Morocco Holidays - Destination at a Glance

”Exotic yet accessible, Morocco is a land of teeming medieval bazaars and tiny mountain villages, palatial hotels and simple inns. Glowing landscapes stretch from snow capped mountain ranges to fertile lemon groves and vineyards, from desert sand dunes to beaches kissed by the Mediterranean or swept by the surf of Atlantic. Morocco’s climate and terrain show as many extremes as its culture. In winter, heavy snow may fall on the peaks of the Atlas while oranges ripen and jasmine blooms in the more temperate lowlands of the north, and the sun blazes down on the sand dunes of the south.”

Morocco Fast Facts

Hardly a stone’s away from Europe, this is a land that has much to offer the visitor, a mellow year-round climate and fine beaches, striking and varied scenery, and a fascinating culture influenced not only by the Arab world but by a strong native Berber culture, by medieval and modern Europe, and by sub-Saharan Africa.

Geographical Location

Morocco is in Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara.

Capital

Rabat

Religion

Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Economic Profile

Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to reduce unemployment - nearing 20% in urban areas - despite the Moroccan Government's ongoing efforts to diversify the economy. Morocco's GDP growth rate slowed to 2.1% in 2007 as a result of a draught that severely reduced agricultural output and necessitated wheat imports at rising world prices. Continued dependence on foreign energy and Morocco's inability to develop small and medium size enterprises also contributed to the slowdown. Moroccan authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs are keys to domestic security and development. In 2005, Morocco launched the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), a $2 billion social development plan to address poverty and unemployment and to improve the living conditions of the country's urban slums. Moroccan authorities are implementing reform efforts to open the economy to international investors. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account transactions. In 2000, Morocco entered an Association Agreement with the EU and, in 2006, entered a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US. Long-term challenges include improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, and closing the income gap between the rich and the poor, which the government hopes to achieve by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in textiles.

The Capital

Rabat is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region.

The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat's bedroom community. Together the two cities with Témara account for a population of 2 million. Unfortunately, silting problems have diminished the city's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations (see Salé).

In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.