Ministry of the Interior 2006 report, 80% of the cannabis resin (hashish) consumed in Europe comes from the ] region in Morocco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/drogue/drogue-en-france/menaces-actuelles/view |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209000823/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/drogue/drogue-en-france/menaces-actuelles/view |archivedate=2009-02-09 |title=Mildt – Mission interministérielle de lutte contre la drogue et la toxicomanie |publisher=Interieur.gouv.fr |date=1 October 2006 |accessdate=2012-12-20}}</ref> In addition to that, Morocco is a transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html#mo |title=Central Intelligence Agency |publisher=Cia.gov |accessdate=2012-12-20}}</ref>
Since the 7th century, ] has been cultivated in the ] region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/KIF_IN_MOROCCO/Histoire_CannabisMaroc.htm |title=Historique de la culture de cannabis au Maroc d'après l'UNODC |publisher=Laniel.free.fr |access-date=9 January 2013 |archive-date=9 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809050534/http://laniel.free.fr/INDEXES/GraphicsIndex/KIF_IN_MOROCCO/Histoire_CannabisMaroc.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004, according to the UN World Drugs Report, cultivation and transformation of cannabis represents 0.57% of the national GDP of Morocco in 2002.<ref name="crime2004">{{cite book|author=Nations Unies. Office pour le contrôle des drogues et la prévention du crime|title=Rapport mondial sur les drogues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6iHj5DNGxMC|year=2004|publisher=United Nations Publications|isbn=978-92-1-248122-7}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{page needed|date=January 2013}}</ref> According to a French Ministry of the Interior 2006 report, 80% of the cannabis resin (hashish) consumed in Europe comes from the ] region in Morocco, which is mostly mountainous terrain in the north of Morocco, also hosting plains that are very fertile and expanding from Melwiyya River and Ras Kebdana in the East to Tangier and Cape Spartel in the West. Also, the region extends from the Mediterranean in the south, home of the Wergha River, to the north.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/drogue/drogue-en-france/menaces-actuelles/view |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209000823/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/drogue/drogue-en-france/menaces-actuelles/view |archive-date=9 February 2009 |title=Mildt – Mission interministérielle de lutte contre la drogue et la toxicomanie |publisher=Interieur.gouv.fr |date=1 October 2006 |access-date=20 December 2012}}</ref> In addition to that, Morocco is a transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html#mo |title=Central Intelligence Agency |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=20 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229044611/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html#mo |archive-date=29 December 2010 }}</ref>


=== Water supply and sanitation ===
===Transport===
{{Main|Water supply and sanitation in Morocco}}
] – ] (95 km)]]
Water supply and sanitation in Morocco is provided by a wide array of utilities. They range from private companies in the largest city, ], the capital, ],
{{Main|Transport in Morocco}}
and two other cities,{{Clarify|date=June 2017}} to public municipal utilities in 13 other cities, as well as a national electricity and water company (ONEE). The latter is in charge of bulk water supply to the aforementioned utilities, water distribution in about 500 small towns, as well as sewerage and wastewater treatment in 60 of these towns.
There are around {{convert|56986|km|abbr=on}} of roads (national, regional and provincial) in Morocco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtpnet.gov.ma/NR/rdonlyres/F213CFBA-C26A-48AC-A023-E6042E96CB39/1209/Routes_en_chiffres_2005.pdf |title=Le Secteur Routier |format=PDF |accessdate=2010-06-02|work=mtpnet.gov.ma}}</ref> In addition to {{convert|1416|km|abbr=on}} of ].<ref>{{fr icon}} . Adm.co.ma. Retrieved on 2013-07-29.</ref>


There have been substantial improvements in access to water supply, and to a lesser extent to sanitation, over the past fifteen years. Remaining challenges include a low level of wastewater treatment (only 13% of collected wastewater is being treated), lack of house connections in the poorest urban neighbourhoods, and limited sustainability of rural systems (20 percent of rural systems are estimated not to function). In 2005 a National Sanitation Programme was approved that aims at treating 60% of collected wastewater and connecting 80% of urban households to sewers by 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Sanitation Programme {{!}} European Investment Bank |url=https://www.eib.org/en/projects/pipelines/all/20100315 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.eib.org |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320130429/https://www.eib.org/en/projects/pipelines/all/20100315 |url-status=live }}</ref> The issue of lack of water connections for some of the urban poor is being addressed as part of the ], under which residents of informal settlements have received land titles and have fees waived that are normally paid to utilities in order to connect to the water and sewer network.
The Tangier-Casablanca high-speed rail link marks the first stage of the ]’s high-speed rail master plan, pursuant to which over {{convert|1,500|km|abbr=on}} of new railway lines will be built by 2035. The high speed train - TGV - will have a capacity of 500 passengers and will carry 8 million passengers per year. The work on the High Speed Rail project has started in September 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=RFI|title=Maroc : inauguration des travaux du premier TGV d’Afrique en présence de Nicolas Sarkozy|url=http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20110929-inauguration-travaux-1er-tgv-afrique-maroc-presence-nicolas-sarkozy|publisher=RFI|accessdate=16 October 2011}}</ref> Construction of infrastructure and delivery of railway equipment will end in 2014 and the HSR will be operational by December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/34-news-release/874-morocco-to-launch-high-speed-train-that-will-carry-8-million-passengers-per-year |title=Morocco to Launch High Speed Train |accessdate=2010-06-02}}</ref>

=== Science and technology ===
{{Main|Science and technology in Morocco}}
] in ]|295x295px]]
The ] has been implementing reforms to improve the quality of education and make research more responsive to socio-economic needs. In May 2009, Morocco's prime minister, Abbas El Fassi, announced greater support for science during a meeting at the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research. The aim was to give universities greater financial autonomy from the government to make them more responsive to research needs and better able to forge links with the private sector, in the hope that this would nurture a culture of entrepreneurship in academia. He announced that investment in science and technology would rise from US$620,000 in 2008 to US$8.5 million (69 million Moroccan dirhams) in 2009, in order to finance the refurbishment and construction of laboratories, training courses for researchers in financial management, a scholarship programme for postgraduate research and incentive measures for companies prepared to finance research, such as giving them access to scientific results that they could then use to develop new products.<ref name="scidev.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa/news/morocco-to-boost-investment-in-science.html|title=Morocco to boost investment in science|last=SciDev.Net|date=9 June 2009|access-date=13 June 2017|archive-date=1 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301035444/http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa/news/morocco-to-boost-investment-in-science.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Morocco was ranked 66th in the ] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |author=] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.wipo.int |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref>

The ''Moroccan Innovation Strategy'' was launched at the country's first National Innovation Summit in June 2009 by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Investment and the Digital Economy. The ''Moroccan Innovation Strategy'' fixed the target of producing 1,000 Moroccan patents and creating 200 innovative start-ups by 2014. In 2012, Moroccan inventors applied for 197 patents, up from 152 two years earlier. In 2011, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and New Technologies created a Moroccan Club of Innovation, in partnership with the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property. The idea is to create a network of players in innovation, including researchers, entrepreneurs, students and academics, to help them develop innovative projects.<ref name="Agenor">{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf|title=Arab States. In: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030|last1=Zou'bi|first1=Moneef|last2=Mohamed-Nour|first2=Samia|last3=El-Kharraz|first3=Jauad|last4=Hassan|first4=Nazar|publisher=UNESCO|year=2015|isbn=978-92-3-100129-1|location=Paris|pages=431–469|access-date=13 June 2017|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630025557/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is supporting research in advanced technologies and the development of innovative cities in Fez, Rabat and Marrakesh. The government is encouraging public institutions to engage with citizens in innovation. One example is the Moroccan Phosphate Office (Office chérifien des phosphates), which has invested in a project to develop a smart city, King Mohammed VI Green City, around Mohammed VI University located between Casablanca and Marrakesh, at a cost of DH 4.7 billion (''circa'' US$479 million).<ref name="Agenor" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=Morocco: Growth Strategy for 2025 in an Evolving International Environment|last1=Agénor|first1=P.R.|last2=El-Aynaoui|first2=K.|publisher=Policy Centre of the Office chérifien des phosphates|year=2015|location=Rabat}}</ref>

As of 2015, Morocco had three technoparks. Since the first technopark was established in Rabat in 2005, a second has been set up in Casablanca, followed, in 2015, by a third in Tangers. The technoparks host start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises specialising in information and communication technologies (ICTs), 'green' technologies (namely, environmentally friendly technologies) and cultural industries.<ref name="Agenor" />

In 2012, the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology identified a number of sectors where Morocco has a comparative advantage and skilled human capital, including mining, fisheries, food chemistry and new technologies. It also identified a number of strategic sectors, such as energy, with an emphasis on renewable energies such as photovoltaic, thermal solar energy, wind and biomass; as well as the water, nutrition and health sectors, the environment and geosciences.<ref name="Agenor" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=Developing Scientific Research and Innovation to Win the Battle of Competitiveness: an Inventory and Key Recommendations.|publisher=Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology|year=2012|location=Rabat}}</ref>

On 20 May 2015, less than a year after its inception, the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research presented a report to the king offering a ''Vision for Education in Morocco 2015–2030''. The report advocated making education egalitarian and, thus, accessible to the greatest number. Since improving the quality of education goes hand in hand with promoting research and development, the report also recommended developing an integrated national innovation system which would be financed by gradually increasing the share of GDP devoted to research and development (R&D) from 0.73% of GDP in 2010 'to 1% in the short term, 1.5% by 2025 and 2% by 2030'.<ref name="Agenor" />


==Demographics== ==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Morocco|Moroccan people}} {{main|Demographics of Morocco|Moroccans}}
=== Population ===
{{Historical populations
Morocco has a population of around {{UN_Population|Morocco}} inhabitants ({{UN_Population|Year}} est.).{{UN_Population|ref}} Morocco's population was 11.6 million in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcp.ma/Population-du-Maroc-par-annee-civile-en-milliers-et-au-milieu-de-l-annee-par-milieu-de-residence-1960-2050_a677.html|title=Population du Maroc par année civile (en milliers et au milieu de l'année) par milieu de résidence : 1960 – 2050|first=Youssef|last=Maaroufi|access-date=7 January 2012|archive-date=27 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227092030/http://www.hcp.ma/Population-du-Maroc-par-annee-civile-en-milliers-et-au-milieu-de-l-annee-par-milieu-de-residence-1960-2050_a677.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the 2014 Morocco population census, there were around 84,000 immigrants in the country. Of these foreign-born residents, most were of ] origin, followed by individuals mainly from various nations in West Africa and Algeria.<ref>{{cite book |last1=OECD |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |title=Talent Abroad: A Review of Moroccan Emigrants |date=2017 |publisher=OECD Publishing |isbn=978-9264264281 |page=167 |access-date=31 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010194758/https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> There are also a number of foreign residents of ] origin. Some of them are descendants of colonial settlers, who primarily work for European multinational companies, while others are married to Moroccans or are retirees. Prior to independence, Morocco was home to half a million ]; who were mostly ].<ref>De Azevedo, Raimondo Cagiano (1994) '' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101114550/https://books.google.com/books?id=N8VHizsqaH0C&pg=PA25|date=1 November 2022}}''. Council of Europe. p. 25. {{ISBN|92-871-2611-9}}.</ref> Also, prior to independence, Morocco was home to 250,000 Spaniards.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121133912/http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=97|date=21 January 2014}}, Migration Information Source</ref> Morocco's once prominent ] minority has decreased significantly since its peak of 265,000 in 1948, declining to around 3,500 in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM |date=2022 |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Morocco |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222135123/https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/ |archive-date=22 February 2024 |access-date=31 March 2024 |publisher=]}}</ref>
|title = Populations (in thousands)

|percentages = pagr
Morocco has a large ], most of which is located in France, which has reportedly over one million Moroccans of up to the third generation. There are also large Moroccan communities in Spain (about 700,000 Moroccans),<ref>{{Cite book |title=Avance del Padrón a 1 de enero de 2009. Datos provisionales |publisher=] |year=2009 |location=Spain |chapter=Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más). |ref=CITEREFINE2009 |access-date=13 June 2009 |chapter-url=http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=00000010.PX&type=pcaxis&L=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710133750/http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=00000010.px&type=pcaxis&L=0 |archive-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> the Netherlands (360,000), and Belgium (300,000).<ref>{{cite web |date=October 2005 |title=Morocco: From Emigration Country to Africa's Migration Passage to Europe |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=339 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210100911/http://migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=339 |archive-date=10 February 2014 |access-date=1 August 2011 |publisher=Migrationinformation.org}}</ref> Other large communities can be found in Italy, Canada, the United States, and Israel, where ] are thought to constitute the second biggest Jewish ethnic subgroup.<ref>{{cite web |date=2015 |title=Table 2.8 – Jews, by country of origin and age |url=https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2016/2.ShnatonPopulation/st02_08x.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013064516/https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2016/2.ShnatonPopulation/st02_08x.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2021 |access-date=22 April 2021 |publisher=]}}</ref>
|width = 180px
|source = Source<ref>{{cite web|title=Population du Maroc par année civile (en milliers et au milieu de l'année) par milieu de résidence : 1960 – 2050|url=http://www.hcp.ma/Population-du-Maroc-par-annee-civile-en-milliers-et-au-milieu-de-l-annee-par-milieu-de-residence-1960-2050_a677.html|publisher=Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc}}</ref>
|1960 |11635
|1970 |14952
|1980 |19380
|1990 |24167
|2000 |28466
|2010 |31894
|2011 |32245
|2012 |32597
|2013 |32950
|2014 |33304
}}
Most ] are of ], ], or mixed ] descent, with a significant minority of Niger-Congo people. ] and ] together make up about 99.1 percent of the Moroccan population.<ref name=CIA/> A sizeable portion of the population is identified as ] and ] (or Gnaoua), black or mixed race.


==== Ethnic groups ====
Berbers are the indigenous people and still make up the bulk of the population, although they've been largely ]. Morocco is home to more than 20,000 sub-Saharan African immigrants.<ref>"". '']''. September 12, 2013</ref> Morocco's once prominent ] minority has decreased significantly since its peak of 265,000 in 1948, declining to around 5,500 today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/morocjews.html |title=The Jews of Morocco |publisher=Jewishvirtuallibrary.org |accessdate=2011-08-01}}</ref>
]
In Morocco, ] is deeply intertwined with language and culture, with the population primarily comprising two major groups: ] and ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=El Haimeur |first=Amar |date=2017 |title=Ethnolinguistic Identity in Morocco |url=https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=fieldnotes |journal=Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Maroc : population |url=https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/Maroc_population/185524 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Larousse |language=fr}}</ref> However, the ], the country’s state statistics bureau, does not collect data on ethnic demographics, citing the historical difficulty of distinguishing between Arabs and Berbers, even among Berber speakers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ibriz |first=Lina |date=2024-08-30 |title=Budget, RSU, langue ... : à la veille du RGPH 2024, Lahlimi Alami fait un dernier point |url=https://ledesk.ma/2024/08/30/budget-rsu-langue-a-la-veille-du-rgph-2024-lahlimi-fait-un-dernier-point/ |work=Le Desk}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Language, Race, and Territory |date=2021 |work=The Invention of the Maghreb: Between Africa and the Middle East |pages=123–169 |editor-last=Hannoum |editor-first=Abdelmajid |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/invention-of-the-maghreb/language-race-and-territory/0BB5D39C95D5CB83F968316FE3417031 |access-date=2024-11-21 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108937337.004 |isbn=978-1-108-83816-0}}</ref>


