Morocco - Discover the Mystique of the Maghreb

Morocco, officially known as the Kingdom of Morocco, is an Islamic country located in North West Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Algeria to the east, and Mauritania to the south. Its administrative capital is Rabat, while its economic capital is Casablanca, which is also its largest city. Morocco joined the United Nations in 1956 and became a member of the Arab League in 1958. It covers an area of 710,850 square kilometers and had a population of 36,471,769 people according to statistics in 2019, with Arabs and Amazigh (Berbers) making up 99.1%, and the rest being Jews and other ethnicities.

Name and History:

In ancient times, scientists believed that the sun rises from Japan and sets in Morocco, and Arab historians used the term "Bilad al-Maghrib" to refer to the countries of the current Arab Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, and the Kingdom of Morocco). They used the term "Al-Maghrib Al-Aqsa" to refer to the Kingdom of Morocco by its current name.

Scientists estimate that the historical civilization of the countries known as the Arab Maghreb, including the Kingdom of Morocco, dates back to 700,000 years BC. Several civilizations existed in the region, including Acheulian, Mousterian, and Iberomaurusian. In the Middle Ages, the armies of the Umayyad Caliphate, led by Uqba ibn Nafi, conquered large parts of the Kingdom of Morocco in 670 AD, and these areas were annexed to the rule of the Umayyad state. Arabs came to settle in these lands and spread Islam from there, and they began to call the Amazigh (Berber) people, many of whom embraced Islam.

Morocco played a significant role in the history of the Great Morocco, where it formed the first independent Islamic state from the Umayyad state, called the "Farthest West Kingdom" in 788 AD, and the Idrisid state established by Idris ibn Abdallah, who was assassinated in a conspiracy plotted by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. After the fall of the Idrisids, Morocco witnessed ruling periods by various dynasties, including the Almoravids, Almohads, Merinids, Wattasids, and Saadians. After the Saadian dynasty ruled until 1659 AD, the Alawi dynasty emerged and reunited Morocco under their rule.

Climate:

The climate of the Kingdom of Morocco varies depending on the regions. It is Mediterranean on the coastal area, desert in the southern regions, and Mediterranean in the northern areas. The northern coastal climate is characterized by being temperate, with hot summers and warm winters, while the mountainous regions experience cold winters with frequent snowfall.

Official Language:

Arabic and Amazigh (Berber)

Currency:

Moroccan Dirham

Capital:

Rabat

Area:

710,850 square kilometers

Population:

36,471,769 people (2019)

Independence:

April 7, 1956