Morocco

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The Flag of the Kingdom of Morocco His Majesty King Hassan II The Flag of the Kingdom of Morocco

Morocco

The History of Morocco

The native people of Morocco are the Berbers, an ancient race who, throughout history, have seen their country invaded by a succession of foreign powers.

In the 12th century BC the first of these foreign invaders were the Phoenicians, who established trading posts at several points along the North African coast. The Carthaginians later took over these Phoenician colonies and expanded them as part of the mighty Carthaginian Empire.

When the city of Carthage fell to Rome in the second century BC, the African Mediterranean coast was under Roman dominance for almost six hundred years.

When the Roman Empire in turn fell into decline, the area was invaded first by the Vandals in AD429 and later by Byzantium in AD533. An Arab invasion of Morocco in AD682 marked the end of Byzantine dominance, and the first Arab rulers, the Idrisid dynasty, ruled for 150 years. An independent Moroccan kingdom was established in 788;. when Idriss I was proclaimed king at Volubilis. Christian and pagan inhabitants of the land converted to Islam during this period.

Its dissolution in the 10th cent. began a period of political anarchy. The country was finally united in the 11th cent. by the ALMORAVIDS, a Berber-Muslim dynasty, who established a kingdom reaching from Spain to Senegal ( Arab and Berber dynasties succeeded the Idrisids; notably the Almoravids (1062-1147) and the Almohads (1147-1258) )

The Almohad Empire declined after the defeat of the Moroccans by the Spanish at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. By 1250 its power had completely collapsed and the country was plunged into bitter civil war between Arab and Berber factions, each of whom struggled for brief periods of supremacy.

Unity was never complete, however, and conflict between Arabs and Berbers was incessant. European encroachment began in 1415, when Portugal captured Ceuta, and ended with the Portuguese defeat at the battle of Alcazarquivir in 1578.

The reign of Ahmed I al-Man-sur in the first Sharifian dynasty stabilised and unified the country between 1579 and 1603. Moors and Jews expelled from Spain settled in Morocco during this time and the country flourished and prospered. It became a centre for the arts and this period was known as Morocco's golden age.

In the 19th and early 20th cent. the strategic importance and economic potential of Morocco once again excited the European powers, sparking an intense, often violent, rivalry among France, Spain, and Germany. Finally, in 1912, most of Morocco became a French protectorate; a small area became a Spanish protectorate. Nationalist feelings began to surface in the 1930s, becoming more militant after World War II, and in 1956 Morocco gained its independence. In 1957 the sultan became King Muhammad V. He was succeeded in 1961 by his son, HASSAN II, whose early reign, plagued by internal unrest, coups, and assassination attempts, wasrepressive. Hassan's position was strengthened in 1976, when Spain relinquished the Spanish Sahara to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control. Challenged by the Polisario Front, a guerrilla movement backed by Algeria and seeking independence for the area (which they named WESTERN SAHARA), Mauritania withdrew in 1979, but Morocco continued battling there and claimed the entire territory.

Today, Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. King Hassan II acceded to the throne in 1961. Descending from the Prophet, he is also Commander of the Believers-the religious head of Morocco.

Here are a few chronological references so you can place towns and monuments in their proper historical contexts.

