Location Located in
northeastern Africa with the Atlantic Ocean to
the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the
north, Morocco has many miles of beaches. The
Sahara desert is to the south and the Atlas
Mountains run in a north-south line through the
center of the country.
Government Morocco has a constitutional
monarchy with a king who appoints a prime
minister and cabinet. Rabat is the capital.
Casablanca is another large city.
People Most
people are farmers raising wheat, barley,
corn, sugar beets, and citrus fruits on
farms of less than 10 acres. A "suq" or
outdoor market is where goods are sold
and bought. Fishermen work in both the
Atlantic and Mediterranean and the canned
fish are generally exported. The people
are Arab or Berber and mostly Muslim.
Many people speak French or Spanish as
well as Arabic.
Houses may be made of wood, stone, or dried
mud and bricks in the south, or nomadic people
may live in tents. Men wear a red, brimless hat
called a "fez" and loose-fitting hooded robes
called a "jellaba" or "burnoose". Women may
cover their face with a veil and for special
occasions will wear a "caftan".
History The
Arabs conquered Morocco from Carthage and
Rome in the 7th and
8th centuries. The Berbes
ruled both Morocco and Spain, which is
only nine mile across the Mediterranean
Sea, between the 11th and
13th centuries. Morocco won
its independence in 1956 from France and
Spain.
Arts Craftsmen
make leather products, rugs, pottery and
metalwork products.
Food and
Drink Couscous is a well-known
Moroccan dish that consists of steamed wheat
served with meat or fish and vegetables. Honey
and almonds in pastries served with mint tea
would round out a typical Moroccan meal. Olive,
fig and nut trees grow in irrigated areas.
Miscellaneous
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Useful
Information
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Morocco
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