] form the largest and majority ],<ref name=":102">{{Cite book |last1=Teebi |first1=Ahmad S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6K_fj4Oicm8C&pg=PA30 |title=Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations |last2=Farag |first2=Talaat I. |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-509305-6 |language=en |quote=Majority Arabs, 35% Berbers}}</ref><ref name=":132">{{Cite book |last1=Picard |first1=Louis A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ct4_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA273 |title=Sustainable Development and Human Security in Africa: Governance as the Missing Link |last2=Buss |first2=Terry F. |last3=Seybolt |first3=Taylor B. |last4=Lelei |first4=Macrina C. |date=2015-04-22 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4822-5543-0 |language=en |quote=Although the majority of Moroccans are Arabs, the Berbers (or Amazigh) represent 30%. Berbers are spread out in rural areas: the Rif Mountains, Middle High, and Anti-Atlas, and southern Souss Valley, as well as Morocco's major cities.}}</ref> making up between 65%<ref name=":62">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fs0Fog7XneUC&pg=PA11 |title=The Report: Morocco 2012 |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford Business Group |isbn=978-1-907065-54-5 |language=en |quote=Morocco's population is approximately 67% Arab, 31% indigenous Berber and 2% Sahrawi |access-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307021801/https://books.google.com/books?id=fs0Fog7XneUC&pg=PA11 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Son |first1=George Philip & |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UD0kOEb1XIC&pg=PA161 |title=Encyclopedic World Atlas |last2=Press |first2=Oxford University |date=2002-12-26 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-521920-3 |language=en |quote=Arab 70%, Berber 30%}}</ref> and 80%<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sun |first=Xiaoming |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvm4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA908 |title=World Health Systems |date=2019-12-12 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-50887-8 |language=en |quote=More than 80% of Moroccans are Arab, while the remaining 20% are Berber}}</ref> of the Moroccan population. It is estimated that the indigenous ] constitute between 30%<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":102" /><ref name=":132" /> and 35% of the population.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Guy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2S2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA155 |title=Guide to African Political and Economic Development |date=2014-01-27 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-97062-8 |language=en |quote=Arab 70%}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-01 |title=Who Are the Berber People? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-are-the-berber-people.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US |quote=The majority of the Berber people live in Morocco accounting for at least 35% of the population and in Algeria where they form at least 15% of the population.}}</ref> Berbers, who are also known as Amazigh, are typically divided into three main groups with varying dialects who live spread out in rural mountain areas, namely the ] in the ], the ] in the ], and the ] in the ].<ref name=":13">{{Cite book |last1=Picard |first1=Louis A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ct4_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA273 |title=Sustainable Development and Human Security in Africa: Governance as the Missing Link |last2=Buss |first2=Terry F. |last3=Seybolt |first3=Taylor B. |last4=Lelei |first4=Macrina C. |date=2015-04-22 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4822-5543-0 |language=en |quote=Although the majority of Moroccans are Arabs, the Berbers (or Amazigh) represent 30%. Berbers are spread out in rural areas: the Rif Mountains, Middle High, and Anti-Atlas, and southern Souss Valley, as well as Morocco's major cities.}}</ref> Since the 7th century, the ] from the ] has contributed to shaping Morocco’s demographic, cultural, and genetic landscape.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arauna |first1=Lara R. |last2=Mendoza-Revilla |first2=Javier |last3=Mas-Sandoval |first3=Alex |last4=Izaabel |first4=Hassan |last5=Bekada |first5=Asmahan |last6=Benhamamouch |first6=Soraya |last7=Fadhlaoui-Zid |first7=Karima |last8=Zalloua |first8=Pierre |last9=Hellenthal |first9=Garrett |last10=Comas |first10=David |date=February 2017 |title=Recent Historical Migrations Have Shaped the Gene Pool of Arabs and Berbers in North Africa |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=318–329 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msw218 |issn=0737-4038 |pmc=5644363 |pmid=27744413}}</ref> Additionally, a considerable portion of the population includes ], ], and ], descendants of West African or mixed-race ], as well as ], European Muslims expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254867/Haratin |title=Haratin (social class) |publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |access-date=23 June 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813024920/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254867/Haratin |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Saharawis in Western Sahara |url=https://minorityrights.org/communities/saharawis/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Minority Rights Group |language=en-US}}</ref>
Most of foreign residents in Morocco are ] or ]. Some of them are descendants of colonial settlers, who primarily work for European multinational companies, while others are married to Moroccans or are retirees. Prior to independence, Morocco was home to half a million ].<ref>De Azevedo, Raimondo Cagiano (1994) ''''. Council of Europe. p. 25. ISBN 92-871-2611-9.</ref>


According to '']'', 44% of Moroccans are Arab, 24% are ], 21% are Berbers, and 10% are Mauritanian Moors.<ref name="Climate of Morocco2">{{cite web |date=23 August 2024 |title=Climate of Morocco |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Climate#ref214372 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, ] estimates that around 90,000 ] reside in internationally recognized Morocco, compared to approximately 190,000 in the disputed Western Sahara.<ref name=":10" />
Morocco has a large ], most of which is located in France, which has reportedly over one million Moroccans of up to the third generation. There are also large Moroccan communities in Spain (about 700,000 Moroccans),<ref>{{Cite book|title=Avance del Padrón a 1 de enero de 2009. Datos provisionales|chapter=Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más).|year=2009|accessdate=2009-06-13|publisher=]|publication-place=Spain|ref=CITEREFINE2009|url=http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=00000010.PX&type=pcaxis&L=0}}</ref> The Netherlands (360,000), and Belgium (300,000).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=339 |title=Morocco: From Emigration Country to Africa's Migration Passage to Europe |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |accessdate=2011-08-01}}</ref> Other large communities can be found in Italy, Canada, the United States, and Israel, where ] are thought to constitute the second biggest Jewish ethnic subgroup.


===Religion=== ===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Morocco}} {{main|Religion in Morocco}}{{Multiple image
| total_width = 400
{{bar box
| image1 = Inside of a mosque in Fes (5364764412).jpg
|title=Religions in Morocco<ref name="cia-rel">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html#tu |title=Religions |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |date= |accessdate=2013-02-09}}</ref>
| image2 = Hassan II mosque, Casablanca 2.jpg
|titlebar=#ddd
| perrow = 2
|left1='''Religions'''
| image3 = Bet El synagogue Casablanca - bima (1051699955).jpg
|right1='''Percent'''
| image4 = Moroccan Christians from Tangier.jpg
|float=right
| caption1 = The interior of a mosque in ], Islam is the predominant religion in Morocco
|bars=
| caption2 = The ] in Casablanca
{{bar percent|]|green|98.9}}
| caption3 = The ] in Casablanca, Judaism was the main minority religion in Morocco
{{bar percent|]|red|0.9}}
| caption4 = The ] in Tangier, an ] built in 1894
{{bar percent|]|black|0.2}}
}} }}
The religious affiliation in the country was estimated by the ] in 2010 as 99% ], with all remaining groups accounting for less than 1% of the population.<ref name="pewrel">{{cite web|title=Religious Composition by Country|url=http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/globalReligion-tables.pdf|work=Global Religious Landscape|publisher=Pew Forum|access-date=9 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309232331/http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/globalReligion-tables.pdf|archive-date=9 March 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Of those affiliated with Islam, virtually all are ], with ] accounting for less than 0.1%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/#people-and-society |title=Morocco |work=The World Factbook |publisher=] |date=12 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/#people-and-society |url-status=live }}</ref> However, nearly 15% of Moroccans nonetheless describe themselves as non religious according to a 2018 survey conducted by the research network Arab Barometer; the same survey saw nearly 100 percent of respondents identify as Muslims.<ref name="poll">{{cite web|title=Survey Shows Faith in Decline in Morocco, in the Arab World|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/06/276676/survey-islam-decline-morocco-arab-world/|work=Arab Barometer|access-date=9 August 2020|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825020928/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/06/276676/survey-islam-decline-morocco-arab-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> Another 2021 Arab Barometer survey found that 67.8% of Moroccans identified as religious, 29.1% as somewhat religious, and 3.1% as non religious.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Data Analysis Tool – Arab Barometer |url=https://www.arabbarometer.org/survey-data/data-analysis-tool/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821161350/https://www.arabbarometer.org/survey-data/data-analysis-tool/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2015 ] poll reported that 93% of Moroccans considered themselves to be religious.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2015 |title=Losing Our Religion? Two Thirds of People Still Claim to Be Religious |url=https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33531/losing-our-religion-two-thirds-of-people-still-claim-to-be-religious/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |website=Gallup International |language=en-US |archive-date=11 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411115246/https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33531/losing-our-religion-two-thirds-of-people-still-claim-to-be-religious/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{expand section|date=January 2013}}


Prior to Morocco's independence in 1956, the country was home to a significant ], numbering over ], predominantly of Spanish and French ancestry.<ref name = "Decolonization" /> These Catholic settlers had a historic legacy and a powerful presence.<ref name = "Decolonization" /> However, following Morocco's independence, many of these Christian settlers left to Spain or France.<ref name="Decolonization">{{cite book|title=Area Handbook for Morocco|first=Richard |last=F. Nyrop|year= 1972| isbn= 9780810884939| page =97|publisher=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> The predominantly ] and ] foreign-resident ] community consists of approximately 40,000 practising members. Most foreign resident ] reside in the ], ], ] and ] urban areas.<ref name=irfr2023>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2023 – Morocco|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/}}</ref> Various local Christian leaders estimate that between 2005 and 2010 there are 5,000 citizen converted Christians (mostly ethnically Berber) who regularly attend "house" churches and live predominantly in the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/4f4361e72.html|title=Refworld – Morocco: General situation of Muslims who converted to Christianity, and specifically those who converted to Catholicism; their treatment by Islamists and the authorities, including state protection (2008–2011)|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|work=Refworld|access-date=27 August 2015|archive-date=1 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301151201/https://www.refworld.org/docid/4f4361e72.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some local Christian leaders estimate that there may be as many as 8,000 ] throughout the country, but many reportedly do not meet regularly due to fear of government surveillance and social persecution.<ref name=irfr2011/> Meanwhile, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates there are 25,000 Christian citizens.<ref name=irfr2023/> The number of the Moroccans who ] (most of them secret worshippers) are estimated between 8,000 and 50,000.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2013/may/christian-converts-in-morocco-fear-fatwa-calling-for-their.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609104426/http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2013/05/christian-converts-in-morocco-fear-fatwa-execution.html |archive-date=9 June 2013 |title=Christian Converts in Morocco Fear Fatwa Calling for Their Execution |newspaper=Christianity Today |agency=Morning Star News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.vice.com/article/house-churches-and-silent-masses-the-converted-christians-of-morocco-are-praying-in-secret|title='House-Churches' and Silent Masses —The Converted Christians of Morocco Are Praying in Secret – VICE News|date=23 March 2015|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=7 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707180007/https://news.vice.com/article/house-churches-and-silent-masses-the-converted-christians-of-morocco-are-praying-in-secret|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-religion/christians-want-marriages-recognized-in-morocco-idUSKCN1J4231|title=Christians want marriages recognized in Morocco|date=8 June 2018|publisher=reuters|access-date=13 June 2020|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804081352/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-religion/christians-want-marriages-recognized-in-morocco-idUSKCN1J4231|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/world/africa/pope-francis-morocco-christians.html|title=Pope Francis' Visit to Morocco Raises Hopes for Its Christians|date=29 March 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=13 June 2020|archive-date=1 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001050723/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/world/africa/pope-francis-morocco-christians.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Al-Maghred, the Barbary Lion: A Look at Islam| first=Nat |last= Carnes|year= 2012| isbn= 9781475903423| page =253|publisher=University of Cambridge Press|quote=. In all an estimated 40,000 Moroccans have converted to Christianity}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.africanews.com/2019/03/22/morocco-s-hidden-christians-to-push-for-religious-freedom/|title=Morocco's 'hidden' Christians to push for religious freedom|date=30 January 2017|publisher=AfricanNews|quote=There are no official statistics, but leaders say there are about 50,000 Moroccan Christians, most of them from the Protestant Evangelical tradition.|access-date=27 October 2022|archive-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716042225/https://www.africanews.com/2019/03/22/morocco-s-hidden-christians-to-push-for-religious-freedom/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=November 2024}}
].]]
In 2010, the religious affiliation in the country was estimated by the ] as 99.9 percent ], with all remaining groups accounting for just 0.1 percent of the population.<ref name=pewrel>{{cite web|title=Religious Composition by Country|url=http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/globalReligion-tables.pdf|work=Global Religious Landscape|publisher=Pew Forum|accessdate=9 July 2013}}</ref> The most recent estimates put the size of the Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities at about 100 members each. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young persons.<ref name=irfr2011>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2011 – Morocco|url=http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?dlid=192899|publisher=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor}}</ref> Sunnis form the majority at 67% with ] being the second largest group of Muslims at 30%.<ref>Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2013.</ref>


Before the ] of the ] in 1948, there were about ]<ref name="ewhmorocco">{{worldhistory|quote=p. 966|section=3770}}</ref> in the country, which gave Morocco the largest Jewish community in the ]. The most recent estimates put the size of the historic Casablanca Jewish community at about 2,500,<ref>Sergio DellaPergola, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203032451/http://www.bjpa.org/Publications/downloadPublication.cfm?PublicationID=16432 |date=3 December 2013 }}, 2012, p. 62.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Jews of Morocco |url=https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/morocco |publisher=The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810080356/https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/morocco |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities at about 100 members each. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young people.<ref name=irfr2011>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2011 – Morocco|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|publisher=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|access-date=21 May 2019|archive-date=25 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325215847/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
The predominantly Roman Catholic and Protestant foreign-resident Christian community consists of approximately 5,000 practicing members, although some Protestant and Catholic clergy estimate the number to be as high as 25,000. Most foreign resident Christians reside in the Casablanca, Tangier, and Rabat urban areas. Various local Christian leaders estimate that there are 4,000 citizen Christians (mostly ethnically Berber) who regularly attend “house” churches and live predominantly in the south. Some local Christian leaders estimate that there may be as many as 8,000 Christian citizens throughout the country, but many reportedly do not meet regularly due to fear of government surveillance and social persecution.<ref name=irfr2011/>
The ] community, located in urban areas, numbers 350 to 400 persons.<ref name=irfr2011/>

There are an estimated 3,000 to 8,000 Shia Muslims, most of them foreign residents from Lebanon or Iraq, but also a few citizen converts. Followers of several Sufi Muslim orders across the Maghreb and West Africa undertake joint annual pilgrimages to the country. The Baha’i community, located in urban areas, numbers 350 to 400 persons.<ref name=irfr2011/>


===Languages=== ===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Morocco}} {{main|Languages of Morocco}}
] ]
Morocco's official languages are ] and ].<ref name="2011 cons">{{cite web|last=Government of Morocco|title=Texte de la nouvelle constitution 2011|url=http://www.maroc.ma/NR/rdonlyres/EE8E1B01-9C86-449B-A9C2-A98CC88D7238/8650/bo5952F.pdf|publisher=www.maroc.ma|accessdate=6 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="cons eff">{{cite web|last=Government of Morocco|title=BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|url=http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/AR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|accessdate=6 October 2011}}</ref> The country's distinctive group of Moroccan Arabic dialects is referred to as ]. Approximately 89.8%<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan"/> of the whole population can communicate to some degree in ]. The Berber language is spoken in three dialects (], ] and ]).<ref name="autogenerated2006">"" ] Online Encyclopedia 2006. 2009-11-01.</ref> In 2008, Frédéric Deroche estimated that there were 12 million Berber speakers, making up about 40% of the population.<ref name="Les peuples autochtones">{{cite book|author=Frédéric Deroche|title=Les peuples autochtones et leur relation originale à la terre: un questionnement pour l'ordre mondial|url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=X-j--CwFAVwC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=amazigh&f=false|accessdate=24 December 2011|year=2008|publisher=L'Harmattan|isbn=978-2-296-05585-8|page=14}}</ref> The 2004 population census reported that 28.1% of the population spoke Berber.<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan">. Hcp.ma. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> Morocco's official languages are ] and ].<ref name="Const1" /><ref name="cons eff">{{cite web|last=Government of Morocco|title=BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|url=http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/AR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316221623/http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/AR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|archive-date=16 March 2012}}</ref> The country's distinctive group of Moroccan Arabic dialects is referred to as ].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wehr|first1=Hans|title=A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: (Arab.-Engl.)|date=1979|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=3447020024|page=319|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTak55pG-_IC&pg=PA319|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref> Approximately 92.7% of the whole population can speak Arabic. Berber languages are spoken by 24.8% of the population in three dialects (] spoken by 3.2%, ] spoken by 14.2%, and ] spoken by 7.4%).<ref name="RGPH 2024" /> According to the 2024 census, 99.2%, or almost the entire literate population of Morocco, could read and write in Arabic, whereas 1.5% of the population could read and write in Berber. The census also revealed that 80.6% of Moroccans consider Arabic to be their native language, while 18.9% regard any of the various Berber languages as their mother tongue.<ref name="RGPH 2024" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Babas |first=Latifa |date=18 December 2024 |title=How many Moroccans consider Tamazight their mother tongue, and where do they live ? |url=https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/157719/many-moroccans-consider-tamazight-their.html |work=Yabiladi}}</ref>


] is widely used in governmental institutions, media, mid-size and large companies, international commerce with French-speaking countries, and often in international diplomacy. French is taught as an obligatory language at all schools. In 2010, there were 10,366,000 French-speakers in Morocco, or about 32% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Le dénombrement des francophones|url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf|publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie}}</ref> ] is widely used in governmental institutions, media, mid-size and large companies, international commerce with French-speaking countries, and often in international diplomacy.<ref name="Marley">{{Citation|title=From Monolingualism to Multilingualism: Recent Changes in Moroccan Language Policy|date=2005|url=http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/117ISB4.PDF|work=ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism|pages=1487–1500|editor-last=James Cohen|place=Somerville, MA|publisher=Cascadilla Press|access-date=30 April 2017|editor2-last=Kara T. McAlister|editor3-last=Kellie Rolstad|editor4-last=Jeff MacSwan}}</ref> French is taught as an obligatory language in all schools. In 2010, there were 10,366,000 French-speakers in Morocco, or about 32% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Le dénombrement des francophones|url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf|publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|access-date=9 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052949/http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf|archive-date=12 October 2013}}</ref><ref name=FR/>


According to the 2004 census, 2.19 million Moroccans spoke a foreign language other than French.<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan"/> ], while far behind French in terms of number of speakers, is the first foreign language of choice, since French is obligatory, among educated youth and professionals. Spanish is spoken by a small population in the north of the country, especially around the Spanish enclaves ] and ].{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} According to the 2004 census, 2.19&nbsp;million Moroccans spoke a foreign language other than French.<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929061323/http://www.hcp.ma/|date=29 September 2011}}. Hcp.ma. Retrieved 23 July 2011.</ref> ], while far behind French in terms of number of speakers, is the first foreign language of choice, since French is obligatory, among educated youth and professionals.


