Morocco, officially Kingdom of Morocco, kingdom (1954 est. pop.
29,161,000), 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, Marrakech, and Fes. 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 economic
mainstays. Morocco is a leading producer and exporter of phosphates; other
important minerals include iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, manganese, 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.
History Originally inhabited by Berbers, Morocco became a province
of the Roman Empire in the 1st cent. AD After successive invasions by barbarian
tribes, Islam was brought by the Arabs in 685. An independent Moroccan kingdom
was established in 788; 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. 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 Ksar el
Kebir (Alcazarquivir) in 1578. 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, was repressive. Hassan's position was strengthened in
1976, when Spain relinquished the Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) to joint
Moroccan-Mauritanian control. Challenged by the Polisario Front, a guerrilla
movement backed by Algeria and seeking independence for the area, Mauritania
withdrew in 1979, but Morocco continued battling there and claimed the entire
territory.
King Hassan died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son Muhammad VI. Initially
extremely popular, the new king revealed himself to be a strong advocate of
social change and economic improvement. In July, 2002, Morocco occupied an
uninhabited islet off Ceuta that is claimed by Spain, drawing international
attention to the disputed Spanish enclaves along Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
After Spanish forces removed the Moroccans, both sides agreed to leave the islet
unoccupied.
********
Western Sahara,
territory (1995 est. pop. 217,000), 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 Laayoune (formerly
El Aai?n), the capital, Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros), Boujdour, and
Essemara. 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.
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
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. A temporary truce signed in 1990 was made
permanent (1991), but a referendum on the area's status was delayed in the
following years by disputes over who would be permitted to vote.during which
time the region was integrated administratively into Morocco. UN attempts to
broker a peace agreement have been unsuccessful, with Morocco generally
rejecting any plan that might affect its sovereignty over the area.
********
Copyright (c) 2003 Columbia
University Press. Used by permission of Columbia University Press.
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Recommended reading:
Morocco
since 1830 A History By C. R. Pennell The first
general history in English of Morocco in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries
A
Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic
Language and Linguistics) By Richard S. Harrell, Mohammed
Abu-Talib, William S. Carroll The only complete Moroccan Arabic book
(in English)
Moroccan
Arabic Phrasebook Lonely Planet Moroccan Arabic Phrasebook with
complimentary dictionary By Dan Bacon, Bichr
Andjar Extensive vocabulary list, full of useful cultural tips,
extensive food and shopping sections
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than English or Arabic
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available in Arabic only and +
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intelligence unit and virtual exhibition on media, business, tourism,
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