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. The land has a total area of 446,550 km² (172,414 mi²) and a total coastline of 1,835 km (1,140.2 mi). That Spanish name was also the basis for the old Tuscan word for the country, "Morrocco", from which the modern Italian word for the country, "Marocco", is derived. 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. Perhaps the starkest example of that is its laws against homosexuality. Text taken from UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030, 431–467, UNESCO, UNESCO Publishing. It is situated in the Tangiers free economic zone and serves as a logistics hub for Africa and the world. Mohammed is Morocco's leading businessman and banker. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. From the 11th century onwards, a series of Berber dynasties arose. 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. "Kahena, Queen of the Berbers: A Sketch of the Arab Invasion of Ifriqiya in the First Century of the Hijra". In 2012, Moroccan inventors applied for 197 patents, up from 152 two years earlier. Hundreds took part in a trade union rally in Casablanca in May 2012. That party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement. The project was presented to the United Nations Security Council in mid-April 2007. In 2014, Morocco adopted a national plan to increase progress on maternal and child health. This land area is approximately 111% of the area of California. [177] The first was the generation that lived and wrote during the Protectorate (1912–56), its most important representative being Mohammed Ben Brahim (1897–1955). Portuguese abandoned Mazagão, their last territory in Morocco, in 1769. It regained its independence and reunified in 1956, and has been relatively stable and prosperous (by regional standards) since then: Today, it has the fifth largest economy in all of Africa.[17]. In 1904, France and Spain carved out zones of influence in Morocco. Meanwhile, the population of Morocco is ~35.6 million people (297.1 million more people live in United States). [27] During the Upper Paleolithic, the Maghreb was more fertile than it is today, resembling a savanna, in contrast to its modern arid landscape. The following year, Spanish King Juan Carlos I visited Ceuta and Melilla, further angering Morocco which demanded control of the enclaves. Take this quiz. [104] Morocco's relatively high number of tourists has been aided by its location—Morocco is close to Europe and attracts visitors to its beaches. 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. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young people. The Rif Mountains are located in the north of the country. However, Morocco still has many health issues to improve on. Author of. It was bought by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. 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). Those writers were an important influence the many Moroccan novelists, poets and playwrights that were still to come. Tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner in Morocco after the phosphate industry. Most of the big businesses of the country are headquartered in this city: banks, insurances, holdings, companies, factories, etc. In 1971, there was a failed attempt to depose the king and establish a republic. [195] Morocco has made significant progress in reducing deaths among both children and mothers. The decades previous to this time are called 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. Its administrative headquarters are located in Tindouf, Algeria. This article is about the country in North Africa. i am just amazed at how good you did this! Spectator sports in Morocco traditionally centered on the art of horsemanship until European sports—football, polo, swimming, and tennis—were introduced at the end of the 19th century. At 446,550 km2 (172,414 sq mi), Morocco excluding Western Sahara is the fifty-seventh largest country in the world. Morocco is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer. Asked by Wiki User. [89][90], According to Human Rights Watch annual report 2016, Moroccan authorities restricted the rights to peaceful expression, association and assembly through several laws. How big is Africa? Over the past 50 years, Morocco’s total population has increased by 180% and has risen year-over-year for a decade. Each region possesses its own specificities, thus contributing to the national culture and to the legacy of civilization. [124][125], As of 2015, Morocco had three technoparks. [165][164][168][169], Although Moroccan Berber architecture is not strictly separate from the rest of Moroccan architecture, many structures and architectural styles are distinctively associated with traditionally Berber or Berber-dominated regions of Morocco such as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara and pre-Sahara regions. In addition, there are dried salted meats and salted preserved meats such as kliia/khlia[181] and "g'did" which are used to flavor tagines or used in "el ghraif" a folded savory Moroccan pancake. Livestock are raised and forests yield cork, cabinet wood, and building materials. Morocco held its first general elections in 1963. It's especially easy to come by in Chefchaouen, the kif-smoking capital; and in the major tourist areas of big cities like Marrakesh and Fez. Tetuan . The proposal was encouraged by Moroccan allies such as the United States, France and Spain. Biden Unveils A $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan And Big Corporate Tax Rises. According to current projections, Morocco ’s population is expected to peak at 47.77 million people in 2069. At higher elevations, the climate becomes alpine in character, and can sustain ski resorts. France allowed Mohammed V to return in 1955, and the negotiations that led to Moroccan independence began the following year. Morocco also claims the exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (all of which are under Spanish jurisdiction) and several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast. Morocco is a country in northwestern Africa with connection to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The Barbary macaque, a primate endemic to Morocco and Algeria, is also facing extinction due to offtake for trade[67] human interruption, urbanisation, wood and real estate expansion that diminish forested area – the macaque's habitat. The Spanish government has stated that it is holding discussions with the Moroccan government about repatriating the migrant workers via a "humanitarian corridor," but it's unclear how long the process will take.[99]. [68][69] This trade is unregulated and causing unknown reductions of wild populations of native Moroccan wildlife. 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