According to '']'', as of 2016, there are 1,536,590 individuals (or approximately 4.5% of the population) in Morocco who speak ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Spanish|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=28 January 2018|archive-date=23 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123235008/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|url-status=live}}</ref> Spanish is mostly spoken in northern Morocco and the former ] because Spain had previously occupied those areas.<ref>Leyre Gil Perdomingo and Jaime Otero Roth (2008) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090300/http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1/ARI116-2008_Gil_Otero_lengua_espanola_Sahara_Occidental.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1 |date=24 September 2015 }}, in ''Analysis of the Real Instituto Elcano'' nº 116</ref> Meanwhile, a 2018 study by the ] found 1.7 million Moroccans who were at least proficient in Spanish, placing Morocco as the country with the most Spanish speakers outside the Hispanophone world (unless the United States is also excluded from Spanish-speaking countries).<ref>Saga, Ahlam Ben. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415113901/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/11/259062/instituto-cervantes-1-7-million-moroccan-spanish/ |date=15 April 2021 }}, '']'', 29 Nov 2018. Retrieved 11 Apr 2022.</ref> A significant portion of northern Morocco receives Spanish media, television signal and radio airwaves, which reportedly facilitate competence in the language in the region.<ref name=Rouchdy71>{{cite book|author=Rouchdy, Aleya |title=Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWZvxjoU948C&pg=PA71|year=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-7007-1379-0|page=71}}</ref>
===Genetics===
{{main|Moroccan genetics}}
]
Recent studies make clear no significant ] differences exist between Arabic and non-Arabic speaking populations, HLA DNA data suggest that most Moroccans are of a Berber origin and that Arabs who invaded North Africa and Spain in the 7th century did not substantially contribute to the gene pool.<ref name="Ballais, Jean-Louis 2000 pp. 125">Ballais, Jean-Louis (2000) "Chapter 7: Conquests and land degradation in the eastern Maghreb" ''In'' Barker, Graeme and Gilbertson, David (2000) ''The Archaeology of Drylands: Living at the Margin'' Routledge, London, Volume 1, Part III – Sahara and Sahel, pp. 125–136, ISBN 978-0-415-23001-8</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1034/j.1399-0039.2000.550307.x|title=HLA genes in Arabic-speaking Moroccans: close relatedness to Berbers and Iberians|year=2000|author=Gómez-Casado E, del Moral P, Martínez-Laso J, García-Gómez A, Allende L, Silvera-Redondo C, Longas J, González-Hevilla M, Kandil M, Zamora J, Arnaiz-Villena A|journal=Tissue Antigens|volume=55|issue=3|pages=239–249|pmid=10777099}}</ref> The Moorish refugees from ] settled in the coast-towns.<ref name="google290">{{Cite book | last = Carr | first = Matthew | title = Blood and faith: the purging of Muslim Spain | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=netlOtzI6R8C&pg=PA290 | publisher = The New Press | year = 2009 | page = 290 | isbn = 1-59558-361-0 }}</ref> According to a 2000 article in '']'', Moroccans from North-Western Africa were genetically closer to ] than to ]ns and ]erners<ref>{{cite journal|title=Genetic structure of north-west Africa revealed by STR analysis|journal=European Journal of Human Genetics|year=2000|volume=8|pages=360–366|doi=10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200464|pmid=10854096|author=Bosch E, Calafell F, Pérez-Lezaun A, Clarimón J, Comas D, Mateu E, Martínez-Arias R, Morera B, Brakez Z, Akhayat O, Sefiani A, Hariti G, Cambon-Thomsen A, Bertranpetit J}}</ref>


After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education, causing the role of Spanish to decline.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>
The different loci studied revealed close similarity between the Berbers and other North African groups, mainly with Moroccan Arabic-speakers, which is in accord with the hypothesis that the current Moroccan population has a strong Berber background.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=12396367 |year=2002 |last1=Harich |first1=N |last2=Esteban |first2=E |last3=Chafik |first3=A |last4=López-Alomar |first4=A |last5=Vona |first5=G |last6=Moral |first6=P |title=Classical polymorphisms in Berbers from Moyen Atlas (Morocco): genetics, geography, and historical evidence in the Mediterranean peoples|volume=29|issue=5|pages=473–87|doi=10.1080/03014460110104393|journal=Annals of Human Biology}}</ref>


===Largest cities=== ===Education===
{{Largest cities of Morocco}} {{main|Education in Morocco}}
] in ]]]
Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school. The estimated ] rate for the country in 2012 was 72%.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801015845/http://www.lavieeco.com/news/actualites/baisse-du-taux-d-analphabetisme-au-maroc-a-28--26483.html |date=1 August 2014}}. Lavieeco.com (6 September 2013). Retrieved 17 April 2015.</ref> In September 2006, UNESCO awarded Morocco amongst other countries such as ], ], ] and ] the "UNESCO 2006 Literacy Prize".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D33384%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |title=2006 UNESCO Literacy Prize winners announced |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=27 September 2006 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212221259/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D33384%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


Morocco has more than ], institutes of higher learning, and polytechnics dispersed at urban centres throughout the country. Its leading institutions include ] in Rabat, the country's largest university, with branches in Casablanca and Fès; the Hassan II Agriculture and Veterinary Institute in Rabat, which conducts leading social science research in addition to its agricultural specialties; and ] in Ifrane, the first English-language university in Northwest Africa,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=morocco_ifrane_summer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226185538/http://ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=morocco_ifrane_summer |archive-date=26 February 2009 |title=CCIS Ifrane Morocco Summer Study Abroad Program |publisher=Ccisabroad.org |date=1 April 2010 |access-date=2 June 2010}}</ref> inaugurated in 1995 with contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United States.
==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Morocco}}
]


]
Morocco is an ethnically diverse country with a rich ] and ]. Through ], it has hosted many people coming from East (], ], Jews and Arabs), South (]ns) and North (], ], ] and ]). All those civilizations have had an impact on the social structure of Morocco. It conceived various forms of beliefs, from ], ], and ] to ].


The ], founded by ] in the city of Fez in 859 as a ],<ref>] (ed.): '']'', Vol. 1, A–K, Routledge, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-415-96691-7}}, p.&nbsp;257 (entry "Fez")</ref> is considered by some sources, including ], to be the "oldest university of the world".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Qarawiyin|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485494/Qarawiyin|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=8 December 2011|archive-date=29 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129044103/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485494/Qarawiyin|url-status=live}}</ref> Morocco has also some of prestigious postgraduate schools, including: ], l'{{ill|Institut national des postes et télécommunications|fr||ar|المعهد الوطني للبريد والمواصلات}}, ] (ENSEM), ], ], ], ], ], Les Écoles nationales de commerce et de gestion, École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca.<ref>''The Guinness Book Of Records'', 1998, p. 242, {{ISBN|0-553-57895-2}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-23 |title=Classement meilleurs école d'études supérieures au Maroc |url=http://etudes-superieures.ma/meilleur-etablissement-superieur-au-maroc/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Etudes superieures au Maroc |language=en-US |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117154441/http://etudes-superieures.ma/meilleur-etablissement-superieur-au-maroc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Since independence, a veritable blossoming has taken place in painting and sculpture, popular music, amateur theatre, and filmmaking. The Moroccan National Theatre (founded 1956) offers regular productions of Moroccan and French dramatic works. Art and music festivals take place throughout the country during the summer months, among them the ].


=== Health ===
Each region possesses its own specificities, thus contributing to the national culture and to the legacy of civilization. Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its diverse legacy and the preservation of its cultural heritage.
{{main|Health in Morocco}}
] in ]]]
Many efforts are made by countries around the world to address health issues and eradicate disease, Morocco included. Child health, maternal health, and diseases are all components of health and well-being. Morocco is a developing country that has made many strides to improve these categories. However, Morocco still has many health issues to improve on. According to research published, in 2005 only 16% of citizens in Morocco had health insurance or coverage.<ref name="Ruger_2007">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ruger JP, Kress D | title = Health financing and insurance reform in Morocco | journal = Health Affairs | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 1009–16 | date = July 2007 | pmid = 17630444 | pmc = 2898512 | doi = 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.1009}}</ref> In data from the World Bank, Morocco experiences high infant mortality rates at 20 deaths per 1,000 births (2017)<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?locations=MA|title=Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births)|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=10 December 2018|archive-date=17 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217111004/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> and high maternal mortality rates at 121 deaths per 100,000 births (2015).<ref name=":6m">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=MA|title=Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=10 December 2018|archive-date=17 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217112527/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref>


The government of Morocco sets up surveillance systems within the already existing healthcare system to monitor and collect data. Mass education in hygiene is implemented in primary education schools which are free for residents of Morocco. In 2005, The government of Morocco approved two reforms to expand health insurance coverage.<ref name="Ruger_2007" /> The first reform was a mandatory health insurance plan for public and private sector employees to expand coverage from 16 percent of the population to 30 percent. The second reform created a fund to cover services for the poor. Both reforms improved access to high-quality care. Infant mortality has improved significantly since 1960 when there were 144 deaths per 1,000 live births, in 2000, 42 per 1,000 live births, and now it is 20 per 1,000 live births.<ref name=":5" /> The country's under-five mortality rate dropped by 60% between 1990 and 2011.
Culturally speaking, Morocco has always been successful in combining its Berber, Jewish and Arabic cultural heritage with external influences such as the French and the Spanish and, during the last decades, the Anglo-American lifestyles.

According to data from the World Bank,<ref name=":5" /> the present mortality rate is still very high, over seven times higher than in neighbouring country Spain. In 2014, Morocco adopted a national plan to increase progress on maternal and child health.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/features/2014/morocco-maternal-health/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302060442/http://www.who.int/features/2014/morocco-maternal-health/en/|archive-date=2 March 2014|title=WHO {{!}} Morocco takes a stride forward for mothers and children|website=WHO|access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref> The Moroccan Plan was started by the Moroccan Minister of Health, El Houssaine Louardi, and Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, on 13 November 2013 in Rabat.<ref name=":7" /> Morocco has made significant progress in reducing deaths among both children and mothers. Based on World Bank data, the nation's maternal mortality ratio fell by 67% between 1990 and 2010.<ref name=":6m" /> In 2014, spending on healthcare accounted for 5.9% of the country's GDP.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=MA|title=Current health expenditure (% of GDP) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|language=en-us|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-date=1 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201044658/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2014, spending on healthcare as part of the GDP has decreased. However, health expenditure per capita (PPP) has steadily increased since 2000. In 2015, the Moroccan health expenditure was $435.29 per capita.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?locations=MA|title=Current health expenditure per capita, PPP (current international $) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|language=en-us|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612115113/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016 the life expectancy at birth was 74.3, or 73.3 for men and 75.4 for women, and there were 6.3 physicians and 8.9 nurses and midwives per 10,000 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emro.who.int/entity/statistics/statistics.html|title=World Health Organization|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-date=5 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205075620/http://www.emro.who.int/entity/statistics/statistics.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, Morocco ranked 16th out of 29 countries on the Global Youth Wellbeing Index.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.youthindex.org/country/morocco|title=Morocco {{!}} The Global Youth Wellbeing Index|website=www.youthindex.org|language=en|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-date=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905052329/http://www.youthindex.org/country/morocco|url-status=live}}</ref> Moroccan youths experience a lower self-harm rate than the global index by an average of 4 encounters per year.<ref name=":3" />

== Culture ==
{{main|Culture of Morocco}}
]
Morocco is a country with a rich ] and ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Travel |first=D. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LQ55DQAAQBAJ |title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Morocco |date=2017-02-01 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited |isbn=978-0-241-30469-3 |language=en}}</ref> Through ], it has hosted many people. All of whom have affected the social structure of Morocco.

Since independence, a veritable blossoming has taken place in painting and sculpture, popular music, amateur theatre, and filmmaking.<ref>e.g. Khalid Amine and Marvin Carlson, ''The Theatres of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia: Performance Traditions of the Maghreb'' (Dordrecht NL: Springer, 2011), 124–28. {{ISBN|0230358519}}</ref> The Moroccan National Theatre (founded 1956) offers regular productions of Moroccan and French dramatic works. Art and music festivals take place throughout the country during the summer months, among them the ].

Each region possesses its own specificities, thus contributing to the national culture and to the legacy of civilisation. Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its diverse legacy and the preservation of its cultural heritage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Letter of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco |url=https://whc.unesco.org/archive/repcomx99.htm |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=whc.unesco.org |archive-date=17 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617131233/https://whc.unesco.org/archive/repcomx99.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Culturally speaking, Morocco has always been successful in combining its Arabic, Berber and Jewish cultural heritage with external influences such as the French and the Spanish and, during the last decades, the Anglo-American lifestyles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2005/12/2008410151243996817.html|title=Morocco town's Hollywood connection|website=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 October 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028093251/http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2005/12/2008410151243996817.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2015/01/return-morocco-2015120124346751467.html|title=Return to Morocco|website=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 October 2017|archive-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924061207/http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2015/01/return-morocco-2015120124346751467.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/boujloud-morocco-unique-halloween-20141013161059822274.html|title=Boujloud: Morocco's unique Halloween|website=Al Jazeera|access-date=27 October 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028092923/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/boujloud-morocco-unique-halloween-20141013161059822274.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Architecture===
{{main|Moroccan architecture}}
{{excerpt|Moroccan architecture|file=1}}


===Literature=== ===Literature===
{{Main|Moroccan literature}} {{main|Moroccan literature}}
].]] ]]]
] is written mostly in Arabic, Berber, Hebrew, and French. Particularly under the Almoravid and Almohad empires, Moroccan literature was closely related to the ], and shared important poetic and literary forms such as '']'', the '']'', and the '']''. Islamic literature, such as ] and other religious works such as ]'s ] were influential. The ] in Fes was an important literary centre attracting scholars from abroad, including ], ], and ].
Moroccan literature is written in Arabic, Berber and French. Under the ] dynasty Morocco experienced a period of prosperity and brilliance of learning. The Almohad built the ] in Marrakesh, which accommodated no fewer than 25,000 people, but was also famed for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, which gave it its name; the first book bazaar in history.

The Almohad Caliph ] had a great love for collecting books. He founded a great library, which was eventually carried to the ] and turned into a ].
Under the ] dynasty Morocco experienced a period of prosperity and brilliance of learning. The Almohad built the ] in Marrakesh, which accommodated no fewer than 25,000 people, but was also famed for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, which gave it its name; the first book bazaar in history. The Almohad Caliph ] had a great love for collecting books. He founded a great library, which was eventually carried to the ] and turned into a ].

Modern Moroccan literature began in the 1930s. Two main factors gave Morocco a pulse toward witnessing the birth of a modern literature. Morocco, as a ] and ] left Moroccan intellectuals the opportunity to exchange and to produce literary works freely enjoying the contact of other ] and Europe. Three generations of writers especially shaped 20th century Moroccan literature.<ref>Mohammed Benjelloun Touimi, Abdelkbir Khatibi and Mohamed Kably, ''Ecrivains marocains, du protectorat à 1965'', 1974 éditions Sindbad, Paris and Hassan El Ouazzani, ''La littérature marocaine contemporaine de 1929 à 1999'' (2002, ed. Union des écrivains du Maroc and Dar Attaqafa)</ref> The first was the generation that lived and wrote during the ] (1912–56), its most important representative being ] (1897–1955).


The second generation was the one that played an important role in the transition to independence with writers like ] (1919–2006), ] (1910–1974) and ] (1900–1963). The third generation is that of writers of the sixties. Moroccan literature then flourished with writers such as ], ], ] and ]. Those writers were an important influence to the many Moroccan novelists, poets and playwrights that were still to come.
Modern Moroccan literature began in the 1930s. Two main factors gave Morocco a pulse toward witnessing the birth of a modern literature. Morocco, as a ] and ] left Moroccan intellectuals the opportunity to exchange and to produce literary works freely enjoying the contact of other ] and Europe.


During the 1950s and 1960s, Morocco was a refuge and artistic centre and attracted writers as ], ] and ]. Moroccan literature flourished with novelists such as ] and ], who wrote in Arabic, and ] and ] who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include, ], ], ], ] and ]. It should be noted also, that orature (oral literature) is an integral part of Moroccan culture, be it in Moroccan Arabic or ]. During the 1950s and 1960s, Morocco was a refuge and artistic centre and attracted writers as ], ] and ]. Moroccan literature flourished with novelists such as ] and ], who wrote in Arabic, and ] and ] who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include: ], ], ], ] and ]. Orature (oral literature) is an integral part of Moroccan culture, be it in Moroccan Arabic or Berber.


===Music=== ===Music===
{{Main|Music of Morocco}} {{main|Music of Morocco}}
Moroccan music is of ], Arab and sub-Saharan origins. Rock-influenced ] bands are widespread, as is ] with historical origins in ]. Moroccan music is of Arabic, Berber and sub-Saharan origins. Rock-influenced ] bands are widespread, as is ] with historical origins in ].


Morocco is home to ] that is found throughout North Africa. It probably evolved under the Moors in ], and the Persian-born musician ] is usually credited with its invention. A genre known as Contemporary Andalusian Music and art is the brainchild of ] visual artist/composer/]ist ], founder of the . Morocco is home to ] that is found throughout Northwest Africa. It probably evolved under the Moors in ], and the Persian-born musician ] is usually credited with its invention. A genre known as Contemporary Andalusian Music and art is the brainchild of ] visual artist/composer/]ist ], founder of the .


] musicians in 1900]]
] (''popular'') is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting.
'']'' is a ] musical style sung in the countryside.


] ("popular") is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting.
Popular Western forms of music are becoming increasingly popular in Morocco, such as ], ], ], ] and particularly ].


