THE COUNTRY HISTORY LANGUAGES GEOGRAPHY

THE COUNTRY 

four chains of mountains with the dizzy cascades, of the centennial cédraieses, of the eternal snows, of vast plains bloomed of orange trees, of almond-trees, of streams that unwind ribbons of greenery until the carry the desert and dig some spectacular throats: of the strait of Gibraltar to Mauritania the nature made the Morocco one of the most beautiful countries of the world, the country of the sense blinding.

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 HISTORY 

The population of Morocco is very old as testify some of innumerable prehistoric vestiges. Since, Phoenicians, Carthaginian, Byzantine, Romans, Vandals followed each other of it, before the advent of Arabs that dates the 8 ' century.

Morocco as state exists since the year 788, when Idriss ler was proclaimed king to Volubilis (as comparison, it will be necessary to wait again for 200 years so that Hugues Capet is proclaimed king of France).

Today, Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. The King Hassan II reached the Throne in 1961. Coming down from the Prophet, he/it is as Commander of Believers, that means the religious chief of Morocco.

Here are some chronological reference marks to help you to situate cities and monuments in their historic context.

681: Beginning of the conquest of Morocco by Arabs (introduction of Islam)

788: THE DYNASTY IDRISSIDE

809: Foundation of Fès by Idriss II

1055: THE DYNASTY ALMORAVID

1061-1107: Reign of Youssef well Tachfine (he/it founds Marrakech)

1130: THE DYNASTY ALMOHADE

1184 -1197: Reign of Yacoub Mansour el, that makes of Rabat its capital (construction of the Tower Hassan to Rabat, of the Koutoubia to Marrakech and the Giralda in Seville)

1258: THE DYNASTY MERINIDE

1269-1286: Reign of Abou Youssef Yacoub (construction of Fès Jedid el)

Chellah to Rabat).

1554: THE DYNASTY SAADIENNE

1578: The battle of the 3 kings puts an end to the Portuguese domination

1578-1603: Reign of Ahmed Mansour el (Saadiens tombs to Marrakech)

1664: THE DYNASTY ALAOUITE

1672-1727: Reign of Moulay Ismaïl that constructs Meknès

1927: Accession to the Throne of S.M. MOHAMED V

1956: Independence of Morocco

1961: Accession to the Throne of S.M. HASSAN II

1971: The new Constitution is adopted by referendum

1975: The Green March reunifies in Morocco its of the Sahara provinces

1993: Inauguration of the Mosque Hassan II to Casablanca.

1999: Accession to the Throne of S.M. MOHAMED VI

•LES GRANDS ENCODE THE MAROC•

- 30 millions of inhabitants of which 50% have less than 20 years and 70% less than 30 years.

- 710 850 km2s of surface.

- 2 900 Atlantic coast km, 500 Mediterranean coast km.

- 60 000 km of road network.

- 3 millions of palms - dattiers.

- 800 000 tons of oranges per year.

- More of 3 000 000 of tourists every year.

- With Agadir, Safi and Tan Tan, Morocco possesses the first harbors sardinierses of the world.

- 1st world producer and 75% of the world reserves of phosphate.

•LANGUAGES•

To quoted of the classic Arab, the language of the education, the administration and medias, the language of every day to Morocco is Arab dialectal.

The Tamazight (Berber) is spoken in the Rif, the Atlas and the Souss, and vary according to regions.

Most the Moroccan speak the French, many speak the Spanish and the English.

•GEOGRAPHIE•

The Moroccan coasts spread on 3500 km.

In Mediterranean the mountain mingles himself to the sea by the falling deep or of the rocky debris.

The Atlantic estran is constituted of small cliffs of sandstone, more elevated to the south, interrupted by beaches.

Of Tanger to the Draa oued, the platier, often leaning against appears like a horizontal terrace of lapiéses, discovery to low tide, constituted of large basins flat-bottom edged of crests, from where water cascades toward the sea.

Edged of Atlantic plains and large coastal trays, Morocco possesses 4 big mountainous massifs:

- The Rif to the damaged relief culminates with the jebel (mount) Tidirhine to 2 548 ms before going down to the East, and to the west toward the strait of Gibraltar. Forming a bow of circle in look of the Mediterranean Sea, he/it opposes a pouring Atlantic very humid with clusters of oaks, cedars and firs, and a pouring Mediterranean arid and wild covered of a " matorral ", clear of junipers and thuyases.

- The Middle Atlas formed of high trays between Azrou and Timhadit, present, to the northeast, a more damaged region, constituted of parallel folds cut of deep depressions. The Bou-Iblan (3 190 ms) is the highest summit.

- The High Atlas, to reliefs soon tabular, soon in picks or possess in its western part the most elevated Moroccan summit in clochetons: the Toubkal (4 167 ms).

The High Atlas and the Middle Atlas enclose high arid trays to the East, a big passageway of glaze and a low plain rosary to the west; they form to the center of the country a dorsal imposing serving of border between parts Atlantic and of the Sahara of the country.

- The anti - Atlas, flanked to the south of alluvial plains, bare rocky crests and stony trays, stands in parallel of south - atlasique that opens up to the west on the vast plain of the Souss.

•DESERT•

The desolate truth is the one where it falls less than 100 mms of precipitations per year. He/it begins to the East of the Siroua jebel and the west to the foot of the anti - Atlas.

Vegetation varies the oceanic fringe where reign a relative humidity favorable to the luscious plants, to region présaharienne of drier climate and the of the Sahara flora.

A lot stonier than sandy, the Moroccan desert is constituted of an immense stony tray where the sand brought by the burning winds of the Sahara can cram until to generally form little dunes elevated except to the Chebbi erg, to the south of Erfoud.

•FORET•

The cédraie, forest of several thousands of existence years, covers close to 130.000 has on slopes of the Rif, the High Atlas and the Middle Atlas (74 000 has).

This forest of conifers account a few beautiful specimens that can rise to 60 ms of top and to reach, for oldest, 400 years.

The cedar of the Atlas pushes between 1 200 and 2 800 ms of altitude and needs humidity. He/it provides a strong wood valued of cabinetmakers and violin-makers. its dark clusters shelter a population important of piles that hunts the last panthers. The peony to big leaves there éclôt among the numerous flowers of its rich undergrowths.

The forest of the Mamora is located between Rabat, Kénitra and Meknès and account, next to plantations of eucalyptuses, pines and acacias, 55 000 has of quasi - pure cluster of oaks corks.

Exploited for its cork, this suberaie also provides the edible acorns and the wood of fire.

But especially she/it represents an important food source for the - Ovine and bovine livestock - very numerous.

Very rife to Morocco and original of Arabia, the palm dattier millions of years.

The trunk, cylindrical, doesn't thicken with time, and can reach 30 ms of top. Leaves, palms, implanted in very tight helixes on the trunk, live 4 at 5 years before drying up. He/it exists some male and female trees, all two bloom in March or April and the natural fertilization is assured by wind.

The date is a bay to the very rich flesh in sugar, covered of an epidermis parcheminé.

Currently, the palmeraie to Morocco covers a surface of 84 000 has and represent vicinities 4,7 millions of palms.

Endemic species of Morocco, the arganier is indissociable of the arid landscapes to the frequent mists. Soon wild in lucid forest, soon cultivated, this tree is especially present in the region of Essaouira, piémontses of the High oriental Atlas and the anti - Atlas.

Walnuts of the arganier possess a hard core containing two almonds of which one extracts an oil very fragrant orangée.

Its obstinate foliage offers livestock a real " suspended " grazing. Goats whom of it adores, don't hesitate to climb there to browse the highest branches of the tree.