Morocco
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Alternative Title: Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco
National anthem of Morocco
- OFFICIAL NAME
- Al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah (Kingdom of Morocco)
- FORM OF GOVERNMENT
- constitutional monarchywith two legislative houses (House of Councillors [1201]; House of Representatives [395])
- HEAD OF STATE
- King: Muhammad VI
- HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
- Prime Minister2: Saadeddine El Othmani
- CAPITAL
- Rabat
- OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
- Arabic; Tamazight2
- OFFICIAL RELIGION
- Islam
- MONETARY UNIT
- Moroccan dirham (DH)
- POPULATION
- (2016 est.) 34,097,000
- TOTAL AREA (SQ MI)
- 170,773
- TOTAL AREA (SQ KM)
- 442,300
- URBAN-RURAL POPULATION
- Urban: (2014) 60.4%
Rural: (2014) 39.6%
- LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH
- Male: (2011) 73.9 years
Female: (2011) 75.6 years
- LITERACY: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGE 15 AND OVER LITERATE
- Male: (2009) 69%
Female: (2009) 44%
- GNI PER CAPITA (U.S.$)
- (2015) 3,040
- 1All seats indirectly elected.
- 2Per constitutional reforms adopted by referendum in July 2011.
Morocco, mountainous country of western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.
Morocco.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Mouth of the Wadi Bou Regreg and the medina (old city) of Rabat, Morocco.
© Michael Hynes
A survey of Morocco’s diverse landscapes.
Vincent Urban & Clemens Krüger (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
The traditional domain of indigenous peoples now collectively known as Berbers(self-name Imazighen; singular, Amazigh), Morocco has been subject to extensive migration and has long been the location of urban communities that were originally settled by peoples from outside the region. Controlled by Carthage from an early date, the region was later the westernmost province of the Roman Empire. Following the Arab conquest of the late 7th century ce, the broader area of North Africa came to be known as the Maghrib (Arabic: “the West”), and the majority of its people accepted Islam. Subsequent Moroccan kingdoms enjoyed political influence that extended beyond the coastal regions, and in the 11th century the first native Amazigh dynasty of North Africa, the Almoravids, gained control of an empire stretching from Andalusian (southern) Spain to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Attempts by Europeans to establish permanent footholds in Morocco beginning in the late 15th century were largely repulsed, but the country later became the subject of Great Power politics in the 19th century. Morocco was made a French protectorate in 1912 but regained independence in 1956. Today it is the only monarchy in North Africa.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Although the country is rapidly modernizing and enjoys a rising standard of living, it retains much of its ancient architecture and even more of its traditional customs. Morocco’s largest city and major Atlantic Ocean port is Casablanca, an industrial and commercial centre. The capital, Rabat, lies a short distance to the north on the Atlantic coast. Other port cities include Tangier, on the Strait of Gibraltar, Agadir, on the Atlantic, and Al-Hoceïma, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Fès is said to have some of the finest souks, or open-air markets, in all of North Africa. Scenic and fertile, Morocco well merits the praise of a native son, the medieval traveler Ibn Baṭṭūṭah, who wrote that “it is the best of countries, for in it fruits are plentiful, and running water and nourishing food are never exhausted.”
The Ḥasan II mosque rising above the medina, or old city, in Casablanca, Morocco.© iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Land
Morocco borders Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It is the only African country with coastal exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its area—excluding the territory of Western Sahara, which Morocco controls—is slightly larger than the U.S. state of California. Two small Spanish enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, are situated on the country’s northern coast.
Camel caravan in the Sahara, Morocco.
© Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock.com
Economy
As is true in many former African colonies, the Moroccan economy remains heavily dependent on the export of raw materials. Also of growing importance to the economy are modern sectors, particularly tourism and telecommunications. Altogether, the modern portion accounts for more than two-thirds of gross domestic product (GDP), even though it employs only about one-third of the country’s workforce.