Popular Western forms of music are becoming increasingly popular in Morocco, such as ], rock, ], ] and, in particular, ].
Morocco participated in 1980's Eurovision Song Contest, being in penultimate position.

Morocco participated in the ], where it finished in the penultimate position.

===Media===
{{main|Media of Morocco|Cinema of Morocco}}
Cinema in Morocco has a long history, stretching back over a century to the filming of ''Le chevrier Marocain'' ("The Moroccan Goatherd") by ] in 1897. Between that time and 1944, many foreign movies were shot in the country, especially in the ] area. In 1944, the {{ill|Moroccan Cinematographic Centre|fr|Centre cinématographique marocain}} (CCM), the nation's film ], was established. Studios were also opened in ].

In 1952, ]' ] won the {{Lang|fr|]|italic=no}} at the ] under the Moroccan flag. However, the Festival's musicians did not play the ], as no one in attendance knew what it was.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wellesnet.com/filming_othello.htm|title=Wellesnet: Filming Othello|website=www.wellesnet.com|access-date=21 July 2014|archive-date=17 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817155640/http://www.wellesnet.com/filming_othello.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Six years later, Mohammed Ousfour would create the first Moroccan movie, ''Le fils maudit'' ("The Damned Son").

In 1968, the first Mediterranean Film Festival was held in ]. In its current incarnation, the event is held in ]. This was followed in 1982 with the first national festival of cinema, which was held in Rabat. In 2001, the first ] (FIFM) was also held in ].


===Cuisine=== ===Cuisine===
{{Main|Moroccan cuisine}} {{main|Moroccan cuisine}}
]]]
]
Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is mainly Berber-Moorish, European, Mediterranean cuisines. The cuisine of Morocco is essentially ] (sometimes referred to as the Moorish cuisine). It is also Influenced by ] and by the ] when they took refuge in Morocco after the Spanish ]. Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fescooking.com/come-cook-with-us/the-art-of-moroccan-cuisine|title=The Art of Moroccan Cuisine|date=10 October 2007|access-date=18 July 2014|archive-date=5 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105070323/http://fescooking.com/come-cook-with-us/the-art-of-moroccan-cuisine|url-status=live}}</ref> The cuisine of Morocco is mainly a fusion of Moorish, European and Mediterranean cuisines.
] are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like ] from Tiliouine, ] and ]s from Meknes, and ]s and ]s from Fez, are home-grown. ] is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is ]; ] is preferred but is relatively expensive. ] is the most famous Moroccan dish along with ], ], and ]. The most popular drink is ] with mint, Atai.


Spices are used extensively in Moroccan cuisine. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients such as ] from ], ] and ]s from ], and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; ] is preferred but is relatively expensive. The main Moroccan dish most people are familiar with is ],<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531091005/http://maroccankitchenrecipes.blogspot.com/2014/05/moroccan-couscous.html |date=31 May 2014 }}. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531104957/http://maroccankitchenrecipes.blogspot.com/ |date=31 May 2014 }} (Website). Retrieved 1 April 2014.</ref> the old national delicacy.
===Sport===
{{Main|Sport in Morocco}}
] is one of the most recognized ] fighters in the world.]]


Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco, usually eaten in a ''Tagine'' with vegetables or legumes. Chicken is also very commonly used in Tagines, knowing that one of the most famous tagine is the Tagine of Chicken, potatoes and olives. ] is also consumed, but as Northwest African sheep breeds store most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavour that Western ] have. Poultry is also very common, and the use of seafood is increasing in Moroccan food. In addition, there are dried salted meats and salted preserved meats such as kliia/khlia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/glossary/g/khlea_khlii.htm|title=klii|author=Benlafquih, Christine|publisher=About.com|access-date=20 July 2014|archive-date=11 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711003053/http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/glossary/g/khlea_khlii.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "g'did" which are used to flavor tagines or used in "el ghraif" a folded savory Moroccan pancake.
Football is the country’s most popular sport, popular among the urban youth in particular. In 1986, Morocco became the first Arab and African country to qualify for the second round of the ]. Morocco will host the ], and the host cities will include Tangier, Rabat, Agadir and Marrakesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/872480/morocco-to-stage-the-2015-african-nations-cup?cc=5901 |title=Morocco to stage the 2015 African Nations Cup – ESPN Soccernet |publisher=Soccernet.espn.go.com |date=2011-01-29 |accessdate=2011-08-01}}</ref>

Among the most famous Moroccan dishes are ], ] (also spelled Bsteeya or Bestilla), ], ] and ]. Although the latter is a ], it is considered a dish in itself and is served as such or with ] especially during the month of ]. Pork consumption is forbidden in accordance with ], religious laws of Islam.

A big part of the daily meal is bread. Bread in Morocco is principally from durum wheat semolina known as ]. Bakeries are very common throughout Morocco and fresh bread is a staple in every city, town and village. The most common is whole grain coarse ground or white flour bread. There are also a number of flat breads and pulled unleavened pan-fried breads.

The most popular drink is "atai", ] with mint leaves and other ingredients. Tea occupies a very important place in the culture of Morocco and is considered an art form. It is served not only at mealtimes but all through the day, and it is especially a drink of hospitality, commonly served whenever there are guests. It is served to guests, and it is impolite to refuse it.

===Sport===
{{main|Sport in Morocco}}
]
Football is the country's most popular sport, popular among the urban youth in particular. In 1986, Morocco became the first Arab and African country to qualify for the second round of the ]. Morocco hosted the ] in ] and will host it again in ] after original host Guinea was stripped from hosting rights due to inadequacy of hosting preparations. Morocco was originally scheduled to host the ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/872480/morocco-to-stage-the-2015-african-nations-cup?cc=5901 |title=Morocco to stage the 2015 African Nations Cup – ESPN Soccernet |publisher=ESPN FC |date=29 January 2011 |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=29 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429011957/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/872480/morocco-to-stage-the-2015-african-nations-cup?cc=5901 }}</ref> but refused to host the tournament on the scheduled dates because of fears over the ] on the continent.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30004279|title=Africa Cup of Nations: Morocco will not host finals over Ebola fears|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=11 November 2014|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-date=8 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108050911/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30004279|url-status=live}}</ref> Morocco made six attempts to host the FIFA World Cup but lost five times to the United States, France, Germany, South Africa and a Canada–Mexico–United States joint bid, however Morocco will co-host it in ] along with ] and ] having finally won the bid in their sixth attempt. In ], Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach the semifinals and finished 4th in the tournament.


At the ], two Moroccans won gold medals in track and field. ] won in the ]; she was the first woman from an Arab or Islamic country to win an Olympic gold medal. ] won the ] at the same games. ] won gold medals for Morocco at the ] in the ] and 5000 metres and holds several ]s in the ]. At the ], two Moroccans won gold medals in track and field. ] won in the ]; she was the first woman from an Arab or Islamic country to win an Olympic gold medal. ] won the ] at the same games. ] won gold medals for Morocco at the ] in the ] and 5000 metres and holds several ]s in the ].


] in Morocco traditionally centred on the art of ] until European sports—], ], ], and ]—were introduced at the end of the 19th century. ] and ] have become popular.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} Several Moroccan professional players have competed in international competition, and the country fielded its first ] team in 1999. ] in Morocco traditionally centred on the art of ] until European sports—], ], ], and ]—were introduced at the end of the 19th century. ] and ] have become popular.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/06/356114/morocco-emerges-as-top-class-golf-destination|title=Morocco Emerges As 'Top-Class' Golf Destination|last=Hamaan|first=Jasper|newspaper=Moroccan World News|date=June 24, 2023|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/05/362609/moroccan-tennis-teams-triumph-at-african-championships-despite-talent-oversight|title=Moroccan Tennis Teams Triumph at African Championships, Despite Talent Oversight|last=El Kanouni|first=Zakaria|newspaper=Moroccan World News|date=May 12, 2024|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref> Several Moroccan professional players have competed in international competition, and the country fielded its first ] team in 1999.
Morocco was one of the continent's pioneers in basketball as it established one of Africa's first competitive leagues.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lee |last=Nxumalo |title=Basketball's next frontier is Africa |url=https://www.newframe.com/basketballs-next-frontier-is-africa/ |access-date=11 January 2021 |work=New Frame |date=20 December 2020 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116062357/https://www.newframe.com/basketballs-next-frontier-is-africa/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
] came to Morocco in the early 20th century, mainly by the French who occupied the country.<ref name=Completerugby>Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 {{ISBN|1-86200-013-1}}) p71</ref> As a result, ] was tied to the fortunes of France, during the first and second ], with many Moroccan players going away to fight.<ref name=Completerugby/> Like many other Maghreb nations, Moroccan rugby tended to look to Europe for inspiration, rather than to the rest of Africa.


] is also popular in Morocco.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} ], heavyweight kickboxer and martial artist, is a former K-1 heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 finalist. ] is also popular in Morocco.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/kickboksen-een-marokkaanse-route-naar-succes|title=Kickboksen, een Marokkaanse route naar succes?|author=F.H.M. van Gemert|journal=Tijdschrift voor Veiligheid|date=October 1, 2019|volume=18 |issue=3–4 |doi=10.5553/TvV/187279482019018304004|hdl=1871.1/879c2ee1-a047-4286-94bb-fbb3e2ed01bf |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The Moroccan-Dutch ], heavyweight kickboxer and martial artist, is a former K-1 heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 finalist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2011/09/28/badr-hari-to-retire-from-kickboxing-k-1-world-gp-possibly-in-je|title=Badr Hari to Retire From Kickboxing|last=Herbertson|first=Daniel|publisher=Vox Media, LLC|date=September 28, 2011|website=MMAFighting.com|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}</ref>


==Education== == See also ==
{{Main|Education in Morocco}} {{Portal|Morocco|Africa}}
* ]
] in ].]]
* ]
Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school. The estimated ] rate for the country in 2013 was 17.8% for males and 39.8% for females.<ref name=illit04>{{cite web|title=Taux d'analphabétisme de la population âgée de 10 ans et plus selon le sexe|url=http://www.hcp.ma/Analphabetisme_a413.html|publisher=Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc}}</ref> On September 2006, UNESCO awarded Morocco amongst other countries such as ], ], ] and ] the "UNESCO 2006 Literacy Prize".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=33384&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |title=2006 UNESCO Literacy Prize winners announced |publisher=UNESCO.org |accessdate=2006-09-27 }}</ref>


== Notes ==
Morocco has more than ], institutes of higher learning, and polytechnics dispersed at urban centres throughout the country. Its leading institutions include ] in Rabat, the country’s largest university, with branches in Casablanca and Fès; the Hassan II Agriculture and Veterinary Institute in Rabat, which conducts leading social science research in addition to its agricultural specialties; and ] in Ifrane, the first English-language university in North Africa,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=morocco_ifrane_summer |title=CCIS Ifrane Morocco Summer Study Abroad Program |publisher=Ccisabroad.org |date=2010-04-01 |accessdate=2010-06-02}}</ref> inaugurated in 1995 with contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United States.
{{notelist}}


== References ==
The ], founded in the city of Fez in 859 as a ],<ref>] (ed.): '']'', Vol. 1, A–K, Routledge, 2006, ISBN 978-0-415-96691-7, p.&nbsp;257 (entry "Fez")</ref> is considered by some sources, including ], to be the "oldest university of the world".<ref>{{cite web|title=Qarawiyin|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485494/Qarawiyin|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=8 December 2011}}</ref> Morocco has also some of prestigious postgraduate schools, including: École Nationale Supérieure d'Électricité et de Mecanique (ENSEM), ], ], ], ], ], Les Écoles nationales de commerce et de gestion, École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca.<ref>''The Guinness Book Of Records'', 1998, p. 242, ISBN 0-553-57895-2.</ref>
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}


==Healthcare== === Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
{{main|Health in Morocco}}
* {{Free-content attribution
{{expand section|date=January 2013}}
| title = UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030
In 2010, spending on healthcare accounted for 5.19% of the country's GDP. In 2009, there were 6.46 physicians and 9.28 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Health. Kingdom of Morocco|url=http://www.sesrtcic.org/oic-member-countries-infigures.php?c_code=36&cat_code=8|publisher=SESRIC}}</ref> The life expectancy at birth was 74 years in 2013, or 72 years for males and 76 years for females.<ref>{{cite web|title=Demography. Kingdom of Morocco|url=http://www.sesrtcic.org/oic-member-countries-infigures.php?c_code=36&cat_code=7|publisher=SESRIC}}</ref>
| author = UNESCO
| publisher = UNESCO Publishing
| page numbers = 431–467
| source =
| documentURL = http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf
| license statement URL =
| license = CC BY-SA IGO 3.0
}}
{{refend}}


==See also== == Further reading ==
* Pennell, C. R. ''Morocco Since 1830: A History'', New York University Press, 2000. {{ISBN|9780814766774}}
*]
* Pennell, C. R. ''Morocco: From Empire to Independence'', Oneworld Publications, 2013. {{ISBN|9781780744551}} ( {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405093231/https://books.google.com/books?id=TYXrAQAAQBAJ |date=5 April 2023 }})
* ]
* Stenner, David. ''Globalizing Morocco: Transnational Activism and the Postcolonial State'' (Stanford UP, 2019). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522153512/https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=54410 |date=22 May 2020 }}
* ]
* Terrasse, Henri. ''History of Morocco'', Éd. Atlantides, 1952.
{{portalbar|Geography|Africa|Morocco}}


; In French
==Notes and references==
* ], ''Histoire du Maroc'', Éd. Perrin, 2000. {{ISBN|2-262-01644-5}}
{{reflist|30em}}
* Michel Abitbol, ''Histoire du Maroc'', Éd. Perrin, 2009. {{ISBN|9782262023881}}
{{reflist|group="note"}}


==External links== == External links ==
{{Sister project links|Morocco|voy=Morocco}} {{Sister project links|Morocco|voy=Morocco}}
* * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919194826/http://www.maroc.ma/en |date=19 September 2018 }}
* * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620134424/http://www.sgg.gov.ma/ |date=20 June 2012 }}
* * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210094530/http://www.parlement.ma/ |date=10 February 2016 }}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919132639/https://www.visitmorocco.com/en |date=19 September 2018 }}
*
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724191316/http://www.lavieeco.com/documents_officiels/Recensement%20population.pdf |date=24 July 2012 }}
*
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ |date=2 December 2022 }}. '']''. ].
*{{CIA World Factbook link|mo|Morocco}}
*{{GovPubs|Morocco}} * {{GovPubs|Morocco}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720230225/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14121438 |date=20 July 2018 }} from the ]
*{{dmoz|Regional/Africa/Morocco}}
* {{Wikiatlas|Morocco}}
* from the ]
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208082711/http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=MA |date=8 February 2013 }} from ]
*
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911231847/http://www.enpi-info.eu/countrymed.php?country=6 |date=11 September 2015 }}
*{{Wikiatlas|Morocco}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512215859/http://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/Country/MAR/Year/2012/Summary |date=12 May 2014 }}
*
* from ]
*
*


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Revision as of 02:22, 23 December 2024

Country in North Africa This article is about the country in North Africa. For the subregion, see Maghreb. For other uses, see Morocco (disambiguation).

Kingdom of Morocco
  • المملكة المغربية (Arabic)
    al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah
  • ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ (Tamazight)
    Tageldit n Lmeɣrib
Flag of Morocco Flag Coat of arms of Morocco Coat of arms
Motto: ٱللَّٰه، ٱلْوَطَن، ٱلْمَلِك 
"Allāh, al-Waṭan, al-Malik"
"God, Country, King"
Anthem: ٱلنَّشِيْد ٱلْوَطَنِي 
"an-Našīd al-Waṭanīy"
"Cherifian Anthem"
Location of Morocco in northwest Africa   Undisputed territory of Morocco   Western Sahara, a territory claimed and occupied mostly by Morocco as its Southern Provinces
CapitalRabat
34°02′N 6°51′W / 34.033°N 6.850°W / 34.033; -6.850
Largest cityCasablanca
33°32′N 7°35′W / 33.533°N 7.583°W / 33.533; -7.583
Official languages
Spoken languages
(2024)
Foreign languages
Ethnic groups See Ethnic groups
Religion (2020)
Demonym(s)Moroccan
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
• King Mohammed VI
• Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch
LegislatureParliament
• Upper houseHouse of Councillors
• Lower houseHouse of Representatives
Establishment
• Idrisid dynasty 788
• 'Alawi dynasty (current dynasty) 1631
• Protectorate established 30 March 1912
• Independence 7 April 1956
Area
• Total446,550 km (172,410 sq mi) (57th)
• Water (%)0.056 (250 km)
Population
• 2024 estimate37,493,183 (38th)
• 2024 census36,828,330
• Density79.0/km (204.6/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• TotalIncrease $396.685 billion (56th)
• Per capitaIncrease $10,615 (120th)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• TotalIncrease $157.087 billion (61st)
• Per capitaIncrease $4,203 (124th)
Gini (2015)40.3
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.698
medium (120th)
CurrencyMoroccan dirham (MAD)
Time zoneUTC
Drives onRight
Calling code+212
ISO 3166 codeMA
Internet TLD

Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. Morocco also claims the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast. It has a population of approximately 37 million. Islam is both the official and predominant religion, while Arabic and Berber are the official languages. Additionally, French and the Moroccan dialect of Arabic are widely spoken. The culture of Morocco is a mix of Arab, Berber, African and European cultures. Its capital is Rabat, while its largest city is Casablanca.