8000-2000 BC	Berbers arrive in North Africa
1100 BC-600 BC	Phoenicians,established trading posts at several points along the North African coast
600 BC	TheCarthaginians take over the Phoenician colonies
146 BC	Romans take over the Carthaginians trading posts
681	The Arabs began their conquest of the Morocco (introduction of Islam)
788	Idrissid Dynasty
809	Foundation of Fez by Idriss II
1055	Almoravid Dynasty
1061-1107	Reign of Youssef ben Tachfine (founder of Marrakesh) 1130 The Almohad Dynasty
1184-1199	Reign of Yacoub ben Mansour, who made Rabat the capital
1258	Merinid Dynasty
1269-1286	Reign of Abou Youssef Yacoub (construction of Fez el Jedid)
1331-1351	Reign of Abou Hassan
1554	The Saadian Dynasty
1578	The Battle of the Three Kings ended Portuguese domination
1578-1603	Reign of Ahmed Mansour
1664	The Alawite Dynasty
1672-1727	Reign of Moulay Ismail who built Meknès
1912	Begin of French protectorate
1921-1926	Rif-war: Revolution against the Spanish protectorate under the leadership of the Rif-Berber Mohammed Ben Abdelkarim Al Khattabi
1927	Accession to the throne of HRH Mohammed V
1943	Begin of the national resistance against the French protectorate under the leadership of the Istiqlal-movement
1956	Independence of Morocco
1961	Accession to the throne of HRH Hassan II
1971	The Constitution was adopted by referendum
1975	The Green March reunified Morocco with its Saharan provinces
1993	Inauguration of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Almohads	Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled Morocco and Spain in the 12th and 13th cent. It had its origins in the puritanical sect founded c.1120 by ibn Tumart. By 1174 the Almohads had completely displaced the ruling ALMORAVIDS. The Almohads, in turn, were defeated in Spain by the Spanish and Portuguese in 1212, and in Morocco by the Merenid dynasty in 1269.
Almoravids	Berber Muslim dynasty that ruled Morocco and Muslim Spain in the 11th and 12th cent. They founded MARRAKESH as the capital of their powerful empire.Called on for help by the Moors in Spain, they defeated (1086) ALFONSO VI of Castile and displaced the local Moorish rulers. Never entirely stable, the dynasty was overthrown by the ALMOHADS in 1174.
Atlas Mountains	Mountain system, NW Africa, c.1,500 mi (2,410 km) long. It is widest and most rugged in Morocco, where Jebel Toubkal reaches a high point of 13,671 ft (4,167 m). The mountains are rich in phosphates, coal, iron, and oil.
Berbers	Aboriginal Caucasoid peoples of N Africa who form a large part of the populations of Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. Except for the nomadic TUAREG, they are small farmers living in loosely joined tribal villages. Local industries are mining, pottery, weaving, and embroidery. They are SUNNI Muslims, speaking languages of the Hamitic group. Despite a history of conquests, their culture dates back before 2400 B.C. In classical times they formed such states as MAURETANIA and NUMIDIA. Most were Christians until the 7th-cent. Arab conquest. In the 9th cent. they supported the FATIMID dynasty; when the Fatimids left N Africa, fighting among the Berbers reduced the region to anarchy until the ALMORAVIDS and ALMOHADS imposed order. The plains Berbers were eventually absorbed by the Arabs; the mountain Berbers retained their warlike traditions, fiercely resisting French and Spanish occupation of N Africa and in the 1960s helping to drive the French from ALGERIA.
Ceuta	City (1986 pop. 71,403), c.7 sq mi (18 sq km), NW Africa, a Spanish possession, on the Strait of Gibraltar. An enclave in Morocco administered as part of Cádiz prov., Spain, Ceuta is a free port with such industries as fishing, food processing, and tourism. An ancient city, it was seized (1415) by Portugal and in 1580 passed to Spain.
Fez	City (1990 est. pop. 1,012,000), N central Morocco. It is located in a rich agricultural region. The city is noted for its Muslim art and its handicraft industries. It has given its name to the brimless felt caps that were formerly characteristic items of Muslim dress in the Middle East. Fez reached its zenith under the Marinid sultans in the mid-14th cent. It consists of the old city (founded A.D. 808) and the new city (founded 1276), connected by walls; there is also a European suburb. The city has more than 100 mosques.
Hassan II	1929-, king of Morocco (1961-). He succeeded his father, MUHAMMAD V. An abortive coup (1971) led him to yield some of his powers to parliament. After 1976 his country fought for control of WESTERN SAHARA; in 1982, bolstered by U.S. military support, Morocco began the economic development of Western Sahara.
Maghreb	Arabic term for NW Africa. It is generally applied to all of MOROCCO, ALGERIA, and TUNISIA, but more specifically it pertains only to the area of the three countries that lies between the Atlas Mts. and the Mediterranean Sea. The Arab Maghreb Union was established in 1989 and includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. Envisioned initially by Muammar al-QADDAFI as an Arab superstate, it is eventually expected to function as a N African common market.
Marrakesh	City (1990 est. pop. 1,517,000), W central Morocco. The city is renowned for leather goods and is a principal commercial center of Morocco. It was founded (1062) by the ALMORAVIDS. The French captured the city in 1912. Beautifully situated near the ATLAS Mts., Marrakesh has extensive gardens, a 14th-cent. palace, and a former palace of the sultan, now a museum of Moroccan art. The minaret of the famous Koutoubya mosque dominates the city.