Since the mid-1980s the Moroccan government has undertaken a vigorous program of privatization and economic reform, encouraged by major international lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Measures have included selling state-owned enterprises, devaluing the currency, and changing pricing policies to encourage local production. In 1999 the Moroccan government set up a loan fund to stimulate growth and competition among small businesses. Morocco’s sandy beaches, sunshine, diverse environments, and rich cultural heritage give it outstanding potential for tourism, which the government has been actively developing.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Morocco is endowed with numerous exploitable resources. With approximately 33,000 square miles (85,000 square km) of arable land (one-seventh of which can be irrigated) and its generally temperate Mediterranean climate, Morocco’s agricultural potential is matched by few other Arab or African countries. It is one of the few Arab countries that has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. In a normal year Morocco produces two-thirds of the grains (chiefly wheat, barley, and corn [maize]) needed for domestic consumption. The country exports citrus fruits and early vegetables to the European market; its wine industry is developed, and production of commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, sugar beets, and sunflowers) is expanding. Newer crops such as tea, tobacco, and soybeans have passed the experimental stage, the fertile Gharb plain being favourable for their cultivation. The country is actively developing its irrigation potential that ultimately will irrigate more than 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares).
Nevertheless, the danger of drought is ever present. Especially at risk are the cereal-growing lowlands, which are subject to considerable variation in annual precipitation. On average, drought occurs in Morocco every third year, creating a volatility in agricultural production that is the main constraint on expansion in the sector.
Livestock raising, particularly sheep and cattle, is widespread. Morocco fills its own meat requirements and is also attempting to become self-sufficient in dairy products.
Morocco’s forests, which cover about one-tenth of its total land area (excluding Western Sahara), have substantial commercial value. Morocco satisfies much of its timber needs by harvesting the high-elevation forests in the Middle and High Atlas. Its eucalyptus plantations enable it to be self-sufficient in charcoal, which is used extensively for cooking fuel. Eucalyptus also provides the raw material needed for the country’s paper and cellulose industries. Paper pulp is a valuable export as is cork from the country’s plentiful cork oak forests.
The fishing grounds in the Canary Current off Morocco’s west coast are exceptionally rich in sardines, bonito, and tuna, but the country lacks the modern fleets and processing facilities to benefit fully from these marine resources. An important part of a major trade agreement Morocco concluded with the European Union (EU) in 1996 concerned fishing rights, by which the EU pays Morocco an annual fee to allow vessels (mainly Spanish) to fish Moroccan waters.
Resources and power
With its acquisition of Western Sahara, Morocco came to possess some two-thirds of the world’s reserves of phosphates, used for the manufacture of fertilizers and other products. Low world prices for phosphates, however, have hindered production. Other minerals include iron ore and coal, mined for Morocco’s domestic use, and barite, manganese, lead, and zinc, which are exported in small quantities.
A major weakness in Morocco’s resource inventory is its shortage of domestic energy sources. Oil exploration has been disappointing, although the country possesses some natural gas reserves that have been exploited. Its hydroelectric potential is considerable and now being tapped. Morocco must cover the bulk of its growing energy needs through imports, principally crude petroleum, which is refined domestically. Thermal power plants produce much of the country’s electricity.
Manufacturing
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
History Buff Quiz
Manufacturing accounts for about one-sixth of GDP and is steadily growing in importance in the economy. Two particularly important components of the country’s industrial makeup are processing raw materials for export and manufacturing consumer goods for the domestic market. Many operations date to the colonial period. Until the early 1980s, government involvement was dominant and the major focus was on import substitution. Since then the emphasis has shifted to privatizing state operations and attracting new private investment, including foreign sources. Processing phosphate ore into fertilizers and phosphoric acid for export is a major economic activity. Food processing for export (canning fish, fresh vegetables, and fruit) as well as for domestic needs (flour milling and sugar refining) is also important, and the manufacture of textiles and clothes using domestically produced cotton and wool is a major source of foreign exchange. Morocco’s iron and steel manufacturing industry is small but provides a significant share of the country’s domestic needs.
Tannery dyeing pits in the medina of Fès, Morocco.Matt Perreault (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Finance
Morocco’s central bank, the Bank al-Maghrib, plays a preeminent role in the country’s banking system. It issues the Moroccan dirham, maintains Morocco’s foreign currency reserves, controls the credit supply, oversees the government’s specialized lending organizations, and regulates the commercial banking industry. Privatization has stimulated activity on the Casablanca Stock Exchange (Bourse de Casablanca—founded in 1929—is one of the oldest exchanges in Africa), notably trade in shares of large former state-owned operations.