The region constituting Morocco has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era over 300,000 years ago. The Idrisid dynasty was established by Idris I in 788 and Morocco was subsequently ruled by a series of other independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties, when it controlled most of the Iberian peninsula and the Maghreb. Centuries of Arab migration to the Maghreb since the 7th century shifted the demographic scope of the region. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with Portugal seizing some territory and the Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east. The Marinid and Saadi dynasties otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape Ottoman dominion. The 'Alawi dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest; in 1912, France and Spain divided the country into respective protectorates, reserving an international zone in Tangier. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, in 1956, Morocco regained its independence and reunified.

Since independence, Morocco has remained relatively stable. It has the fifth-largest economy in Africa and wields significant influence in both Africa and the Arab world; it is considered a middle power in global affairs and holds membership in the Arab League, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the African Union. Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The executive branch is led by the King of Morocco and the prime minister, while legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Judicial power rests with the Constitutional Court, which may review the validity of laws, elections, and referendums. The king holds vast executive and legislative powers, especially over the military, foreign policy and religious affairs; he can issue decrees called dahirs, which have the force of law, and can also dissolve the parliament after consulting the prime minister and the president of the constitutional court.

Morocco claims ownership of the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, which it has designated its Southern Provinces. In 1975, after Spain agreed to decolonise the territory and cede its control to Morocco and Mauritania, a guerrilla war broke out between those powers and some of the local inhabitants. In 1979, Mauritania relinquished its claim to the area, but the war continued to rage. In 1991, a ceasefire agreement was reached, but the issue of sovereignty remained unresolved. Today, Morocco occupies two-thirds of the territory, and efforts to resolve the dispute have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.

Etymology and name

The English Morocco is an anglicisation of the Spanish name for the country, Marruecos, derived from the name of the city of Marrakesh, which was the capital of the Almoravid dynasty, the Almohad Caliphate, and the Saadian dynasty. During the Almoravid dynasty, the city of Marrakesh was established under the name of Tāmurākušt, derived from the city's ancient Berber name of amūr n Yakuš (lit. 'land/country of God'). In English, the first vowel has been changed, likely influenced by the word "Moor".

Historically, the territory has been part of what Muslim geographers referred to as al-Maghrib al-Aqṣā [ar] (المغرب الأقصى, 'the Farthest West ' designating roughly the area from Tiaret to the Atlantic) in contrast with neighbouring regions of al-Maghrib al-Awsaṭ [ar] (المغرب الأوسط, 'the Middle West': Tripoli to Béjaïa) and al-Maghrib al-Adnā [ar] (المغرب الأدنى, 'the Nearest West': Alexandria to Tripoli).

Morocco's modern Arabic name is al-Maghrib (المغرب, transl. the land of the sunset; the west), with the Kingdom's official Arabic name being al-Mamlakah al-Maghribīyah (المملكة المغربية; transl. the kingdom of sunset/the west). In Turkish, Morocco is known as Fas, a name derived from its medieval capital of Fes which is derived from the Arabic word Faʾs (فأس; transl.pickaxe), as the city's founder Idris I ibn Abd Allah reputedly used a silver and gold pickaxe to trace the outlines of the city. In other parts of the Islamic world, for example in Egyptian and Middle Eastern Arabic literature before the mid-20th century, Morocco was commonly referred to as Murrakush (مراكش). The term is still used to refer to Morocco today in several Indo-Iranian languages, including Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi.

Morocco has also been referred to politically by a variety of terms denoting the Sharifi heritage of the 'Alawi dynasty, such as al-Mamlakah ash-Sharīfah (المملكة الشريفة), al-Iyālah ash-Sharīfah (الإيالة الشريفة) and al-Imbarāṭūriyyah ash-Sharīfah (الإمبراطورية الشريفة), rendered in French as l'Empire chérifien and in English as the 'Sharifian Empire'.

History

Main article: History of Morocco

Prehistory and antiquity

The area of present-day Morocco has been inhabited since at least Paleolithic times, beginning sometime between 190,000 and 90,000 BC. A recent publication has suggested that there is evidence for even earlier human habitation of the area: Homo sapiens fossils that had been discovered in the late 2000s near the Atlantic coast in Jebel Irhoud were recently dated to roughly 315,000 years ago. During the Upper Paleolithic, the Maghreb was more fertile than it is today, resembling a savanna, in contrast to its modern arid landscape.

DNA studies of Iberomaurusian peoples at Taforalt, Morocco dating to around 15,000 years ago have found them to have a distinctive Maghrebi ancestry formed from a mixture of Near Eastern and African ancestry, which is still found as a part of the genome of modern Northwest Africans. Later during the Neolithic, from around 7,500 years ago onwards, there was a migration into Northwest Africa of European Neolithic Farmers from the Iberian Peninsula (who had originated in Anatolia several thousand years prior), as well as pastoralists from the Levant, both of whom also significantly contributed to the ancestry of modern Northwest Africans. The proto-Berber tribes evolved from these prehistoric communities during the late Bronze- and early Iron ages.

In the early part of Classical Antiquity, Northwest Africa and Morocco were slowly drawn into the wider emerging Mediterranean world by the Phoenicians, who established trading colonies and settlements there, the most substantial of which were Chellah, Lixus, and Mogador. Mogador was established as a Phoenician colony as early as the 6th century BC.

Roman ruins of Volubilis

Morocco later became a realm of the Northwest African civilisation of ancient Carthage, and part of the Carthaginian empire. The earliest known independent Moroccan state was the Berber kingdom of Mauretania, under King Baga. This ancient kingdom (not to be confused with the modern state of Mauritania) flourished around 225 BC or earlier. Mauretania became a client kingdom of the Roman Empire in 33 BC. Emperor Claudius annexed Mauretania directly in 44 AD, making it a Roman province ruled by an imperial governor (either a procurator Augusti, or a legatus Augusti pro praetore).

Christianity in Morocco appeared during the Roman times, when it was practiced by Berber Christians in Roman Mauretania Tingitana. During the Crisis of the Third Century, parts of Mauretania were reconquered by Berbers. By the late 3rd century, direct Roman rule had become confined to a few coastal cities, such as Septum (Ceuta) in Mauretania Tingitana and Cherchell in Mauretania Caesariensis. When, in 429 AD, the area was devastated by the Vandals, the Roman Empire lost its remaining possessions in Mauretania, and local Mauro-Roman kings assumed control of them. In the 530s, the Eastern Roman Empire, under Byzantine control, re-established direct imperial rule of Septum and Tingi, fortified Tingis and erected a church.

Foundation and dynasties

Idrisid coin in Fes, 840

The Muslim conquest of the Maghreb that had begun during the mid-7th century was completed under the Umayyad Caliphate by 709. The caliphate introduced both Islam and the Arabic language to the area; this period also saw the beginning of a trend of Arab migration to the Maghreb which would last for centuries and effect a demographic shift in the region. While constituting part of the larger empire, Morocco was initially organised as a subsidiary province of Ifriqiya, with the local governors appointed by the Muslim governor in Kairouan.

The indigenous Berber tribes adopted Islam, but retained their customary laws. They also paid taxes and tribute to the new Muslim administration. The first independent Muslim state in the area of modern Morocco was the Kingdom of Nekor, an emirate in the Rif Mountains. It was founded by Salih I ibn Mansur in 710, as a client state to the Umayyad Caliphate. After the outbreak of the Berber Revolt in 739, the Berbers formed other independent states such as the Miknasa of Sijilmasa and the Barghawata.

al-Qarawiyyin, founded in Fes in the 9th century, was a major spiritual, literary, and intellectual centre.

The founder of the Idrisid dynasty and the great-grandson of Hasan ibn Ali, Idris ibn Abdallah, had fled to Morocco after the massacre of his family by the Abbasids in the Hejaz. He convinced the Awraba Berber tribes to break their allegiance to the distant Abbasid caliphs and he founded the Idrisid dynasty in 788. The Idrisids established Fes as their capital and Morocco became a centre of Muslim learning and a major regional power. The Idrisids were ousted in 927 by the Fatimid Caliphate and their Miknasa allies. After Miknasa broke off relations with the Fatimids in 932, they were removed from power by the Maghrawa of Sijilmasa in 980.

The empire of the Almohad dynasty at its greatest extent, c. 1212

From the 11th century onward, a series of Berber dynasties arose. Under the Sanhaja Almoravid dynasty and the Masmuda Almohad dynasty, Morocco dominated the Maghreb, al-Andalus in Iberia, and the western Mediterranean region. From the 13th century onward the country saw a massive migration of the Banu Hilal Arab tribes. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Zenata Berber Marinids held power in Morocco and strove to replicate the successes of the Almohads through military campaigns in Algeria and Spain. They were followed by the Wattasids. In the 15th century, the Reconquista ended Muslim rule in Iberia and many Muslims and Jews fled to Morocco.

Portuguese efforts to control the Atlantic sea trade in the 15th century did not greatly affect the interior of Morocco even though they managed to control some possessions on the Moroccan coast but not venturing further afield inland.

The Portuguese Empire was founded when Prince Henry the Navigator led the conquest of Ceuta, which began the Portuguese presence in Morocco, lasting from 1415 to 1769.

In 1549, the region fell to successive Arab dynasties claiming descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad: first the Saadi dynasty who ruled from 1549 to 1659, and then the 'Alawi dynasty, who have remained in power since the 17th century. Morocco faced aggression from Spain in the north, and the Ottoman Empire's allies pressing westward.

The remains of the Saadi sultan Ahmad al-Mansur's 16th century Badi' Palace

Under the Saadis, the sultanate ended the Portuguese Aviz dynasty in 1578 at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. The reign of Ahmad al-Mansur brought new wealth and prestige to the Sultanate, and a large expedition to West Africa inflicted a crushing defeat on the Songhay Empire in 1591. However, managing the territories across the Sahara proved too difficult. Upon the death of al-Mansur, the country was divided among his sons.

After a period of political fragmentation and conflict during the decline of the Saadi dynasty, Morocco was finally reunited by the Alawi sultan al-Rashid in the late 1660s, who took Fez in 1666 and Marrakesh in 1668. The 'Alawis succeeded in stabilising their position, and while the kingdom was smaller than previous ones in the region, it remained quite wealthy. Against the opposition of local tribes Ismail Ibn Sharif (1672–1727) began to create a unified state. With his Riffian army, he re-occupied Tangier from the English who had abandoned it in 1684 and drove the Spanish from Larache in 1689. The Portuguese abandoned Mazagão, their last territory in Morocco, in 1769. However, the siege of Melilla against the Spanish ended in defeat in 1775.

Morocco was the first nation to recognise the fledgling United States as an independent nation in 1777. In the beginning of the American Revolution, American merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean were subject to attacks by other fleets. On 20 December 1777, Morocco's Sultan Mohammed III declared that American merchant ships would be under the protection of the sultanate and could thus enjoy safe passage. The 1786 Moroccan–American Treaty of Friendship stands as the United States' oldest unbroken friendship treaty.

French and Spanish protectorates

Main articles: French protectorate in Morocco and Spanish protectorate in Morocco
The Treaty of Wad Ras after the Hispano-Moroccan War (1859–1860) bankrupted Morocco's national treasury, forcing the Makhzen to take on a British loan

As Europe industrialised, Northwest Africa was increasingly prized for its potential for colonisation. France showed a strong interest in Morocco as early as 1830, not only to protect the border of its Algerian territory, but also because of the strategic position of Morocco with coasts on the Mediterranean and the open Atlantic. In 1860, a dispute over Spain's Ceuta enclave led Spain to declare war. Victorious Spain won a further enclave and an enlarged Ceuta in the settlement. In 1884, Spain created a protectorate in the coastal areas of Morocco.

Tangier's population in 1956 included 40,000 Muslims, 31,000 Europeans and 15,000 Jews.

In 1904, France and Spain carved out zones of influence in Morocco. Recognition by the United Kingdom of France's sphere of influence provoked a strong reaction from the German Empire; and a crisis loomed in 1905. The matter was resolved at the Algeciras Conference in 1906. The Agadir Crisis of 1911 increased tensions between European powers. The 1912 Treaty of Fez made Morocco a protectorate of France, and triggered the 1912 Fez riots. Spain continued to operate its coastal protectorate. By the same treaty, Spain assumed the role of protecting power over the northern coastal and southern Saharan zones.

Map depicting the French conquest of Morocco from 1907 to 1934

Tens of thousands of colonists entered Morocco. Some bought up large amounts of rich agricultural land, while others organised the exploitation and modernisation of mines and harbours. Interest groups that formed among these elements continually pressured France to increase its control over Morocco – with some Moroccan tribes allying with the French against other competing tribes from early on in its conquest. The French colonial administrator, Governor general Marshal Hubert Lyautey, sincerely admired Moroccan culture and succeeded in imposing a joint Moroccan-French administration, while creating a modern school system. Several divisions of Moroccan soldiers (Goumiers or regular troops and officers) served in the French army in both World War I and World War II, and in the Spanish Nationalist Army in the Spanish Civil War and after (Regulares). The institution of slavery was abolished in 1925.

Between 1921 and 1926, an uprising in the Rif Mountains, led by Abd el-Krim, led to the establishment of the Republic of the Rif. The Spanish used anti-civilian bombing raids and mustard gas to prevent the Rif republic from gaining independence. They lost more than 13,000 soldiers at Annual in July–August 1921 alone. The Riffi were eventually suppressed by 1927 by the Franco-Spanish military. The casualties on the Spanish-French side were 52,000 and from the Riffi 10,000 died.

The Proclamation of Independence of Morocco of 1944

In 1943, the Istiqlal Party (Independence Party) was founded to press for independence, with discreet US support. Moroccan nationalists drew heavily on transnational activist networks for lobbying to end colonial rule, primarily at the United Nations. The Istiqlal Party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement.

King Mohammed V during a visit to the United States in 1957

France's exile of Sultan Mohammed V in 1953 to Madagascar and his replacement by the unpopular Mohammed Ben Aarafa sparked active opposition to the French and Spanish protectorates. The most notable violence occurred in Oujda where Moroccans attacked French and other European residents in the streets. France allowed Mohammed V to return in 1955, and the negotiations that led to Moroccan independence began the following year. In March 1956 Morocco regained its independence from France as the Kingdom of Morocco. A month later Spain forsook its protectorate in Northern Morocco to the new state but kept its two coastal enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla) on the Mediterranean coast which dated from earlier conquests, but over which Morocco still claims sovereignty to this day.

Post-independence

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Sultan Mohammed became King in 1957. Upon the death of Mohammed V, Hassan II became King of Morocco on 3 March 1961. Morocco held its first general elections in 1963. However, Hassan declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament in 1965. In 1971 and 1972, there were two failed attempts to depose the king and establish a republic. A truth commission set up in 2005 to investigate human rights abuses during his reign confirmed nearly 10,000 cases, ranging from death in detention to forced exile. Some 592 people were recorded killed during Hassan's rule according to the truth commission.

In 1963, the Sand War was fought between Algerian and Moroccan troops over Moroccan claims to parts of Algerian territory. A formal peace agreement was signed in February 1964; however, relations remained strained between the two countries following the conflict. The Spanish enclave of Ifni in the south was returned to Morocco in 1969.

The Polisario movement was formed in 1973, with the aim of establishing an independent state in the Spanish Sahara. On 6 November 1975, King Hassan asked for volunteers to cross into the Spanish Sahara. Some 350,000 civilians were reported as being involved in the "Green March". A month later, Spain agreed to leave the Spanish Sahara, soon to become Western Sahara, and to transfer it to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control, despite the objections and threats of military intervention by Algeria. Moroccan forces occupied the territory.

Moroccan and Algerian troops soon clashed in Western Sahara. Morocco and Mauritania divided up Western Sahara. Fighting between the Moroccan military and Polisario forces continued for many years. The prolonged war was a considerable financial drain on Morocco. In 1983, Hassan cancelled planned elections amid political unrest and economic crisis. In 1984, Morocco left the Organisation of African Unity in protest at the SADR's admission to the body. Polisario claimed to have killed more than 5,000 Moroccan soldiers between 1982 and 1985. Algerian authorities have estimated the number of Sahrawi refugees in Algeria to be 165,000. Diplomatic relations with Algeria were restored in 1988. In 1991, a UN-monitored ceasefire began in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. The following decade saw much wrangling over a proposed referendum on the future of the territory but the deadlock was not broken.

Map of the Western Sahara War (1975–1991)

Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature with Morocco's first opposition-led government coming to power. King Hassan II died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI. He is a cautious moderniser who has introduced some economic and social liberalisation. Mohammed VI paid a controversial visit to the Western Sahara in 2002. Morocco unveiled an autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara to the United Nations in 2007. The Polisario rejected the plan and put forward its own proposal. Morocco and the Polisario Front held UN-sponsored talks in New York City but failed to come to any agreement. In 2010, security forces stormed a protest camp in the Western Sahara, triggering violent demonstrations in the regional capital El Aaiún.

Mohammed VI and other world leaders and representatives attend the Armistice Day centenary in November 2018.

In 2002, Morocco and Spain agreed to a US-brokered resolution over the disputed island of Perejil. Spanish troops had taken the normally uninhabited island after Moroccan soldiers landed on it and set up tents and a flag. There were renewed tensions in 2005, as dozens of African migrants stormed the borders of the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. In response, Spain deported dozens of the illegal migrants to Morocco from Melilla. In 2006, the Spanish Premier Zapatero visited Spanish enclaves. He was the first Spanish leader in 25 years to make an official visit to the territories. The following year, Spanish King Juan Carlos I visited Ceuta and Melilla, further angering Morocco which demanded control of the enclaves.

