Area: From 1912 to 1956 Morocco itself was divided into French and Spanish protectorates.
The area of Morocco is 458,730 sq km (177,120 sq mi). Since 1979 Morocco has also occupied the adjacent region known
as Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara).
Capital: The Capital of Morocco is Rabat, the largest city is Casablanca
Language: The official language is Arabic but French is the dominant
business language in central and southern Morocco and something you can get along with about anywhere.
Spanish is often spoken in the north. English is fairly widely spoken. The Berber languages, once dominant
throughout Morocco, have declined in importance, and in the early 1990s about 25 percent of the people used Berber as their first language.
Religion: Islam is the established state religion of Morocco. Almost the entire population is Sunni Muslim.
The monarch is the supreme Muslim authority in the country. About 1 percent of the population is Christian, and less than
0.2 percent is Jewish.
Population: The estimated population of Morocco in 1997 was 28,564,572, giving the country an
overall population density of 62 persons per sq km (161 per sq mi). The original population of Morocco was Berber, and about three-quarters of all
present-day Moroccans are of Berber descent. Arabs, who constitute the bulk of the inhabitants of the larger
cities, form the second largest ethnic group. Considerable intermarriage among Arabs, Berbers, and the
country´s small number of black Africans has broken down differences among ethnic groups.
Morocco has about 100,000 Europeans, most of them French. The rural population in 1996 was 51 percent of the country´s total.
Membership: Morocco is a member of the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League,
Organization of the Islamic Conference, OAU,
and Union of the Arab Maghreb.
Currency: The Moroccan Dirham is a floting currency, subdivided into 100 centimes. In various parts of
Morocco you may hear prices quoted in francs, pesetas, or rials, units of currency used during colonial periods.
Morocco Time Difference: GMT (GMT + 1 in summer)
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