Trade
Government attempts to increase exports and control imports have had some success, and a chronic annual trade deficit has begun to narrow. By the 1990s Morocco had also significantly lowered its foreign debt. The three leading exports are agricultural produce (citrus fruits and market vegetables), semiprocessed goods and consumer goods (including textiles), and phosphates and phosphate products. Major imports are semimanufactures and industrial equipment, crude oil, and food commodities. Morocco’s largest trading partner is the EU. Because Morocco’s trade with Europe has been so significant, an important development of the 1990s was negotiating a formal association with the EU, including an agreement to create, over time, a Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone. Other trade accords have also been negotiated to mitigate the dependence on Europe, including an agreement with North American Free Trade Agreement countries and bilateral arrangements with other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2004 a Free Trade Agreement was signed with the United States.
Services
Services, including government and military expenditures, account for about one-fourth of Morocco’s GDP. Government spending alone, despite an ongoing effort on the part of the government to sell much of its assets to private concerns, accounts for fully half of the service economy. Since the mid-1980s tourism and associated services have been an increasingly significant sector of the Moroccan economy and by the late 1990s had become the country’s largest source of foreign currency. During that time the Moroccan government committed significant resources—by way of loans and tax exemptions—to the development of the tourist industry and associated services. The government also made direct capital investments in the development of the service sector, but since the early 1990s it has begun to divest itself of these properties. Several million visitors enter Morocco yearly, most of them from Europe. Tourists also arrive from Algeria, the United States, and East Asia, mainly Japan.
Labour and taxation
Roughly one-third of the population is employed in agriculture, another one-third make their living in mining, manufacturing, and construction, and the remainder are occupied in the trade, finance, and service sectors. Not included in these estimates is a large informal economy of street vendors, domestic workers, and other underemployed and poorly paid individuals. High unemployment is a problem; the official figure is roughly one-fifth of the workforce, but unofficial estimates are much higher, and—in a pattern typical of most Middle Eastern and North African countries—unemployment among university graduates holding nontechnical degrees is especially high. Several trade unions exist in the country; the largest of these, with nearly 700,000 members, is L’Union Marocaine du Travail, which is affiliated with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
Tax revenues provide the largest part of the general budget. Taxes are levied on individuals, corporations, goods and services, and tobacco and petroleum products.
Transportation and telecommunications
Morocco’s road network effectively integrates the country’s diverse regions. Established during the colonial period, the network has been well maintained and gradually expanded since. The railway system connects the principal urban centres of the north, and new rail links, together with improved roads, are being established to El-Aaiún (Laâyoune) in Western Sahara. Morocco has some two dozen ports along its lengthy coastline. Casablanca alone accounts for about half of all port tonnage handled, although port facilities in Tangier are of increasing significance. Other major ports include Safi, Mohammedia, Agadir, Nador, Kenitra, and El Jorf Lasfar. About a dozen airports capable of accommodating large aircraft service the country; the principal international airport is located near Casablanca. The state-owned Royal Air Maroc (RAM) airline provides regular service to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and western Africa.
In the late 1980s and early ’90s the government undertook a major expansion and modernization of the telecommunications system. This nearly quadrupled the number of internal telephone lines and greatly improved international communications. In 1996 the state-owned telecommunications industry was opened up to privatization by a new law that allowed private investment in the retail sector, while the state retained control of fixed assets. In 1998 the government created Maroc Telecom (Ittiṣālāt al-Maghrib), which provides telephone, cellular, and Internet service for the country. Satellite dishes are found on the roofs of houses in even the poorest neighbourhoods, suggesting that Moroccans at every social and economic level have access to the global telecommunications network. The Internet has made steady inroads in Morocco; major institutions have direct access to it, while private individuals can connect via telecommunications “boutiques,” a version of the cyber cafés found in many Western countries, and through home computers.
Government And Society
Constitutional framework
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses. According to the constitution promulgated in 2011, political power in Morocco is to be shared between the hereditary monarch and an elected bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of Councillors (Majlis al-Mustashārīn; upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nawāb; lower chamber). A prime minister heads the cabinet, which constitutes the executive.
Despite the existence of a constitution, a legislature, and a number of active political parties, however, the king continues to wield broad political authority, promulgating legislation, choosing the prime minister from the largest party in parliament, and approving government appointments. He holds absolute authority over religious affairs, the armed forces, and national security policy.
The overwhelming authority of the monarch in political life has been a subject of intense debate and criticism. Since the mid-1990s, political reforms to strengthen representative institutions, enhance the authority of the parliament and cabinet, increase political participation, and limit the king’s ability to manipulate political affairs have been enacted under pressure both from internal opposition groups and from groups outside the country. In July 2011, Moroccan voters approved a new constitution proposed by King Muḥammad VI. The new constitution expanded the powers of the parliament and the prime minister but left the king with broad authority over all branches of government. The constitution also featured a new section promoting cultural pluralism in Morocco and granted the Tamazight language recognition as an official language.