During the 2011–2012 Moroccan protests, thousands of people rallied in Rabat and other cities calling for political reform and a new constitution curbing the powers of the king. In July 2011, the King won a landslide victory in a referendum on a reformed constitution he had proposed to placate the Arab Spring protests. In the first general elections that followed, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party won a plurality of seats, with Abdelilah Benkirane being designated as head of government per the new constitution. Despite the reforms made by Mohammed VI, demonstrators continued to call for deeper reforms. Hundreds took part in a trade union rally in Casablanca in May 2012. Participants accused the government of failing to deliver on reforms.

On 10 December 2020, Israel–Morocco normalisation agreement was announced and Morocco announced its intention to resume diplomatic relations with Israel. Joint Declaration of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States of America and the State of Israel was signed on 22 December 2020.

On 24 August 2021, neighbouring Algeria cut diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing Morocco of supporting a separatist group and hostile actions against Algeria. Morocco called the decision unjustified.

On 8 September 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco killing more than 2,800 people and injuring thousands. The epicentre of the quake was around 70 km southwest of city of Marrakech.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Morocco
Toubkal, the highest peak in Northern Africa, at 4,167 m (13,671 ft)
A section of the Anti-Atlas near Tafraout
An old Atlas cedar tree in the Atlas range

Morocco has a coast by the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with three small Spanish-controlled exclaves, Ceuta, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera), Algeria to the east, and Western Sahara to the south. Since Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, its de facto southern boundary is with Mauritania.

The internationally recognised borders of the country lie between latitudes 27° and 36°N, and longitudes 1° and 14°W.

The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara desert. Morocco is a Northern African country, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and the annexed Western Sahara. It is one of only three nations (along with Spain and France) to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.

A large part of Morocco is mountainous. The Atlas Mountains are located mainly in the centre and the south of the country. The Rif Mountains are located in the north of the country. Both ranges are mainly inhabited by the Berber people. Its total area is about 446,300 km (172,317 sq mi). Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast, though the border between the two countries has been closed since 1994.

Spanish territory in Northwest Africa neighbouring Morocco comprises five enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: Ceuta, Melilla, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Peñón de Alhucemas, the Chafarinas islands, and the disputed islet Perejil. Off the Atlantic coast the Canary Islands belong to Spain, whereas Madeira to the north is Portuguese. To the north, Morocco is bordered by the Strait of Gibraltar, where international shipping has unimpeded transit passage between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

The Rif mountains stretch over the region bordering the Mediterranean from the north-west to the north-east. The Atlas Mountains run down the backbone of the country, from the northeast to the southwest. Most of the southeast portion of the country is in the Sahara Desert and as such is generally sparsely populated and unproductive economically. Most of the population lives to the north of these mountains, while to the south lies the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was annexed by Morocco in 1975 (see Green March). Morocco claims that the Western Sahara is part of its territory and refers to that as its Southern Provinces.

Morocco's capital city is Rabat; its largest city is its main port, Casablanca. Other cities recording a population over 500,000 in the 2014 Moroccan census are Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes, Salé and Tangier.

Morocco is represented in the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 geographical encoding standard by the symbol MA. This code was used as the basis for Morocco's internet domain, .ma.

Climate

Köppen climate types in Morocco

In area, Morocco's climate is mainly "hot summer Mediterranean" (Csa) and "hot desert" (BWh) zones.

Central mountain ranges and the effects of the cold Canary Current, off the Atlantic coast, are significant factors in Morocco's relatively large variety of vegetation zones, ranging from lush forests in the northern and central mountains, giving way to steppe, semi-arid and desert areas in the eastern and southern regions. The Moroccan coastal plains experience moderate temperatures even in summer.

In the Rif, Middle and High Atlas Mountains, there exist several different types of climates: Mediterranean along the coastal lowlands, giving way to a humid temperate climate at higher elevations with sufficient moisture to allow for the growth of different species of oaks, moss carpets, junipers, and Atlantic fir which is a royal conifer tree endemic to Morocco. In the valleys, fertile soils and high precipitation allow for the growth of thick and lush forests. Cloud forests can be found in the west of the Rif Mountains and Middle Atlas Mountains. At higher elevations, the climate becomes alpine in character, and can sustain ski resorts.

Southeast of the Atlas mountains, near the Algerian borders, the climate becomes very dry, with long and hot summers. Extreme heat and low moisture levels are especially pronounced in the lowland regions east of the Atlas range due to the rain shadow effect of the mountain system. The southeasternmost portions of Morocco are very hot, and include portions of the Sahara desert, where vast swathes of sand dunes and rocky plains are dotted with lush oases.

In contrast to the Sahara region in the south, coastal plains are fertile in the central and northern regions of the country, and comprise the backbone of the country's agriculture, in which 95% of the population live. The direct exposure to the North Atlantic Ocean, the proximity to mainland Europe and the long stretched Rif and Atlas mountains are the factors of the rather European-like climate in the northern half of the country. That makes Morocco a country of contrasts. Forested areas cover about 12% of the country while arable land accounts for 18%. Approximately 5% of Moroccan land is irrigated for agricultural use.

Landscape of the Erg Chebbi
Atlas Mountains

In general, apart from the southeast regions (pre-Saharan and desert areas), Morocco's climate and geography are very similar to the Iberian peninsula. Thus Morocco has the following climate zones:

  • Mediterranean: Dominates the coastal Mediterranean regions of the country, along the (500 km strip), and some parts of the Atlantic coast. Summers are hot to moderately hot and dry, average highs are between 29 °C (84.2 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F). Winters are generally mild and wet, daily average temperatures hover around 9 °C (48.2 °F) to 11 °C (51.8 °F), and average low are around 5 °C (41.0 °F) to 8 °C (46.4 °F), typical to the coastal areas of the west Mediterranean. Annual Precipitation in this area vary from 600 to 800 mm in the west to 350–500 mm in the east. Notable cities that fall into this zone are Tangier, Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Nador and Safi.
  • Sub-Mediterranean: It influences cities that show Mediterranean characteristics, but remain fairly influenced by other climates owing to their either relative elevation, or direct exposure to the North Atlantic Ocean. We thus have two main influencing climates:
  • Oceanic: Determined by the cooler summers, where highs are around 27 °C (80.6 °F) and in terms of the Essaouira region, are almost always around 21 °C (69.8 °F). The medium daily temperatures can get as low as 19 °C (66.2 °F), while winters are chilly to mild and wet. Annual precipitation varies from 400 to 700 mm. Notable cities that fall into this zone are Rabat, Casablanca, Kénitra, Salé and Essaouira.
  • Continental: Determined by the bigger gap between highs and lows, that results in hotter summers and colder winters, than found in typical Mediterranean zones. In summer, daily highs can get as high as 40 °C (104.0 °F) during heat waves, but usually are between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 36 °C (96.8 °F). However, temperatures drop as the sun sets. Night temperatures usually fall below 20 °C (68.0 °F), and sometimes as low as 10 °C (50.0 °F) in mid-summer. Winters are cooler, and can get below the freezing point multiple times between December and February. Also, snow can fall occasionally. Fès for example registered −8 °C (17.6 °F) in winter 2005. Annual precipitation varies between 500 and 900 mm. Notable cities are Fès, Meknès, Chefchaouen, Beni-Mellal and Taza.
  • Continental: Dominates the mountainous regions of the north and central parts of the country, where summers are hot to very hot, with highs between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 36 °C (96.8 °F). Winters on the other hand are cold, and lows usually go beyond the freezing point. And when cold damp air comes to Morocco from the northwest, for a few days, temperatures sometimes get below −5 °C (23.0 °F). It often snows abundantly in this part of the country. Precipitation varies between 400 and 800 mm. Notable cities are Khenifra, Imilchil, Midelt and Azilal.
  • Alpine: Found in some parts of the Middle Atlas Mountain range and the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountain range. Summers are very warm to moderately hot, and winters are longer, cold and snowy. Precipitation varies between 400 and 1200 mm. In summer highs barely go above 30 °C (86.0 °F), and lows are cool and average below 15 °C (59.0 °F). In winters, highs average around 8 °C (46.4 °F), and lows go well below the freezing point. In this part of country, there are many ski resorts, such as Oukaimeden and Mischliefen. Notable cities are Ifrane, Azrou and Boulmane.
  • Semi-arid: This type of climate is found in the south of the country and some parts of the east of the country, where rainfall is lower and annual precipitations are between 200 and 350 mm. However, one usually finds Mediterranean characteristics in those regions, such as the precipitation pattern and thermal attributes. Notable cities are Agadir, Marrakesh and Oujda.

South of Agadir and east of Jerada near the Algerian borders, arid and desert climate starts to prevail.

Due to Morocco's proximity to the Sahara desert and the North Sea of the Atlantic Ocean, two phenomena occur to influence the regional seasonal temperatures, either by raising temperatures by 7–8 degrees Celsius when sirocco blows from the east creating heatwaves, or by lowering temperatures by 7–8 degrees Celsius when cold damp air blows from the northwest, creating a coldwave or cold spell. However, these phenomena do not last for more than two to five days on average.

Climate change is expected to significantly impact Morocco on multiple dimensions. As a coastal country with hot and arid climates, environmental impacts are likely to be wide and varied. As of the 2019 Climate Change Performance Index, Morocco was ranked second in preparedness behind Sweden.

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of Morocco
An adult male Barbary macaque carrying his offspring, a behaviour rarely found in other primates
The Caracal

Morocco has a wide range of biodiversity. It is part of the Mediterranean basin, an area with exceptional concentrations of endemic species undergoing rapid rates of habitat loss, and is therefore considered to be a hotspot for conservation priority. Avifauna are notably variant. The avifauna of Morocco includes a total of 454 species, five of which have been introduced by humans, and 156 are rarely or accidentally seen.

The Barbary lion, hunted to extinction in the wild, was a subspecies native to Morocco and is a national emblem. The last Barbary lion in the wild was shot in the Atlas Mountains in 1922. The other two primary predators of northern Africa, the Atlas bear and Barbary leopard, are now extinct and critically endangered, respectively. Relic populations of the West African crocodile persisted in the Draa river until the 20th century.

The Barbary macaque, a primate endemic to Morocco and Algeria, is also facing extinction due to offtake for trade human interruption, urbanisation, wood and real estate expansion that diminish forested area – the macaque's habitat.

Trade of animals and plants for food, pets, medicinal purposes, souvenirs and photo props is common across Morocco, despite laws making much of it illegal. This trade is unregulated and causing unknown reductions of wild populations of native Moroccan wildlife. Because of the proximity of northern Morocco to Europe, species such as cacti, tortoises, mammal skins, and high-value birds (falcons and bustards) are harvested in various parts of the country and exported in appreciable quantities, with especially large volumes of eel harvested – 60 tons exported to the Far East in the period 2009‒2011.

Morocco is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests, Mediterranean High Atlas juniper steppe, Mediterranean acacia-argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets, Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, and North Saharan steppe and woodlands. It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.74/10, ranking it 66th globally out of 172 countries.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Morocco
The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI

According to the 2022 Economist Democracy Index, Morocco is ruled under a hybrid regime, scoring #3 in the Middle East and North Africa, and #95 in the world. Morocco has a "difficult" ranking on the 2023 World Press Freedom Index.

Following the March 1998 elections, a coalition government headed by opposition socialist leader Abderrahmane Youssoufi and composed largely of ministers drawn from opposition parties, was formed. Prime Minister Youssoufi's government was the first ever government drawn primarily from opposition parties, and also represents the first opportunity for a coalition of socialists, left-of-centre, and nationalist parties to be included in the government until October 2002. It was also the first time in the modern political history of the Arab world that the opposition assumed power following an election. The current government is headed by Aziz Akhannouch.

The Constitution of Morocco provides for a monarchy with a Parliament and an independent judiciary. With the 2011 constitutional reforms, the King of Morocco retains less executive powers whereas those of the prime minister have been enlarged.

The constitution grants the king honorific powers (among other powers); he is both the secular political leader and the "Commander of the Faithful" as a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. He presides over the Council of Ministers; appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that has won the most seats in the parliamentary elections, and on recommendations from the latter, appoints the members of the government.

The constitution of 1996 theoretically allowed the king to terminate the tenure of any minister, and after consultation with the heads of the higher and lower Assemblies, to dissolve the Parliament, suspend the constitution, call for new elections, or rule by decree. The only time this happened was in 1965. The King is formally the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Legislative branch

The legislature's building in Rabat

Since the constitutional reform of 1996, the bicameral legislature consists of two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives of Morocco (Majlis an-Nuwwâb/Assemblée des Répresentants) has 395 members elected for a five-year term, 305 elected in multi-seat constituencies and 90 in national lists consisting of women and youth.

The Assembly of Councillors (Majlis al-Mustasharin) has 120 members, elected for a six-year term. 72 members are elected at the regional level, 20 members are elected from trade unions, 8 seats from professional organisations and 20 from wage-earners.

The Parliament's powers, though still relatively limited, were expanded under the 1992 and 1996 and even further in the 2011 constitutional revisions and include budgetary matters, approving bills, questioning ministers, and establishing ad hoc commissions of inquiry to investigate the government's actions. The lower chamber of Parliament may dissolve the government through a vote of no confidence.

The latest parliamentary elections were held on 8 September 2021. Voter turnout in these elections was estimated to be 50.35% of registered voters.

Administrative divisions

The administrative regions of Morocco

Morocco is officially divided into 12 regions, which, in turn, are subdivided into 62 provinces and 13 prefectures.

Regions

  1. Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima
  2. Oriental
  3. Fès-Meknès
  4. Rabat-Salé-Kénitra
  5. Béni Mellal-Khénifra
  6. Casablanca-Settat
  7. Marrakesh-Safi
  8. Drâa-Tafilalet
  9. Souss-Massa
  10. Guelmim-Oued Noun
  11. Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra
  12. Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Morocco

Morocco is a member of the United Nations and belongs to the African Union (AU), Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement and the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN_SAD). Morocco's relationships vary greatly between African, Arab, and Western states. Morocco has had strong ties to the West in order to gain economic and political benefits. France and Spain remain the primary trade partners, as well as the primary creditors and foreign investors in Morocco. From the total foreign investments in Morocco, the European Union invests approximately 73.5%, whereas, the Arab world invests only 19.3%. Many countries from the Persian Gulf and Maghreb regions are getting more involved in large-scale development projects in Morocco.

Morocco claims sovereignty over Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

Morocco's membership in the African Union has been marked by significant events. In 1984, Morocco withdrew from the organisation after it admitted the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1982 without conducting a referendum of self-determination in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. This decision was made unilaterally by Morocco. However, in 2017, Morocco rejoined the AU, signaling a shift in its diplomatic stance. In August 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco.

In 2002, a dispute with Spain in 2002 over the small island of Perejil arose, which brought attention to the issue of the sovereignty of Melilla and Ceuta. These small enclaves on the Mediterranean coast are surrounded by Morocco and have been under Spanish administration for centuries.

In 2004, the George W. Bush administration granted Morocco the status of major non-NATO ally. Morocco was the first country in the world to recognise US sovereignty, in 1777.

After gaining independence, Morocco established strong ties with the United States, receiving significant economic and military aid. This partnership flourished during the Cold War, with Morocco becoming a key ally against communist expansion in North Africa. In return, the US supported Morocco's territorial ambitions and efforts to modernise its economy. Morocco received more than $400 million in American aid between 1957 and 1963, which elevated it to the fifth-largest recipient of US agricultural assistance by 1966. The long-lasting relationship between the two nations has endured, with the US remaining one of Morocco's top allies.

Additionally, Morocco is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer.

Western Sahara status

Main article: Legal status of Western Sahara
Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975. The Polisario Front control the territory east of the Moroccan berm (wall).

The status of the Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro regions is disputed. The Western Sahara War saw the Polisario Front, the Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement, battling both Morocco and Mauritania between 1976 and a ceasefire in 1991 that is still in effect. A United Nations mission, MINURSO, is tasked with organising a referendum on whether the territory should become independent or recognised as a part of Morocco.

Part of the territory, the Free Zone, is a mostly uninhabited area that the Polisario Front controls as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its administrative headquarters are located in Tindouf, Algeria. As of 2006, no UN member state had recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In 2020, the United States under the Trump administration became the first Western country to back Morocco's contested sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, on the agreement that Morocco would simultaneously normalise relations with Israel.

In 2006, the government of Morocco suggested autonomous status for the region, through the Moroccan Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS). The project was presented to the United Nations Security Council in mid-April 2007. The proposal was encouraged by Moroccan allies such as the United States, France and Spain. The Security Council has called upon the parties to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to reach a mutually accepted political solution.

Military

Main article: Royal Moroccan Armed Forces
Mohammed VI, a FREMM multipurpose frigate of the Royal Moroccan Navy

Morocco's military consists of the Royal Armed Forces—this includes the Army (the largest branch), the Navy, the Air Force, the Royal Guard, the Royal Gendarmerie and the Auxiliary Forces. Internal security is generally effective, and acts of political violence are rare (with one exception, the 2003 Casablanca bombings which killed 45 people).

The UN maintains a small observer force in Western Sahara, where a large number of Moroccan troops are stationed. The Sahrawi Polisario Front maintains an active militia of an estimated 5,000 fighters in Western Sahara and has engaged in intermittent warfare with Moroccan forces since the 1970s.

