Terrain

Morocco has the most extensive plains and the highest mountains in northern Africa. The Mediterranean coast is mostly steep and is divided by several bays. The highland region of Er Rif runs parallel to the coast. The Atlas Mountains stretch from the south-west to the north-east of the country. In the northern part of the country, the Atlantic coastal region rises and merges into the Moroccan Meseta (plateau).

The plains and valleys south of the Atlas Mountains merge into the Sahara. The country's highest peak is Jebel Toubkal (4,165 m). Morocco has numerous rivers, which are not very significant for navigation, but are used for irrigation and for generating energy.

Climate

The Atlas Mountains divide Morocco into two climatic zones, the more humid north and the drier south. Along the Mediterranean coast, the climate is mild and warm, while in higher regions temperatures around -18°C are quite common, and summits are covered in snow for almost all the year. Precipitation mainly falls in the winter months. A lots falls in the north-west and less falls in the south and east.

Fauna/Flora

Vegetation in Morocco's mountainous regions still includes forested areas with cork oaks, oaks, juniper trees, cedars, fir and pine trees. However, due to centuries of forests being felled, extensive forested areas have been lost. Olive trees grow on the Atlantic plains; thorn bushes and dwarf palms grow on the inland plains. Apart from animals that are also found in Europe, there are camels, gazelles, panthers, wild goats, and many reptile species in Morocco.

History/Politics

People had already settled in the area of present-day Morocco by 400,000 BC. The region became part of the Roman Empire in the 4th century BC. Invasions by a number of ethnic groups ended Roman rule in AD 429. The Arabs brought Islam to Morocco in 682. After a number of short-lived dynasties, the Alawite dynasty came to the throne in 1666 and has remained in power to this day. France occupied the country in the middle of the 19th century, and European traders soon followed.

Eventually, France, Germany and Spain succeeded in establishing colonial rule. Morocco became a French protectorate in 1912, and 1921 saw the first uprisings against colonial power. Independence movements became stronger in the 1940s, and the Independence Manifesto was issued in 1944, forcing France to negotiate with Moroccan representatives.

Bloody riots in 1952 resulted in the French demanding that Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Yussef abdicate and leave the country. However, this only aggravated the riots, and France agreed to Sultan Mohammed's return in 1955, eventually granting independence to Morocco in 1956.

Ben Yussuf ascended the throne as King Mohammed V and instigated the draft of the country's first constitution. Upon his death in 1961, he was succeeded by his son Hassan II. He annexed the Spanish Sahara to Morocco in 1974. In 1979, he ordered the occupation of the Mauritanian part of the Western Sahara. This led to an armed conflict between both countries, which the UN has still not managed to resolve. After Hassan's death in July 1999, his son Mohammed VI came to the throne. In 2002, he broke with the royal tradition and married a commoner. Mohammed VI has carried out a series of reforms, which have led to political liberalisation. He has also been active in the fight against terrorism. After several suicide attacks in 2003 that left 46 people dead and more than a hundred injured, an anti-terror law providing for severer punishment was passed.

Economy

Morocco faces all the problems that are typical of developing countries. The government has implemented various development programmes. Reforms of the financial sector have been implemented, and state enterprises are slowly being privatised. The drought of 1997 caused great losses in agriculture, the most important sector in the country's economy. Rain that fell over the following years helped to compensate for these losses.

The major challenges that the economy faces are reducing external debt, creating a free trade zone with the EU, attracting foreign investment, and increasing job prospects for Morocco's young people. In 2003, the inflation rate was 1.2%, while unemployment reached 10.7%.

Culture

Morocco has developed a great range of artistic traditions. Moroccan styles in music include: classical music developed in the part of the country which was occupied by the Spanish; the storytelling musical tradition of the Berbers; and finally, contemporary music that has its roots in African and French pop music.

Crafts have a long tradition in Morocco and include the production of elaborate leatherware, carpets, pottery, jewellery, brassware, and woodwork. Painted and carved panels are often found in houses, as are artistic mosaics. Many houses still have mashrabiyya, which are window screens allowing Muslim women to observe what is happening in the street below without them being seen. Since Moroccans like to have traditional interior design products at home, the craft sector is not entirely dependent on tourism.