At a glance

Official Name:
Kingdom of the Morocco

Capital:
Rabat

Population:
34,343,219 (July 2008 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), Berber dialects,
French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy

Religion:
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Life Expectancy:
Male: 69 Female: 74

Currency:
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $125.3 billion (2007 est.)

National Holidays:
January 1, New Year's Day;
January 10, Faith Muharram;
January 11, Manifesto of Independence;
March 20, Aïd al-Mawlid
(Prophet's Birthday);
May 1, Labour Day;
July 30, Feast of the Throne;
August 14, Fête Oued Eddahab;
August 20, Revolution du Roi
et du People;
August 21, King Mohammed's Birthday;
October 2, Aïd al-Fitr;
November 6, Marche Verte;
November 18, Fête de l'Indépendance;
December 9, Aïd al-Adha;
December 29, Faith Muharram
(Muslim New Year)

Industries: Phosphates, rock mining and processing, food processing, fishing, leather goods, textiles, construction, and tourism

Morocco
Morocco, officially known as the Kingdom of Morocco, is located in North Africa and is the only country in Africa that is not a part of the African Union. It is however, presently part of the Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union and Organization of the Islamic Conference. Morocco’s coast line on the Atlantic Ocean reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, and Spain and Mauritania to the south. It is believed that that Morocco has been inhabited since Neolithic times, at least since 8000 BC, which is attested by signs of the Caspian Culture. Morocco was slowly drawn into the emerging Mediterranean world by Phoenician trading colonies in the late Classical period. Morocco became a very strategic region and formed part of the Roman Empire.

Morocco gained its political independence from France when it officially relinquished its protectorate on March 2, 1956 and just celebrated the 50th anniversary of their independence. Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Morocco was granted Major non-NATO ally status by the United States in June 2004 and has signed free trade agreements with the United States and the European Union.