Human rights

See also: Human rights in Morocco and LGBT rights in Morocco

During the early 1960s to the late 1980s, under the leadership of Hassan II, Morocco had one of the worst human rights records in both Africa and the world. Government repression of political dissent was widespread during Hassan II's leadership, until it dropped sharply in the mid-1990s. The decades during which abuses were committed are referred to as the Years of Lead (les années de plomb), and included forced disappearances, assassinations of government opponents and protesters, and secret internment camps such as Tazmamart. To examine abuses committed during the reign of King Hassan II (1961–1999), the government under King Mohammed set up an Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER).

According to a Human Rights Watch annual report in 2016, Moroccan authorities restricted the rights to peaceful expression, association and assembly through several laws. The authorities continue to prosecute both printed and online media which criticises the government or the king (or the royal family). There are also persistent allegations of violence against both Sahrawi pro-independence and pro-Polisario demonstrators in Western Sahara; a disputed territory which is occupied by and considered by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces. Morocco has been accused of detaining Sahrawi pro-independence activists as prisoners of conscience.

Homosexual acts as well as pre-marital sex are illegal in Morocco, and can be punishable by six months to three years of imprisonment. It is illegal to proselytise for any religion other than Islam (article 220 of the Moroccan Penal Code), and that crime is punishable by a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment. Violence against women and sexual harassment have been criminalised. The penalty can be from one month to five years, with fines ranging from $200 to $1,000.

It is a criminal offence in Morocco to undermine the monarchy; in August 2023, a Moroccan resident of Qatar was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for criticising the King's policy decisions on Facebook.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Morocco
Casablanca Finance City

Morocco's economy is considered a relatively liberal economy governed by the law of supply and demand. Since 1993, the country has followed a policy of privatisation of certain economic sectors which used to be in the hands of the government. Morocco has become a major player in African economic affairs, and is the sixth largest economy in Africa by GDP (PPP). Morocco was ranked as the first African country by the Economist Intelligence Unit's quality-of-life index, ahead of South Africa. However, in the years since that first-place ranking was given, Morocco has slipped into fourth place behind Egypt.

Government reforms and steady yearly growth in the region of 4–5% from 2000 to 2007, including 4.9% year-on-year growth in 2003–2007 helped the Moroccan economy to become much more robust compared to a few years earlier. For 2012 the World Bank forecast a rate of 4% growth for Morocco and 4.2% for following year, 2013.

The services sector accounts for just over half of GDP and industry, made up of mining, construction and manufacturing, is an additional quarter. The industries that recorded the highest growth are tourism, telecoms, information technology, and textile.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Morocco
The Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech

Tourism is one of the most important sectors in Moroccan economy. It is well developed with a strong tourist industry focused on the country's coast, culture, and history. Morocco attracted more than 13 million tourists in 2019. Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in Morocco after the phosphate industry. The Moroccan government is heavily investing in tourism development, in 2010 the government launched its Vision 2020 which plans to make Morocco one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world and to double the annual number of international arrivals to 20 million by 2020, with the hope that tourism will then have risen to 20% of GDP.

Large government sponsored marketing campaigns to attract tourists advertised Morocco as an inexpensive and exotic, yet safe, place for tourists. Most of the visitors to Morocco continue to be European, with French nationals making up almost 20% of all visitors. Most Europeans visit between April and August. Morocco's relatively high number of tourists has been aided by its location—Morocco is close to Europe and attracts visitors to its beaches. Because of its proximity to Spain, tourists in southern Spain's coastal areas take one- to three-day trips to Morocco.

Since air services between Morocco and Algeria have been established, many Algerians have gone to Morocco to shop and visit family and friends. Morocco is relatively inexpensive because of the devaluation of the dirham and the increase of hotel prices in Spain. Morocco has an excellent road and rail infrastructure that links the major cities and tourist destinations with ports and cities with international airports. Low-cost airlines offer reduced-price flights to the country.

View of the medina (old city) of Fez

Tourism is increasingly focused on Morocco's culture, such as its ancient cities. The modern tourist industry capitalises on Morocco's ancient and Islamic sites, and on its landscape and cultural history. 60% of Morocco's tourists visit for its culture and heritage. Agadir is a major coastal resort and has a third of all Moroccan bed nights. It is a base for tours to the Atlas Mountains. Other resorts in north Morocco are also very popular.

Casablanca is the major cruise port in Morocco, and has the best developed market for tourists in Morocco, Marrakech in central Morocco is a popular tourist destination, but is more popular among tourists for one- and two-day excursions that provide a taste of Morocco's history and culture. The Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech is a popular tourist attraction. It was bought by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. Their presence in the city helped to boost the city's profile as a tourist destination.

As of 2006, activity and adventure tourism in the Atlas and Rif Mountains are the fastest growth area in Moroccan tourism. These locations have excellent walking and trekking opportunities from late March to mid-November. The government is investing in trekking circuits. They are also developing desert tourism in competition with Tunisia.

Agriculture

Main article: Agriculture in Morocco This section is an excerpt from Agriculture in Morocco.
Moroccan agricultural production

Agriculture in Morocco employs about 40% of the nation's workforce. Thus, it is the largest employer in the country. In the rainy sections of the northwest, barley, wheat, and other cereals can be raised without irrigation. On the Atlantic coast, where there are extensive plains, olives, citrus fruits, and wine grapes are grown, largely with water supplied by artesian wells. Livestock are raised and forests yield cork, cabinet wood, and building materials. Part of the maritime population fishes for its livelihood. Agadir, Essaouira, El Jadida, and Larache are among the important fishing harbors. Both the agriculture and fishing industries are expected to be severely impacted by climate change.

Moroccan agricultural production also consists of oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, olives, and olive oil. High quality agricultural products are usually exported to Europe. Morocco produces enough food for domestic consumption except for grains, sugar, coffee and tea. More than 40% of Morocco's consumption of grains and flour is imported from the United States and France.

Agriculture industry in Morocco enjoyed a complete tax exemption until 2013. Many Moroccan critics said that rich farmers and large agricultural companies were taking too much benefit of not paying the taxes and that poor farmers were struggling with high costs and are getting very poor support from the state. In 2014, as part of the Finance Law, it was decided that agricultural companies with a turnover of greater than MAD 5 million would pay progressive corporate income taxes.

Infrastructure

Al Boraq RGV2N2 high-speed trainset at Tanger-Ville railway station in November 2018

According to the Global Competitiveness Report of 2019, Morocco Ranked 32nd in the world in terms of Roads, 16th in Sea, 45th in Air and 64th in Railways. This gives Morocco the best infrastructure rankings in the African continent.

Modern infrastructure development, such as ports, airports, and rail links, is a top government priority. To meet the growing domestic demand, the Moroccan government invested more than $15 billion from 2010 to 2015 in upgrading its basic infrastructure.

Morocco has one of the best road systems on the continent. Over the past 20 years, the government has built approximately 1770 kilometers of modern roads, connecting most major cities via toll expressways. The Moroccan Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water aims to build an additional 3380 kilometers of expressway and 2100 kilometers of highway by 2030, at an expected cost of $9.6 billion. It focuses on linking the southern provinces, notably the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla to the rest of Morocco.

In 2014, Morocco began the construction of the first high-speed railway system in Africa linking the cities of Tangier and Casablanca. It was inaugurated in 2018 by the King following over a decade of planning and construction by Moroccan national railway company ONCF. It is the first phase of what is planned to eventually be a 1,500 kilometeres (930 mi) high-speed rail network in Morocco. An extension of the line to Marrakesh is already being planned.

Morocco also has the largest port in Africa and the Mediterranean, Tanger-Med, which is ranked the 18th in the world with a handling capacity of over 9 million containers. It is situated in the Tangier free economic zone and serves as a logistics hub for Africa and the world.

Energy

Main article: Energy in Morocco
Solar cell panels in eastern Morocco

In 2008, about 56% of Morocco's electricity supply was provided by coal. However, as forecasts indicate that energy requirements in Morocco will rise 6% per year between 2012 and 2050, a new law passed encouraging Moroccans to look for ways to diversify the energy supply, including more renewable resources. The Moroccan government has launched a project to build a solar thermal energy power plant and is also looking into the use of natural gas as a potential source of revenue for Morocco's government.

Morocco has embarked upon the construction of large solar energy farms to lessen dependence on fossil fuels, and to eventually export electricity to Europe.

On 17 April 2022, Rabat-Moroccan agency for solar energy (Masen) and the ministry of energy transition and sustainable development announced the launch of phase one of the mega project Nor II solar energy plant which is a multi-site solar energy project with a total capacity set at 400 megawatts (MN).

Narcotics

Cannabis field at Ketama Tidighine mountain, Morocco

Since the 7th century, cannabis has been cultivated in the Rif region. In 2004, according to the UN World Drugs Report, cultivation and transformation of cannabis represents 0.57% of the national GDP of Morocco in 2002. According to a French Ministry of the Interior 2006 report, 80% of the cannabis resin (hashish) consumed in Europe comes from the Rif region in Morocco, which is mostly mountainous terrain in the north of Morocco, also hosting plains that are very fertile and expanding from Melwiyya River and Ras Kebdana in the East to Tangier and Cape Spartel in the West. Also, the region extends from the Mediterranean in the south, home of the Wergha River, to the north. In addition to that, Morocco is a transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.

Water supply and sanitation

Main article: Water supply and sanitation in Morocco

Water supply and sanitation in Morocco is provided by a wide array of utilities. They range from private companies in the largest city, Casablanca, the capital, Rabat, and two other cities, to public municipal utilities in 13 other cities, as well as a national electricity and water company (ONEE). The latter is in charge of bulk water supply to the aforementioned utilities, water distribution in about 500 small towns, as well as sewerage and wastewater treatment in 60 of these towns.

There have been substantial improvements in access to water supply, and to a lesser extent to sanitation, over the past fifteen years. Remaining challenges include a low level of wastewater treatment (only 13% of collected wastewater is being treated), lack of house connections in the poorest urban neighbourhoods, and limited sustainability of rural systems (20 percent of rural systems are estimated not to function). In 2005 a National Sanitation Programme was approved that aims at treating 60% of collected wastewater and connecting 80% of urban households to sewers by 2020. The issue of lack of water connections for some of the urban poor is being addressed as part of the National Human Development Initiative, under which residents of informal settlements have received land titles and have fees waived that are normally paid to utilities in order to connect to the water and sewer network.

Science and technology

Main article: Science and technology in Morocco
Campus of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir

The Moroccan government has been implementing reforms to improve the quality of education and make research more responsive to socio-economic needs. In May 2009, Morocco's prime minister, Abbas El Fassi, announced greater support for science during a meeting at the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research. The aim was to give universities greater financial autonomy from the government to make them more responsive to research needs and better able to forge links with the private sector, in the hope that this would nurture a culture of entrepreneurship in academia. He announced that investment in science and technology would rise from US$620,000 in 2008 to US$8.5 million (69 million Moroccan dirhams) in 2009, in order to finance the refurbishment and construction of laboratories, training courses for researchers in financial management, a scholarship programme for postgraduate research and incentive measures for companies prepared to finance research, such as giving them access to scientific results that they could then use to develop new products. Morocco was ranked 66th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

The Moroccan Innovation Strategy was launched at the country's first National Innovation Summit in June 2009 by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Investment and the Digital Economy. The Moroccan Innovation Strategy fixed the target of producing 1,000 Moroccan patents and creating 200 innovative start-ups by 2014. In 2012, Moroccan inventors applied for 197 patents, up from 152 two years earlier. In 2011, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and New Technologies created a Moroccan Club of Innovation, in partnership with the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property. The idea is to create a network of players in innovation, including researchers, entrepreneurs, students and academics, to help them develop innovative projects.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is supporting research in advanced technologies and the development of innovative cities in Fez, Rabat and Marrakesh. The government is encouraging public institutions to engage with citizens in innovation. One example is the Moroccan Phosphate Office (Office chérifien des phosphates), which has invested in a project to develop a smart city, King Mohammed VI Green City, around Mohammed VI University located between Casablanca and Marrakesh, at a cost of DH 4.7 billion (circa US$479 million).

As of 2015, Morocco had three technoparks. Since the first technopark was established in Rabat in 2005, a second has been set up in Casablanca, followed, in 2015, by a third in Tangers. The technoparks host start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises specialising in information and communication technologies (ICTs), 'green' technologies (namely, environmentally friendly technologies) and cultural industries.

In 2012, the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology identified a number of sectors where Morocco has a comparative advantage and skilled human capital, including mining, fisheries, food chemistry and new technologies. It also identified a number of strategic sectors, such as energy, with an emphasis on renewable energies such as photovoltaic, thermal solar energy, wind and biomass; as well as the water, nutrition and health sectors, the environment and geosciences.

On 20 May 2015, less than a year after its inception, the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research presented a report to the king offering a Vision for Education in Morocco 2015–2030. The report advocated making education egalitarian and, thus, accessible to the greatest number. Since improving the quality of education goes hand in hand with promoting research and development, the report also recommended developing an integrated national innovation system which would be financed by gradually increasing the share of GDP devoted to research and development (R&D) from 0.73% of GDP in 2010 'to 1% in the short term, 1.5% by 2025 and 2% by 2030'.

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Morocco and Moroccans

Population

Morocco has a population of around 37,076,584 inhabitants (2021 est.). Morocco's population was 11.6 million in 1960. According to the 2014 Morocco population census, there were around 84,000 immigrants in the country. Of these foreign-born residents, most were of French origin, followed by individuals mainly from various nations in West Africa and Algeria. There are also a number of foreign residents of Spanish origin. Some of them are descendants of colonial settlers, who primarily work for European multinational companies, while others are married to Moroccans or are retirees. Prior to independence, Morocco was home to half a million Europeans; who were mostly Christians. Also, prior to independence, Morocco was home to 250,000 Spaniards. Morocco's once prominent Jewish minority has decreased significantly since its peak of 265,000 in 1948, declining to around 3,500 in 2022.

Morocco has a large diaspora, most of which is located in France, which has reportedly over one million Moroccans of up to the third generation. There are also large Moroccan communities in Spain (about 700,000 Moroccans), the Netherlands (360,000), and Belgium (300,000). Other large communities can be found in Italy, Canada, the United States, and Israel, where Moroccan Jews are thought to constitute the second biggest Jewish ethnic subgroup.

Ethnic groups

Ethnolinguistic map of Morocco (1973)

In Morocco, ethnic identity is deeply intertwined with language and culture, with the population primarily comprising two major groups: Arabs and Berbers. However, the Higher Planning Commission, the country’s state statistics bureau, does not collect data on ethnic demographics, citing the historical difficulty of distinguishing between Arabs and Berbers, even among Berber speakers.

Arabs form the largest and majority ethnic group, making up between 65% and 80% of the Moroccan population. It is estimated that the indigenous Berbers constitute between 30% and 35% of the population. Berbers, who are also known as Amazigh, are typically divided into three main groups with varying dialects who live spread out in rural mountain areas, namely the Rifians in the Rif, the Zayanes in the Middle Atlas, and the Shilha people in the Anti-Atlas. Since the 7th century, the influx of Arab migrants from the Arabian Peninsula has contributed to shaping Morocco’s demographic, cultural, and genetic landscape. Additionally, a considerable portion of the population includes Haratin, Sahrawis, and Gnawa, descendants of West African or mixed-race enslaved peoples, as well as Moriscos, European Muslims expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 17th century.

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, 44% of Moroccans are Arab, 24% are Arabized Berbers, 21% are Berbers, and 10% are Mauritanian Moors. Additionally, Minority Rights Group International estimates that around 90,000 Sahrawis reside in internationally recognized Morocco, compared to approximately 190,000 in the disputed Western Sahara.

Religion

Main article: Religion in MoroccoThe interior of a mosque in Fes, Islam is the predominant religion in MoroccoThe Hassan II Mosque in CasablancaThe Beth-El Synagogue in Casablanca, Judaism was the main minority religion in MoroccoThe St Andrew's Church in Tangier, an Anglican church built in 1894

The religious affiliation in the country was estimated by the Pew Forum in 2010 as 99% Muslim, with all remaining groups accounting for less than 1% of the population. Of those affiliated with Islam, virtually all are Sunni Muslims, with Shia Muslims accounting for less than 0.1%. However, nearly 15% of Moroccans nonetheless describe themselves as non religious according to a 2018 survey conducted by the research network Arab Barometer; the same survey saw nearly 100 percent of respondents identify as Muslims. Another 2021 Arab Barometer survey found that 67.8% of Moroccans identified as religious, 29.1% as somewhat religious, and 3.1% as non religious. The 2015 Gallup International poll reported that 93% of Moroccans considered themselves to be religious.

Prior to Morocco's independence in 1956, the country was home to a significant Christian community, numbering over 500,000 Christians, predominantly of Spanish and French ancestry. These Catholic settlers had a historic legacy and a powerful presence. However, following Morocco's independence, many of these Christian settlers left to Spain or France. The predominantly Catholic and Protestant foreign-resident Christian community consists of approximately 40,000 practising members. Most foreign resident Christians reside in the Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Rabat urban areas. Various local Christian leaders estimate that between 2005 and 2010 there are 5,000 citizen converted Christians (mostly ethnically Berber) who regularly attend "house" churches and live predominantly in the south. Some local Christian leaders estimate that there may be as many as 8,000 Christian citizens throughout the country, but many reportedly do not meet regularly due to fear of government surveillance and social persecution. Meanwhile, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates there are 25,000 Christian citizens. The number of the Moroccans who converted to Christianity (most of them secret worshippers) are estimated between 8,000 and 50,000.

