Other Definitions
morocco (dest)
morocco (dict)
|
MoroccoThe Kingdom of Morocco is a country in northwest Africa. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has annexed Western Sahara, but this is not recognized by any other country. Name The full Arabic name of the country translates to The Western Kingdom. Al-Maghreb (meaning The West) is commonly used in Arabic. The name in most other languages originates from the name of the former capital, Marrakech (it means the Country of God in the Berber language). History Main article: History of Morocco Morocco became a French protectorate by the signing of the Treaty of Fez on March 30, 1912, remaining a Kingdom, and achieved independence in 1956. It then took control over Tangier, formerly an international city. The northern area of Morocco was under a Spanish protectorate concurrently. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s, which had been a colony under the Spaniards since the 19th century. Previous to that it had been an area of Moroccan influence, but this annexation has not been recognized any nations. Morocco was the first nation to recognize the fledging American republic in 1777 and has the oldest non-broken friendship treaty with the country, the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, which has been in effect since 1783. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were the American signatories. The United States legation (embassy) in Tangier, is the first property the US owned abroad. It now houses the Tangier american legation museum. Politics Main article: Politics of Morocco The King of Morocco is an active leader, although decreasingly so. Political parties are legal and a plethora of them exist. See also: List of political parties in Morocco Provinces Main article: Provinces of Morocco Morocco is divided into 37 provinces and 2 wilayas: | colspan=3| Provinces | | | | | | olspan=3| Wilayas | | | Three additional provinces, Ad Dakhla (Oued Eddahab), Boujdour, and Es Smara, as well as parts of Tan-Tan and Laayoune, fall within Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara. As part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature, 16 new regions were created, although the full details and scope of the reorganization are limited. These 16 regions are: Geography Main article: Geography of Morocco Algeria borders Morocco to the east and southeast, though the Algerian border is closed http://www.sahara-overland.com/routes/. There are also four Spanish enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: Ceuta, Melilla Peon Velez de la Gomera and Peon de Alhucemas, as well as several islands including Perejil (status disputed) and Chafarinas. Off the Atlantic coast the Canary Islands belong to Spain, whereas Madeira to the north is Portuguese.To the north, Morocco is bordered by and controls part of the Strait of Gibraltar, giving it power over the waterways in and out of the Mediterranean sea. Morocco's capital city is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Other cities include Agadir, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Oujda, Safi, Tangier, Tiznit, Sal and Tan-Tan. Economy Main article: Economy of Morocco Morocco has signed a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and the United States of America. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Morocco http://www.moroccousafta.com/index_ang.htm Culture Main article: Culture of Morocco Miscellaneous topics See also Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2002 U.S. Department of State website. External links
|
 |