Cultural Life
Cultural milieu
The area that is now Morocco has long been a crossroads between Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, and diverse cultural and ethnic groups have migrated through the region and left their mark on it. Beginning in the 8th century, indigenous Amazigh culture was met with waves of Arab conquerors and travelers who brought with them the Islamic faith and the powerful influence of Arabic language and culture. The arrival of numerous Jewish and Muslim refugees from the Spanish Reconquista beginning in the 16th century left Moroccan culture with a lasting Andalusian quality, and starting in the 19th century, the influence of French culture began to grow—alongside French political power—in all parts of North Africa. French culture—along with the persistence of the French language—has continued to exert a strong influence on Morocco. Some Moroccans have also renewed their interest in Amazigh culture, and civic associations have been formed to encourage the study of Tamazight literature and oral traditions.
Daily life and social customs
Social life for most Moroccans still centres on home and family. The sidewalk café is a favourite gathering place for men, and watching a football (soccer) match on television in the local café is a popular form of entertainment. Big cities such as Casablanca boast a variety of diversions, including cinemas, restaurants, and shopping in modern boutiques or in the souk, the open-air market in which vendors sell a wide array of local arts and crafts items alongside foods and imported commodities. Morocco’s extensive coastline has numerous fine beaches, some of them private and off-limits but many of them open to the public and within easy reach of the city. On weekends families often spend the day at the shore, swimming, picnicking, and playing sports.
Jamaa el-Fna marketplace at night in Marrakech, Morocco.Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Moroccan cuisine has gained a following among connoisseurs worldwide, and the country’s rich agricultural regions provide ample products for Moroccan kitchens. Meat staples include fish, lamb, and fowl—including pigeon, which is considered a delicacy when baked in pastry, the b’stillah, a national favourite. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, and eggplants are among the numerous vegetables typically used in dishes, and fruits of all varieties are enjoyed. Bread is, as in all countries of the Middle East and North Africa, a deep cultural symbol as well as a daily staple. The premier Moroccan food, however, is couscous, a semolina-based pasta served with a meat stew. Kabobs of various types are common, as are salads and soups. Harira, a thick and hearty lamb soup, is served to break the fast at Ramadan and is a national speciality. The national drink is mint tea. Morocco is a wine-producing country, but production had begun to decline by the early 21st century under religious pressure that viewed alcohol consumption as inappropriate.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
History Buff Quiz
Moroccans observe a number of secular and religious holidays. Islamic holidays include the two ʿīds, ʿĪd al-Fiṭr and ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā, and the Prophet’s birthday; national holidays include Independence Day and the king’s birthday.
The arts
The production of Moroccan literature has continued to grow and diversify. To the traditional genres—poetry, essays, and historiography—have been added forms inspired by Middle Eastern and Western literary models. French is often used in publishing research in the social and natural sciences, and in the fields of literature and literary studies, works are published in both Arabic and French. Moroccan writers, such as Mohammed Choukri, Driss Chraïbi, Abdallah Laroui, Abdelfattah Kilito, and Fatima Mernissi, publish their works in both French and English. Expatriate writers such as Pierre Loti, William S. Burroughs, and Paul Bowles have drawn attention to Moroccan writers as well as to the country itself.
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.
Moroccan music, influenced by Arab, Amazigh, African, and Spanish traditions, makes use of a number of traditional instruments, such as the flute (nāy), shawm(ghaita), zither (qanūn), and various short necked lutes (including the ʿūd and gimbrī). These are often backed by explosive percussion on the darbūkka (terra-cotta drum). Among the most popular traditional Moroccan artists internationally are the Master Musicians of Jajouka, an all-male guild trained from childhood, and Hassan Hakmoun, a master of gnāwa trance music, a popular spiritual style that traces its roots to sub-Saharan Africa. Younger Moroccans enjoy raï, a style of plain-speaking Algerian music that incorporates traditional sounds with those of Western rock, Jamaican reggae, and Egyptian and Moroccan popular music.
