Morocco

Kingdom of Morocco المملكة المغربية  (Arabic) al-Mamlakat al-Maġribiyah ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ  (Berber) Tagldit N Lmaġrib
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  الله، الوطن، الملك  (Arabic) Allāh, al-Waṭan, al-Malik ⴰⴽⵓⵛ, ⴰⵎⵓⵔ, ⴰⴳⵍⵍⵉⴷ  (Tamazight) Akuc, Amur, Agllid "God, Homeland, King"
Anthem:  النشيد الوطني المغربي  (Arabic) Cherifian Anthem
Dark red: Internationally recognized territory of Morocco. Lighter striped red: Western Sahara, a non-decolonized territory claimed by Morocco as its Southern Provinces.
Capital	Rabat 34°2′N 6°51′W / 34.033°N 6.850°W / 34.033; -6.850
Largest city	Casablanca
Official languages	Arabic and Berber
National languages	Moroccan Arabic, Darija Hassaniya Arabic Moroccan Standard Tamazight
Other languages	French English Spanish
Ethnic groups	>99% Berbers- Arabs 1% Other
Demonym(s)	Moroccan
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[1]
• King	Mohammed VI
• Prime Minister	Aziz Akhannouch
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	House of Councillors
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Independence
• from France	March 2, 1956
• from Spain	April 7, 1956
Area
• Total	446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi)[f] or 710,850 km2 [f]  (58th or 40th)
• Water (%)	0.056 (250 km2)
Population
• 2013 estimate	32,878,400 (38th)
• Density	73.1/km2 (189.3/sq mi) (122nd)
GDP (PPP)	2013 estimate
• Total	$181.9 billion[2] (56th)
• Per capita	$5,537[2] (114th)
GDP (nominal)	2013 estimate
• Total	$107.1 billion[2] (59th)
• Per capita	$3,260[2] (117th)
Gini (2007)	40.9[3] medium
HDI (2013)	0.591 medium · 130th
Currency	Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (GMT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+212
ISO 3166 code	MA
Internet TLD	.ma, المغرب.
^ French is also used in official government documents and by the business community, although it has no official status.[4] ^ 13.5% fluent, 19.5% partially fluent.[5] ^ See Languages of Morocco. ^ Primarily Riffian, Shilha and Central Tamazight. ^ Primarily Darija and Hassaniya. ^ The area 446,550 km2 (172,410 sq mi) excludes all disputed territories, while 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi) includes the Moroccan-administered parts of Western Sahara (claimed as the Sahrawi Republic by the Polisario Front).

Morocco,^[a] officially the Kingdom of Morocco,^[b] is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It has a population of roughly 37 million. The official and predominant religion is Islam, and the official languages are Arabic and Berber. Moroccan identity and culture is a mix of Berber/Amazigh, Arab, African and European cultures. Its capital is Rabat, while its largest city is Casablanca.^[7]

The indigenous people of Morocco are Berbers, whose monarchs ruled the territory from the 3rd century BCE until 40 CE, when it was annexed to the Roman Empire. Arabs under the Umayyad Caliphate conquered the area in the 8th century, bringing Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. Later, Arab dynasties such as the Idrisids and 'Alawites, and Berber dynasties such as the Almoravids and Almohads, arose; the Almoravids and Almohads controlled Al-Andalus in Europe and the Maghreb.^[8] The 'Alawi dynasty seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. In 1912, France and Spain divided the country into respective protectorates, reserving an international zone in Tangier. Following intermittent riots and revolts, in 1956, Morocco regained its independence and reunified.

Morocco claims ownership of the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, which it has designated its Southern Provinces. Today, Morocco occupies two-thirds of the territory.

1. ↑ "Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco, I-1" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} "Morocco". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
3. ↑ World Bank GINI index
4. ↑ "Morocco Archived 2018-12-18 at the Wayback Machine." () CIA World Factbook. Retrieved on 13 October 2012. "French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)"
5. ↑ "La Francophonie dans le monde Archived 2012-12-24 at the Wayback Machine." () Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. p. 16. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.
6. ↑ Cite error: The named reference IRCAMConst was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
7. ↑ Jamil M. Abun-Nasr (20 August 1987). A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33767-0.
8. ↑ Hall, John G.; Chelsea Publishing House (2002). North Africa. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7910-5746-9.