Mauretania	Ancient district of Africa in Roman times, usually including most of present-day N Morocco and W Algeria. In the 2d cent. B.C. Bocchus, father-in-law of Jugurtha of Numidia, established the kingdom of Mauretania. The Roman Emperor AUGUSTUS put Juba II on the throne in 25 B.C., and the Emperor CLAUDIUS I made the region into two Roman provinces, but the native chiefs were never wholly subdued. By the end of the 5th cent. A.D., Roman control over Mauretania had ended.
Meknès	City (1990 est. pop. 750,000), N central Morocco. It has a noted carpet-weaving industry as well as woolen mills, cement and metal works, oil distilleries, and food-processing plants. Meknès was founded c.1672 by Sultan Ismail, who built many palatial buildings, of which little survives. A European town is laid out beside the old one.
Melilla	City (1991 pop. 56,600), Spanish possession, on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, NW Africa. It is a fishing port and an export point for iron ore. Held by Spain since 1496, it was the site of the revolt that began the SPANISH CIVIL WAR.
Morocco	Officially Kingdom of Morocco, kingdom (1994 est. pop. 28,559,000), 171,834 sq mi (445,050 sq km), NW Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea (N), the Atlantic Ocean (W), Mauritania (which lies beyond the disputed territory of Western Sahara, S), and Algeria (E). Principal cities include RABAT (the capital), CASABLANCA, MARRAKESH, and FEZ. The ATLAS Mts., rising to 13,671 ft (4,167 m) in Jebel Toubkal in the southwest, dominate most of the country. In the south lie the sandy wastes of the SAHARA desert, but in the north is a fertile coastal plain, home of most of the population. Agriculture and mining are the mainstays of the economy. Morocco is the world's leading producer and exporter of phosphates; other important minerals include iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, and coal. Food processing and the manufacture of leather goods and textiles are also important. Half the labor force is employed in agriculture, growing cereals, citrus fruits, and vegetables. Tourism and fishing also contribute to the economy. Most Moroccans are of mixed Arab-Berber descent and are Muslim; Islam is the state religion. There are small Christian and Jewish minorities. Arabic is the official language; Berber dialects, French (a main language of commerce), and Spanish are also spoken.
Muhammad V	1910-61, king of Morocco (1957-61). He became sultan in 1927. An ardent nationalist, he was deposed and exiled (1953-55) by the French, but they were forced to recall him. He obtained (1956) full sovereignty from France and Spain, and took (1957) the title of king of Morocco.
Rabat	City (1990 est. pop. 1,472,000), capital of Morocco, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Bou Regreg estuary. The city is a minor port and has textile industries. There have been settlements there since ancient times. It became a Muslim fortress A.D. c.700 and was a stronghold of corsairs in the 17^th and 18^th cent. Prior to independence (1956), Rabat was the capital of the French protectorate of Morocco. Landmarks include the old city walls and the ruins of the Tour Hassan (12th cent.), a large, unfinished mosque.
Western Sahara (History)	Western Sahara (History)Although visited by the Portuguese in 1434, the area that is now Western Sahara had little contact with Europeans until the 19th cent. In 1884 Spain proclaimed a protectorate over the coast, and a Spanish province, known as Spanish Sahara, was established in 1958. In 1976 Spain transferred the territory to Morocco and Mauritania, but following guerrilla action by the Polisario Front, a nationalist group based in Algeria and seeking self-government for the Saharans, Mauritania withdrew in 1979. Morocco then occupied the Mauritanian portion. The guerrillas continued attempts to liberate Western Sahara, renaming it the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic. A temporary truce signed in 1990 was made permanent (1991), but a referendum on the area's status has been delayed by disputes over who could vote.
Western Sahara	Formerly Spanish Sahara, territory (1994 est. pop. 212,000), 102,703 sq mi (266,000 sq km), occupied by Morocco, NW Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (W), Morocco (N), Algeria (NE), and Mauritania (E and S). Part of the SAHARA Desert, the land is extremely arid and is covered with stones and sand. The main towns are El Aaiún (or Laayoun; the former capital), Dakhlah (formerly Villa Cisneros), and Semara. The traditional economy is based on the raising of goats, camels, and sheep and the cultivation of date palms. There is some fishing. Rich deposits of phosphates were first exploited in the 1970s; potash and iron have also been found. The people are Arabs and Berbers, most of whom are Sunni Muslim. Arabic is the chief language.

Morocco by the numbers

- An estimated population of 27.5 million (1996). 50% is under 20 years of age and 70% is younger than 30 years.

- 710.850 Km2 of surface area

- 2.900 Km of Atlantic coast, 500 Km of Mediterrean coast

- A 60.000 Km long road network

- 3 millions of date-palms

- 800.000 tons of oranges per year

- Over 3,000,000 tourists each year

- Largest producer worldwide and 75% reserves of phosphates

Climate

The annual sunshine rate is superior to 8 hours per day in Agadir, Fez, Marrakesh and Ouarzazate with an average temperature of 21 degrees (69F).

Average Temperatures Annually
	Centigrade	Fahrenheit
Agadir	23	73
Al Hoceima	19	66
Casablanca	21	69
Essaouira	21	69
Fez	19	66
Marrakesh	22	71
Meknès	20	68
Ouarzazate	18	64
Oujda	19	66
Rabat	22	71
Tangier	19	66

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Map of Morocco

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