Cultural institutions
Morocco has a number of fine museums situated throughout the country. The Batha Museum, located in Fès and housed in a former 19th-century royal residence, specializes in historical Moroccan art and has an excellent collection of native ceramics. The Oudaïa Museum (founded 1915; also known as the Museum of Moroccan Art) is located near Rabat’s Oudaïa Casbah. Originally constructed as a private residence in the 17th century, the museum has collections of premodern Moroccan arts and crafts, as does the Dar El-Jamaï Museum (1920), which is located in Meknès. Rabat’s Archaeological Museum (1931) has a comprehensivecollection covering the entirety of Morocco’s history. Morocco is also home to a number of learned societies, research institutes, and archives.
Sports and recreation
Spectator sports in Morocco traditionally centred on the art of horsemanship until European sports—football (soccer), polo, swimming, and tennis—were introduced at the end of the 19th century. Football is the country’s premier sport, popular among the urban youth in particular, and in 1970 Morocco became the first African country to play in World Cup competition. At the 1984 Olympic Games, two Moroccans won gold medals in track and field events, one of whom—Nawal El Moutawakel in the 400 metre hurdles—was the first woman from an Arab or Islamic country to win an Olympic gold medal. Tennis and golf have also become popular. Several Moroccan professional players have competed in international competition, and the country fielded its first Davis Cup team in 1999.
Media and publishing
Morocco’s government-owned radio and television network, Radiodiffusion Télévision Marocaine (RTM), broadcasts throughout the country. Radio broadcasts are in Arabic, French, Tamazight, Spanish, and English, while television is broadcast in Arabic, Tamazight, and French. In addition, a private television network is headquartered in Casablanca and a private radio network in Tangier.
There are about a dozen daily newspapers in Morocco, published in Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier and written in both French and Arabic. Most are organs of political parties, whereas the remainder are owned by or sympathetic to the government. In addition, a rich variety of periodicals represent various professions, trades, intellectual interests, and avocations. The high rate of illiteracy, however, keeps readership low and makes television the primary medium for disseminatingnews and information.
Abdallah LarouiWill D. SwearingenSusan Gilson MillerHistory
This discussion focuses on Morocco since the 16th century. For a more-detailed treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see North Africa.
Situated in the northwest corner of Africa and, on a clear day, visible from the Spanish coast, Morocco has resisted outside invasion while serving as a meeting point for European, Eastern, and African civilizations throughout history. Many of its early inhabitants, the Imazighen (Berbers), had adopted Christianity or Judaism, which were introduced during a brief period of Roman rule. In the late 7th century, Arab invaders from the East brought Islam, which the Imazighen gradually assimilated. Sunni Islam triumphed over various sectarian tendencies in the 12th and 13th centuries under the doctrinally rigorous Almohad dynasty. The Christian Reconquest of Spain in the later Middle Ages brought waves of Muslim and Jewish exiles from Spain to Morocco, injecting a Hispanic flavour into Moroccan urban life. Apart from some isolated coastal enclaves, however, Europeans failed to establish a permanent foothold in the area. In the 16th century, Ottoman invaders from Algeria attempted to add Morocco to their empire, thus threatening the country’s independence. They, too, were thwarted, leaving Morocco virtually the only Arab country never to experience Ottoman rule. In 1578, three kings fought and died near Ksar el-Kebir (Alcazarquivir), including the Portuguese monarch Sebastian. This decisive battle, known as the Battle of the Three Kings, was claimed as a Moroccan victory and put an end to European incursions onto Moroccan soil for three centuries. The 17th century saw the rise of the ʿAlawite dynasty of sharifs, who still rule Morocco today. This dynasty fostered trade and cultural relations with sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the Arab lands, though religious tensions between Islam and Christendom often threatened the peace.
By the late 17th century, Morocco’s cultural and political identity as an Islamic monarchy was firmly established. The figure of the strong sultan was personified by Mawlāy Ismāʿīl (1672–1727), who used a slave army, known as the ʿAbīd al-Bukhārī, to subdue all parts of the country and establish centralized rule. Subsequent monarchs often used their prestige as religious leaders to contain internal conflicts caused by competition among tribes. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when Europe was preoccupied with revolution and continental war, Morocco withdrew into a period of isolation. On the eve of the modern era, despite their geographic proximity, Moroccans and Europeans knew little about each other.
Source: www.britannica.com
BY:
Will D. Swearingen, Susan Gilson Miller, Nevill Barbour, L. Carl Brown, Abdallah Laroui
Ceuta peninsula, Morocco.
© Michael Hynes
Comments
Post a Comment
Please be brief