Morocco State Overview

By | November 27, 2021

According to PAYHELPCENTER, Morocco – officially the Kingdom of Morocco – is a sovereign country located in the Maghreb region, in North Africa, with coasts on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

It is an African country that is separated from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Climate

The most important rivers are the Oum-er-Rbia and the Sebou which flow into the Atlantic Ocean; and the Muluya, which flows into the Mediterranean. The climate varies between the southern desert and the northern Mediterranean, with average temperatures ranging from 10º C in January to 25º C in July. Spectacularly diverse, Morocco combines sand, sea and snow.

Between the mountains and the Atlantic coast of Morocco the plateaus and plains are fertile and well watered. In the extreme south, on the edge of the Anti-atlas, the gorges carry rivers that flow until they are lost in the endless sands of the immense Sahara.

During the summer Morocco is one of the warmest countries in Africa but during the winter it becomes one of the coldest, particularly in the higher regions. In summer, the mountains are hot during the day and cool at night. The rainy season between November and April can show occasional sunshine.

Food

Meal

Culinary traditions are valuable and very affordable. The dishes, often highly detailed, are based on a diet of meat and sweets. Typical specialties include: flour, a rich soup, a sweet pie with pigeon meat made with dozens of different layers of thick flaky dough. Couscous, a dish based on semolina combined with egg, chicken, lamb or vegetables, is the main Moroccan dish.

Tajine are stews, often rich and fragrant, using lamb or chicken. Houtis, a fish stew or djaja mahamarais chicken stuffed with almonds, semolina and raisins. Also popular are mchoui, roasted mutton, and kab-el-ghzal, almond sweets. The hotel restaurants usually serve French culinary art. The restaurants offer a good selection of food and include typical Moroccan dishes, French, Italian or Spanish meals. In many beach bars they sell kebabs (brochettes) often served with a spicy sauce.

Drink

The national drink is new tea made with green tea, fresh mint and sugar. It is very refreshing and its consumption is a part of Moroccan social courtesy. Very strong coffee is made, except for breakfast. The laws on alcohol are quite liberal (for non-Muslim visitors). Wines, beers and spirits are easily found. The locally produced wines, beers and mineral water are excellent. Imported drinks are often expensive.

Economy

Agriculture employs a third of the active population, the main crops are cereals, citrus fruits and vegetables. Livestock meets the needs of the country. Fishing is important both for local consumption and for export, as well as the sale of licenses to foreign fleets to fish in Moroccan territorial waters. Mining is the main industry of the country: Morocco is the world’s largest exporter of phosphates (which is the main source of the export) and has other substantial mineral resources, including iron ore, coal, zinc, cobalt, copper, silver and manganese.

The main industries in the industrial sector are food, textile and leather goods production. In the service sector, tourism and remittances from Moroccan workers abroad are other sources of wealth. Morocco has small reserves of oil and natural gas but must import to meet its needs.

Morocco has one of the best infrastructures on the African continent but its economic performance has been halted by a very high birth rate, unemployment, an excessively large and ineffective public sector, and a large foreign debt that has increased with the maintenance of the costly war with the Rep. Saharaui.

Recent economic policy has followed the guidelines set by the IMF – accepting the liberalization of trade, the cut in public spending and the privatization of public sectors in exchange for aid programs. In the long term, Morocco hopes to enter the European Union, an objective that seems increasingly distant from achieving in view of the long waiting line that has increased with the participation of many Eastern European countries that have priority in this area. sense. Morocco is a member of the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Union of the Arab Maghreb. The main trading partner is France, followed by other US countries. Spain, Germany and the USA are the main suppliers to Morocco.

Demography

Ethnicities: Arabs 44%, Arabized Berbers 24%, pure Berbers 21%, mixed 10%, other 1%.

Religion:

  • Islamism: 99%
  • Christianity 1%
  • Judaism: 0.01621%

Migration:

Emigration:· Moroccans in Algeria

· Moroccans in Spain

· Moroccans in Ireland

· Moroccans in Portugal

· Moroccans in the United Kingdom

· Moroccans in Western Sahara

Immigration:· Algerians in Morocco

· British in Morocco

· Spaniards in Morocco

· Irish in Morocco

Health:

Survey of 2014, of the ONDA (National Observatory of Drugs and Addictions), on 800,000 people: [3] The report concludes that the drug that is consumed the most in Morocco, is

  • tobacco (95%) followed by
  • the marijuana (80%) and
  • the Alcohol (10 & nbsp%).
  • benzodiazepines,
  • the cocaine,
  • the heroine,
  • solvents
  • the glues and
  • the amphetamines.

Morocco State Overview