Before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, there were about 265,000 Jews in the country, which gave Morocco the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. The most recent estimates put the size of the historic Casablanca Jewish community at about 2,500, and the Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities at about 100 members each. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young people. The Baháʼí Faith community, located in urban areas, numbers 350 to 400 persons.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Morocco
Linguistic map of Morocco

Morocco's official languages are Arabic and Berber. The country's distinctive group of Moroccan Arabic dialects is referred to as Darija. Approximately 92.7% of the whole population can speak Arabic. Berber languages are spoken by 24.8% of the population in three dialects (Tarifit spoken by 3.2%, Tashelhit spoken by 14.2%, and Central Atlas Tamazight spoken by 7.4%). According to the 2024 census, 99.2%, or almost the entire literate population of Morocco, could read and write in Arabic, whereas 1.5% of the population could read and write in Berber. The census also revealed that 80.6% of Moroccans consider Arabic to be their native language, while 18.9% regard any of the various Berber languages as their mother tongue.

French is widely used in governmental institutions, media, mid-size and large companies, international commerce with French-speaking countries, and often in international diplomacy. French is taught as an obligatory language in all schools. In 2010, there were 10,366,000 French-speakers in Morocco, or about 32% of the population.

According to the 2004 census, 2.19 million Moroccans spoke a foreign language other than French. English, while far behind French in terms of number of speakers, is the first foreign language of choice, since French is obligatory, among educated youth and professionals.

According to Ethnologue, as of 2016, there are 1,536,590 individuals (or approximately 4.5% of the population) in Morocco who speak Spanish. Spanish is mostly spoken in northern Morocco and the former Spanish Sahara because Spain had previously occupied those areas. Meanwhile, a 2018 study by the Instituto Cervantes found 1.7 million Moroccans who were at least proficient in Spanish, placing Morocco as the country with the most Spanish speakers outside the Hispanophone world (unless the United States is also excluded from Spanish-speaking countries). A significant portion of northern Morocco receives Spanish media, television signal and radio airwaves, which reportedly facilitate competence in the language in the region.

After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education, causing the role of Spanish to decline.

Education

Main article: Education in Morocco
Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane

Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school. The estimated literacy rate for the country in 2012 was 72%. In September 2006, UNESCO awarded Morocco amongst other countries such as Cuba, Pakistan, India and Turkey the "UNESCO 2006 Literacy Prize".

Morocco has more than four dozen universities, institutes of higher learning, and polytechnics dispersed at urban centres throughout the country. Its leading institutions include Mohammed V University in Rabat, the country's largest university, with branches in Casablanca and Fès; the Hassan II Agriculture and Veterinary Institute in Rabat, which conducts leading social science research in addition to its agricultural specialties; and Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, the first English-language university in Northwest Africa, inaugurated in 1995 with contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

UIS Literacy Rate Morocco population above 15 years of age 1980–2015

The al-Qarawiyin University, founded by Fatima al-Fihri in the city of Fez in 859 as a madrasa, is considered by some sources, including UNESCO, to be the "oldest university of the world". Morocco has also some of prestigious postgraduate schools, including: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, l'Institut national des postes et télécommunications [fr; ar], École Nationale Supérieure d'Électricité et de Mecanique (ENSEM), EMI, ISCAE, INSEA, National School of Mineral Industry, École Hassania des Travaux Publics, Les Écoles nationales de commerce et de gestion, École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca.

Health

Main article: Health in Morocco
The Mohammed VI University Hospital Centre in Tangier

Many efforts are made by countries around the world to address health issues and eradicate disease, Morocco included. Child health, maternal health, and diseases are all components of health and well-being. Morocco is a developing country that has made many strides to improve these categories. However, Morocco still has many health issues to improve on. According to research published, in 2005 only 16% of citizens in Morocco had health insurance or coverage. In data from the World Bank, Morocco experiences high infant mortality rates at 20 deaths per 1,000 births (2017) and high maternal mortality rates at 121 deaths per 100,000 births (2015).

The government of Morocco sets up surveillance systems within the already existing healthcare system to monitor and collect data. Mass education in hygiene is implemented in primary education schools which are free for residents of Morocco. In 2005, The government of Morocco approved two reforms to expand health insurance coverage. The first reform was a mandatory health insurance plan for public and private sector employees to expand coverage from 16 percent of the population to 30 percent. The second reform created a fund to cover services for the poor. Both reforms improved access to high-quality care. Infant mortality has improved significantly since 1960 when there were 144 deaths per 1,000 live births, in 2000, 42 per 1,000 live births, and now it is 20 per 1,000 live births. The country's under-five mortality rate dropped by 60% between 1990 and 2011.

According to data from the World Bank, the present mortality rate is still very high, over seven times higher than in neighbouring country Spain. In 2014, Morocco adopted a national plan to increase progress on maternal and child health. The Moroccan Plan was started by the Moroccan Minister of Health, El Houssaine Louardi, and Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, on 13 November 2013 in Rabat. Morocco has made significant progress in reducing deaths among both children and mothers. Based on World Bank data, the nation's maternal mortality ratio fell by 67% between 1990 and 2010. In 2014, spending on healthcare accounted for 5.9% of the country's GDP. Since 2014, spending on healthcare as part of the GDP has decreased. However, health expenditure per capita (PPP) has steadily increased since 2000. In 2015, the Moroccan health expenditure was $435.29 per capita. In 2016 the life expectancy at birth was 74.3, or 73.3 for men and 75.4 for women, and there were 6.3 physicians and 8.9 nurses and midwives per 10,000 inhabitants. In 2017, Morocco ranked 16th out of 29 countries on the Global Youth Wellbeing Index. Moroccan youths experience a lower self-harm rate than the global index by an average of 4 encounters per year.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Morocco
A living room with a traditional Moroccan interior

Morocco is a country with a rich culture and civilisation. Through Moroccan history, it has hosted many people. All of whom have affected the social structure of Morocco.

Since independence, a veritable blossoming has taken place in painting and sculpture, popular music, amateur theatre, and filmmaking. The Moroccan National Theatre (founded 1956) offers regular productions of Moroccan and French dramatic works. Art and music festivals take place throughout the country during the summer months, among them the World Sacred Music Festival at Fès.

Each region possesses its own specificities, thus contributing to the national culture and to the legacy of civilisation. Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its diverse legacy and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

Culturally speaking, Morocco has always been successful in combining its Arabic, Berber and Jewish cultural heritage with external influences such as the French and the Spanish and, during the last decades, the Anglo-American lifestyles.

Architecture

Main article: Moroccan architecture This section is an excerpt from Moroccan architecture. The Hassan II Mosque in CasablancaThe ksar of Ait Benhaddou in the southern High Atlas mountainsColonial architecture in Casablanca (20th century)

Moroccan architecture reflects Morocco's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest. This architectural heritage includes ancient Roman sites, historic Islamic architecture, local vernacular architecture, 20th-century French colonial architecture, and modern architecture.

Much of Morocco's traditional architecture is marked by the style that developed during the Islamic period, from the 7th century onward. This architecture was part of a wider tradition of "Moorish" or western Islamic architecture, which characterized both the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Muslim Spain and Portugal). It blended influences from Amazigh (Berber) culture in North Africa, pre-Islamic Spain (Roman, Byzantine, and Visigothic), and contemporary artistic currents in the Islamic Middle East to elaborate a unique style over centuries with recognizable features such as the horseshoe arch, riad gardens, and elaborate geometric and arabesque motifs in wood, carved stucco, and zellij tilework.

Although Moroccan Amazigh architecture is not strictly separate from the rest of Moroccan architecture, many structures and architectural styles are distinctively associated with traditionally Amazigh or Amazigh-dominated regions such as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara and pre-Sahara regions. These mostly rural regions are marked by numerous kasbahs (fortresses) and ksour (fortified villages) shaped by local geography and social structures, of which one of the most famous is Ait Benhaddou. They are typically made of rammed earth and decorated with local geometric motifs. Far from being isolated from other historical artistic currents around them, the Amazigh peoples of Morocco (and across North Africa) adapted the forms and ideas of Islamic architecture to their own conditions and in turn contributed to the formation of Western Islamic art, particularly during their political domination of the region over the centuries of Almoravid, Almohad, and Marinid rule.

Modern architecture in Morocco includes many examples of early 20th-century Art Deco and local neo-Moorish architecture constructed during the French and Spanish colonial occupation of the country between 1912 and 1956 (or until 1958 for Spain). In the later 20th century, after Morocco regained its independence, some new buildings continued to pay tribute to traditional Moroccan architecture and motifs (even when designed by foreign architects), as exemplified by the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V (completed in 1971) and the massive Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (completed in 1993). Modernist architecture is also evident in contemporary constructions, not only for regular everyday structures but also in major prestige projects.

Literature

Main article: Moroccan literature
Driss Chraïbi

Moroccan literature is written mostly in Arabic, Berber, Hebrew, and French. Particularly under the Almoravid and Almohad empires, Moroccan literature was closely related to the literature of al-Andalus, and shared important poetic and literary forms such as zajal, the muwashshah, and the maqama. Islamic literature, such as Quranic exegeses and other religious works such as Qadi Ayyad's Al-Shifa were influential. The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes was an important literary centre attracting scholars from abroad, including Maimonides, Ibn al-Khatib, and Ibn Khaldun.

Under the Almohad dynasty Morocco experienced a period of prosperity and brilliance of learning. The Almohad built the Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh, which accommodated no fewer than 25,000 people, but was also famed for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, which gave it its name; the first book bazaar in history. The Almohad Caliph Abu Yakub had a great love for collecting books. He founded a great library, which was eventually carried to the Casbah and turned into a public library.

Modern Moroccan literature began in the 1930s. Two main factors gave Morocco a pulse toward witnessing the birth of a modern literature. Morocco, as a French and Spanish protectorate left Moroccan intellectuals the opportunity to exchange and to produce literary works freely enjoying the contact of other Arabic literature and Europe. Three generations of writers especially shaped 20th century Moroccan literature. The first was the generation that lived and wrote during the Protectorate (1912–56), its most important representative being Mohammed Ben Brahim (1897–1955).

The second generation was the one that played an important role in the transition to independence with writers like Abdelkrim Ghallab (1919–2006), Allal al-Fassi (1910–1974) and Mohammed al-Mokhtar Soussi (1900–1963). The third generation is that of writers of the sixties. Moroccan literature then flourished with writers such as Mohamed Choukri, Driss Chraïbi, Mohamed Zafzaf and Driss El Khouri. Those writers were an important influence to the many Moroccan novelists, poets and playwrights that were still to come.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Morocco was a refuge and artistic centre and attracted writers as Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams and William S. Burroughs. Moroccan literature flourished with novelists such as Mohamed Zafzaf and Mohamed Choukri, who wrote in Arabic, and Driss Chraïbi and Tahar Ben Jelloun who wrote in French. Other important Moroccan authors include: Abdellatif Laabi, Abdelkrim Ghallab, Fouad Laroui, Mohammed Berrada and Leila Abouzeid. Orature (oral literature) is an integral part of Moroccan culture, be it in Moroccan Arabic or Berber.

Music

Main article: Music of Morocco

Moroccan music is of Arabic, Berber and sub-Saharan origins. Rock-influenced chaabi bands are widespread, as is trance music with historical origins in Islamic music.

Morocco is home to Andalusian classical music that is found throughout Northwest Africa. It probably evolved under the Moors in Cordoba, and the Persian-born musician Ziryab is usually credited with its invention. A genre known as Contemporary Andalusian Music and art is the brainchild of Morisco visual artist/composer/oudist Tarik Banzi, founder of the Al-Andalus Ensemble.

A group of Jilala musicians in 1900

Aita is a Bedouin musical style sung in the countryside.

Chaabi ("popular") is a music consisting of numerous varieties which are descended from the multifarious forms of Moroccan folk music. Chaabi was originally performed in markets, but is now found at any celebration or meeting.

Popular Western forms of music are becoming increasingly popular in Morocco, such as fusion, rock, country, metal and, in particular, hip hop.

Morocco participated in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, where it finished in the penultimate position.

Media

Main articles: Media of Morocco and Cinema of Morocco

Cinema in Morocco has a long history, stretching back over a century to the filming of Le chevrier Marocain ("The Moroccan Goatherd") by Louis Lumière in 1897. Between that time and 1944, many foreign movies were shot in the country, especially in the Ouarzazate area. In 1944, the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre [fr] (CCM), the nation's film regulatory agency, was established. Studios were also opened in Rabat.

In 1952, Orson Welles' Othello won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival under the Moroccan flag. However, the Festival's musicians did not play the Moroccan national anthem, as no one in attendance knew what it was. Six years later, Mohammed Ousfour would create the first Moroccan movie, Le fils maudit ("The Damned Son").

In 1968, the first Mediterranean Film Festival was held in Tangier. In its current incarnation, the event is held in Tetouan. This was followed in 1982 with the first national festival of cinema, which was held in Rabat. In 2001, the first International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM) was also held in Marrakech.

Cuisine

Main article: Moroccan cuisine
Moroccan Couscous

Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is mainly a fusion of Moorish, European and Mediterranean cuisines.

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan cuisine. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients such as saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred but is relatively expensive. The main Moroccan dish most people are familiar with is couscous, the old national delicacy.

Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco, usually eaten in a Tagine with vegetables or legumes. Chicken is also very commonly used in Tagines, knowing that one of the most famous tagine is the Tagine of Chicken, potatoes and olives. Lamb is also consumed, but as Northwest African sheep breeds store most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavour that Western lamb and mutton have. Poultry is also very common, and the use of seafood is increasing in Moroccan food. In addition, there are dried salted meats and salted preserved meats such as kliia/khlia and "g'did" which are used to flavor tagines or used in "el ghraif" a folded savory Moroccan pancake.

Among the most famous Moroccan dishes are Couscous, Pastilla (also spelled Bsteeya or Bestilla), Tajine, Tanjia and Harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered a dish in itself and is served as such or with dates especially during the month of Ramadan. Pork consumption is forbidden in accordance with Sharia, religious laws of Islam.

A big part of the daily meal is bread. Bread in Morocco is principally from durum wheat semolina known as khobz. Bakeries are very common throughout Morocco and fresh bread is a staple in every city, town and village. The most common is whole grain coarse ground or white flour bread. There are also a number of flat breads and pulled unleavened pan-fried breads.

The most popular drink is "atai", green tea with mint leaves and other ingredients. Tea occupies a very important place in the culture of Morocco and is considered an art form. It is served not only at mealtimes but all through the day, and it is especially a drink of hospitality, commonly served whenever there are guests. It is served to guests, and it is impolite to refuse it.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Morocco
Moroccan football fans

Football is the country's most popular sport, popular among the urban youth in particular. In 1986, Morocco became the first Arab and African country to qualify for the second round of the FIFA World Cup. Morocco hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988 and will host it again in 2025 after original host Guinea was stripped from hosting rights due to inadequacy of hosting preparations. Morocco was originally scheduled to host the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, but refused to host the tournament on the scheduled dates because of fears over the Ebola outbreak on the continent. Morocco made six attempts to host the FIFA World Cup but lost five times to the United States, France, Germany, South Africa and a Canada–Mexico–United States joint bid, however Morocco will co-host it in 2030 along with Portugal and Spain having finally won the bid in their sixth attempt. In 2022, Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach the semifinals and finished 4th in the tournament.

At the 1984 Olympic Games, two Moroccans won gold medals in track and field. Nawal El Moutawakel won in the 400 metres hurdles; she was the first woman from an Arab or Islamic country to win an Olympic gold medal. Saïd Aouita won the 5000 metres at the same games. Hicham El Guerrouj won gold medals for Morocco at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres and holds several world records in the mile run.

Spectator sports in Morocco traditionally centred on the art of horsemanship until European sports—football, polo, swimming, and tennis—were introduced at the end of the 19th century. Tennis and golf have become popular. Several Moroccan professional players have competed in international competition, and the country fielded its first Davis Cup team in 1999. Morocco was one of the continent's pioneers in basketball as it established one of Africa's first competitive leagues. Rugby came to Morocco in the early 20th century, mainly by the French who occupied the country. As a result, Moroccan rugby was tied to the fortunes of France, during the first and second World War, with many Moroccan players going away to fight. Like many other Maghreb nations, Moroccan rugby tended to look to Europe for inspiration, rather than to the rest of Africa.

Kickboxing is also popular in Morocco. The Moroccan-Dutch Badr Hari, heavyweight kickboxer and martial artist, is a former K-1 heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 finalist.

See also

Notes

  1. See Political status of Western Sahara
  2. The French language in Morocco is also used in official government documents and by the business community, although it has no official status: "French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)..."
  3. The area 446,300 km (172,300 sq mi) excludes all disputed territories, while 716,550 km (276,660 sq mi) includes the Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic by the Polisario Front). Morocco also claims Ceuta and Melilla, making up about 22.8 km (8.8 sq mi) more claimed territory.
  4. /məˈrɒkoʊ/
    • Arabic: المملكة المغربية, romanized: al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah, lit.'the Western kingdom'
    • Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, romanized: Tageldit n Lmeɣrib
    • French: Royaume du Maroc
  5. Pending resolution of the Western Sahara conflict

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