Morocco
Morocco (/məˈrɒkoʊ/ (About this soundlisten); Arabic:
المغرب, romanized: al-Maġrib, lit. 'place the sun sets; the
west'; Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, romanized:
lmeɣrib; French: Maroc), officially the Kingdom of Morocco
(Arabic: المملكة المغربية, romanized: al-Mamlaka
al-Maġribiyya, lit. 'The Western Kingdom'; Standard Moroccan
Tamazight: ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, romanized: tageldit n lmaɣrib;
French: Royaume du Maroc), is a country located in the
Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the
Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the
west, with land borders with Algeria to the east and Western
Sahara (status disputed) to the south. Morocco also claims
the exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la
Gomera, all of them under Spanish jurisdiction, as well as
several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast.[11]
The capital is Rabat and the largest city is Casablanca.[12]
Morocco spans an area of 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi) and has
a population of over 36 million.
Since the foundation of the first Moroccan state by Idris I
in 788 AD, the country has been ruled by a series of
independent dynasties, reaching its zenith under Almoravid
and Almohad rule, when it spanned parts of Iberia and
northwestern Africa.[13] The Portuguese Empire began in
Morocco in the 15th century, following Portuguese conquests
along the Moroccan coast, founding settlements which lasted
into the 17th and 18th centuries. The Marinid and Saadi
dynasties resisted foreign domination into the 17th century,
allowing Morocco to remain the only northwest African
country to avoid Ottoman occupation. The Alaouite dynasty,
which rules to this day, seized power in 1631. The country's
strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean
attracted the interest of Europe, and in 1912, Morocco was
divided into French and Spanish protectorates, with an
international zone in Tangier. It regained its independence
in 1956, and has since remained comparatively stable and
prosperous by regional standards, with the fifth largest
economy in Africa.[14]
Morocco claims the non-self-governing territory of Western
Sahara, formerly Spanish Sahara, as its Southern Provinces.
After Spain agreed to decolonise the territory to Morocco
and Mauritania in 1975, a guerrilla war arose with local
forces. Mauritania relinquished its claim in 1979, and the
war lasted until a ceasefire in 1991. Morocco currently
occupies two thirds of the territory, and peace processes
have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.
The sovereign state is a unitary Semi-constitutional
monarchy with an elected parliament. The country wields
significant influence in both Africa and the Arab world, and
is considered a regional power and a middle power. The King
of Morocco holds vast executive and legislative powers,
especially over the military, foreign policy and religious
affairs. Executive power is exercised by the government,
while legislative power is vested in both the government and
the two chambers of parliament, the Assembly of
Representatives and the Assembly of Councillors. The king
can issue decrees called dahirs, which have the force of
law. He can also dissolve the parliament after consulting
the Prime Minister and the president of the constitutional
court.
Morocco's predominant religion is Islam, and its official
languages are Arabic and Berber, the latter achieving
official recognition in 2011,[15] having been the native
language of Morocco before the Muslim conquest in the
seventh century C.E.[16] The Moroccan dialect of Arabic,
referred to as Darija, and French are also widely spoken.
Moroccan culture is a blend of Berber, Arab, Sephardi Jews,
West African and European influences.
Morocco is a member of the Arab League, the Union for the
Mediterranean and the African Union.
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