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Morocco is a country of northwest Africa. It has a long coastline
on the Atlantic Ocean which reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea.
Morocco has annexed Western Sahara, but this is not universally
recognised.
History
Main article: History of Morocco
Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912, remaining a Kingdom, and achieved independence
in 1956, and it took control over Tangier,
formerly an international city. It annexed Western Sahara in the
1970s, but this has not been recognised by many nations.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Morocco
The King of Morocco is an active leader, although decreasingly so.
Political parties are legal, and a plethora of them exist.
See also: List of
political parties in Morocco
Provinces
Provinces of Morocco
Morocco is divided into 37 provinces and 2 wilayas*: Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen,
El Jadida, El Kelaa des Sraghna,
Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset,
Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit; three additional provinces of Ad Dakhla (Oued Eddahab), Boujdour, and Es Smara as well as parts of Tan-Tan and Laayoune fall within Moroccan-claimed Western
Sahara
note: as part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature 16 new regions (provided below)
were created although full details and scope of the reorganization are limited : Casablanca, Chaouia-Ourdigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulmane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tangier-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
Geography
Geography of Morocco
Neighbouring countries are Mauritania to the southwest and Algeria to the east and southeast (the Algerian border is closed [1] ). There are also four Spanish enclaves on the Mediterranean coast: Ceuta, Melilla Peñon Velez de la Gomera and Peñon de Alhucemas, as well as several islands including Perejil and Chafarinas. Off the Atlantic coast are the Canary Islands and Madeira and
across the Mediterranean to the north is Spain.
The capital city is Rabat. Its largest city is Casablanca.
Other cities include Agadir, Dakhla,
Essaouira, Fes, Laayoune, Marrakech, Meknes, Oujda, Safi, Smara, Tanger, Tiznit, Salè and Tan-Tan.
Economy
Economy of Morocco
Demographics
Demographics of Morocco
Culture
Culture of
Morocco
Miscellaneous topics
External links
Morocco's Ministry of Communication offers a page with mp3s of traditional Moroccan music
here .
Political, Social and Geographical Facts are given on a German Page: Erdkunde-Online
map of
cities
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA
World Factbook 2000 and the 2002 U.S. Department of State website.
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