"Ahalan" Morocco by seagoingJLW

Morocco is a blend of the familiar and the exotic. There are oriental bazaars for sightseeing and discos for night life. There are fertile plains, snowcapped mountains and blazing deserts. Such extremes of riches and poverty can be unnerving. Wandering through the casbah in Tangier was interesting. The picture above is the lighthouse at Cape Spartel.

History

Tangier's history goes back at least 3000 years when the Phoenicians set up a trading post and fishing port. Later it became the Roman town of Tingis. In the 5th century the Vandals took Tangier. Then the Arabs conquered Tangier and used it as a staging post for their invasion of Spain in 711. The Almoravids, founders of Morocco's golden age, captured the town in 1075.

In 1471, the Portuguese seized Tangier and transformed the main mosque into a cathedral. Tangier was then presented to Charles II of England in 1661 as part of Catherine of Braganza's dowery.

Sultan Moulay Ismail then captured Tangier from besieged British forces in 1684. The city was internationalized in 1906 by the Treaty of Algeciras.
Spain still controlled the northernmost portion of the Moroccan protectorate except for Tangier which was ruled jointly by Britain, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Morocco gained independence in 1956 and Tangier was incorporated into the kingdom.

Miscellaneous Information

Morocco, located in northwest Africa, is bordered in the north by the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. East of Morocco is Algeria and west is the Atlantic Ocean. To the south is Western Sahara.
Morocco claims Western Sahara, but that land is in dispute. The UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue of its sovereignty.

The Moroccan coast extends over 3,500 km. The area of Morocco is 446,550 sq km making it slightly larger thatn California.

The dominating climate in Morocco is Mediterranean, tempered by the Atlantic Ocean. In the interior the weather is more continental and there are significant temperature variations. The Atlas area is very humid and has frequent snowfall. The south has desert climate.

The population of Morocco, as of July, 2001, was 30,645,305. The central and northwestern regions are the homes of 48% of the people. the large majority of Moroccona are Berbers, Arabs, or people of mixed race. A minority group of black Africans has moved into southern Morocoo, especially in Meknes and Marrakesh.
There is also a small community of Jews in Morocco and some European nationals such as Spanish, French, and Italians.

Arabic is the official language but French is widely spoken. Spanish is spoken in regions formerly administered by Spain. Berber dialects are also spoken.

The Sunni Muslim religion predominates at 98.7%. Then come 1.1% Christian and 0.2% Jews.

The Moroccan woman is the guardian of cultural values at home and the proponent of modernity outside the house. Women have started educating themselves and fighting for their own rights, even in political and social activities where men dominate.

Take a look at the travelogues I have created.

1. Agadir Adventures can be found on my Agadir page.
2 Tangier-Gateway to Africa can be found on my Tangier page.
3. Museum of Moroccan Art in the Tangier Casbah can also be found on my Tangier page.

• Pros:Morocco is a very interesting and unusual country
• Cons:It is in the desert and full of tourists
• In a nutshell:Go...because it's different.