Facts about Morocco....
Photos shown here today were not taken by us.
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| Before we began planning to travel the world, I had a vague recollection of where many countries were located. Tom, on the other hand, a history and geography buff, was much more knowledgeable. As we've continued on, we've greatly enhanced our geographical knowledge of the world, still with more to learn. Many of our readers commented that they were surprised that we were still in Africa, while living in Morocco. How often does one take the time to look at a world map to be reminded of that which we learned in grade school? Not often. |
Although not all of our readers will find these facts about Morocco peaking their interest, we've found that many do enjoy a list of facts to jog their memory or update their knowledge as we constantly research, study and explore.
"They" say that new information is an excellent form of "exercise for the brain" of which both Tom and I can attest, after these past 17 months since we left Minnesota.
If today's information bores you, we apologize, hoping you'll return tomorrow for more photos of our time in Morocco. In a selfish manner, we post this today, hoping to learn more from our research about Morocco instead of being limited to our smaller sphere while living in the Medina with an occasional outing outside the wall.
If you've been to Morocco and have facts you'd like to share, please comment at the end of this post. We'd love to hear from you
What is the full name of Morocco?
Kingdom of Morocco (Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah)
Where is Morocco?
Northern Africa, across the Gibraltar Strait from Spain
What countries border Morocco?
Algeria, Mauritania, Spain (across the Gibraltar Strait), and Western Sahara (which Morocco claims as a territory). The border between Algeria and Morocco is currently closed.
How big is Morocco?
446,550 square kilometers
What is the population of Morocco?
Around 30 million
What language is spoken in Morocco?
Arabic is the official language (the Darija, Moroccan dialect). French is used for business and is considered the unofficial second language of Morocco, Berber dialects, Spanish and English are becoming increasingly more common.
What type of government does Morocco have?
Constitutional monarchy
Who is the King of Morocco?
King Mohammed VI
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| King Mohammed VI, current King of Morocco. |
Who is the Prime Minister of Morocco?
Abdelilah Benkirane
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| Rabat, the capital of Morocco. |
There are 15 regions of Morocco, and claimed territory in Western Sahara:
- Grand Casablanca
- Chaouia-Ouardigha
- Doukkala-Abda
- Fes-Boulemane
- Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen
- Guelmim-Es Smara
- Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra
- Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz
- Meknes-Tafilalet
- Oriental
- Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer
- Souss-Massa-Draa
- Tadla-Azilal
- Tanger-Tetouan
- Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
What are the largest cities in Morocco?
Casablanca
RabatFes
Marrakech
Oujda
When did Morocco declare independence?
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| Map of Marrakech, Morocco, where we're living now until May 15, 2014. |
March 2, 1956 – Morocco declared independence from France
When is Morocco’s national holiday?
Morocco celebrates Throne Day on July 30, which celebrates the accession of King Mohammed VI to the throne in 1999.
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| This is MAD 100, Moroccan Dirham, US $12.23, Euro $8.89 (based on today's exchange rate). |
Although Morocco is often thought of as desert, much of the country is covered by the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains, though the Sahara desert does make up a
portion of the country.
Of course, there are volumes of information one could share about Morocco but with our limited space and time, we offer these morsel today.
Although it raining hard today we'll plan to go out for awhile looking forward to making new discoveries within the Medina, sharing them all with you tomorrow.
Happy Day!
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Photo from one year ago today, March 29, 2013:
What is the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)?
Established in 1989, the Maghreb Union was meant to unify Morocco (with Western Sahara) Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and help with trade and political unity between the countries. The Maghreb Union is currently frozen because of disagreements between Morocco and Algeria.
Who are the Berbers?
The Berbers are the indigenous peoples of the northern Africa. Most Moroccans are of Arab-Berber descent.
What is the major religion in Morocco?
Islam is the majority religion, particularly Sunni Islam. Judaism was historically a major religion in Morocco, but most Jews emigrated elsewhere in the 1950s.
Of course, there are volumes of information one could share about Morocco but with our limited space and time, we offer these morsel today.
Although it raining hard today we'll plan to go out for awhile looking forward to making new discoveries within the Medina, sharing them all with you tomorrow.
Happy Day!
____________________________________________
Photo from one year ago today, March 29, 2013:
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| An early morning photo of the Caribbean Sea from our veranda as we began to wind down our time in Belize, at that point a mere 11 days away. Although we were excited to be cruising off and on for the upcoming two months, it wasn't easy to leave. For the post for that day, please click here. |