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Welcome
On this page you will find more information on Morocco. Far from being complete - how could we - it is still our aim to provide you with some insight or issues you would like to research.
Morocco
The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in the most north western tip of Africa. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and a shorter one on the Mediterranean. With the Atlas Mountain range in the east and the Sahara desert in the south the country seems clear and naturally set apart from both Africa as well as Europe. The surface of Morocco is over 710.000 square kilometre - larger then France or any European country, or 23 times the size of Belgium. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy and member of the Arab League as well as the Organisation of Islamic Conference.
Being totally surrounded by natural borders, Morocco was able to develop a very personal and characteristic culture. Indeed, you can not say that this country is northern African, or Arabic, or Berber - it is Moroccan.
Ever since King Mohamed VI succeeded his father King Hassan II in 1999, the country has been and is still slowly advancing towards a western European style democracy.
With a population of approximately 30 million, Morocco is the fourth most populous Arab country. Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber, or mixed descent.
Morocco's official language is Arabic . Approximately 40% of the population, especially in rural areas, speak one of the three Berber dialects/languages. French remains Morocco’s official second language, but many people speak several languages more.
Climate
The climate of Morocco is Mediterranean. This means long hot summers and long chilly winters. The warmest months, the months for beach life and shorts, are from june to september, but you can easily state that the summer is starting in May and ends only by the end of October.
The winter can be chilly, can be rainy, can be grey, but you are most likely to experience wonderfully sunny days as well. Desperate fans of a nice holiday tan will always find a place out of the wind.
In March and April the summer is struggling to arrive, but is constantly hindered by sudden rains or unexpected chilly winds, which makes that the mornings on these months are most difficult if you are trying to decide what to wear.
Because the temperature of the air is slowly getting lower than the temperature of the mediterranean sea, the north of Morocco is experiencing it’s own local El Niño effect in November, resulting in heavy showers and winds.
The Holiday Migration
A combination of harsh economic conditions in Morocco and the need for labour in northern Europe in the 1960's, resulted in a massive migration towards the north. Currently over 1,5 million people of Moroccan descent live in Europe. During the holidays in the summer months, many visit the country of origin of themselves or their parents or grandparents, resulting in an other massive migration in July and August - the holidays in Morocco. This is a very festive time for Morocco, and many streets and squares are decorated with welcoming banners and messages. Especially Tangier, as the northern gateway, seems to completely alter its face during these months - suddenly twice as vibrant as normal.
And More
Obviously there is more to Morocco - much, much more. The astonishing, imperial history, the kitchen, the music, the peoples... all deserve a book in itself. But what sets Morocco even more apart, its "colours and smells", its shades on the walls and the gentility of the people, is something you will experience yourself. This is a country to have a stroll and a tea, and let the impressions sink in. We wish you a very pleasant stay.
Et en Français ?
Mais c'est quoi cela , un guide pour le Maroc et ce n'est pas en Français ?
Ah, oui, chèr visiteur… Parce que vous avez de la chance, vous n'auriez pas trop de problèmes pour communiquer, vous trouverez toujours quelqu'un qui pourrait vous aider. Et en plus, étant francophone, c'est bien possible que Tanger, ou le Maroc, ou le monde Arabe entièrement, n'est pas tellement nouveau ou étrange pour vous. Vous avez déjà un peu ou beaucoup de baggage culturel, vous connaissez la musique, vous trouverez toujours des hôtels sûr l'internet, ou un agence de voyage qui est spécialisé... Ce que Maroc Dreamer essaie, c'est de ouvrir une porte au monde anglophone. Merci de nous visiter en n'hésitez pas à nous contacter en français.
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History of Morocco
Do you have a day or 10 ? There are so many aspects to the history and culture of Morocco, that if you are interested, you have the choice between a one day or one year study. A very good source for information on all the aspects and era’s of the history of Morocco is the online encyclopedia wikipedia.org.
At the same time the history is so fascinating, that you might want to think about contacting a professional guide when in Morocco.
In summary , we can say that when, with the sudden expansion of the religion of Islam in the 7th century, the Arabs came to this part of northern Africa, it was inhabited by people’s that were - and are still sometimes referred to as - ‘Berber’.
The fresh air that Islam had brought, the enthousiasm, the explosion of idea’s in fields as astronomy, mathematics (Al-Gebra), shipping techniques, made it possible that soon afterwards, a mixture of 90% Berbers and 10% Arabs, made it across the Gibraltar Straight, and started an empire of sultanates in Spain - the era of Al Andalus or the Moorish Times.
"Moorish" was obviously not how the people considered themselves; it is merely a derivation of the Greek word "mauros" which meant "black", adapted by the Romans to describe people they saw as darker. The word also still lingers in the names of countries, as Mauritania and, perhaps, Morocco itself.
The era of Muslim rule finally ended in 1492 when, with the marriage of Isabella ‘The Catholic’ and King Ferdinand, molding two empires together, the combined powers were strong enough to take over the last Moorish sultanate of Grenada. This was the beginning of the end for the so called Moors as well as Jews. The Moors drew back to northern Africa, the ladino speaking Jews migrated to the north, especially to more liberal Amsterdam.
In the late 19th and early 20th century the crippled country of Morocco became a ball in the hands of powers as France, Spain, UK and Italy, resulting in colonisation and the period known as the International Era, which ended in the 1950’s when Morocco, once again in its long history, became independent.
The future looks good for Morocco. As mentioned above, ever since in 1999 King Mohamed VI succeeded his father King Hassan II the country has been and is still slowly advancing towards a western European style democracy. And when in 2004 Spain elected a new president, José Zapatero, he choose Morocco for his first official visit abroad, which with neighboring countries as France and Portugal, was seen as very symbolic for the future relationships.
The Berbers
60% of the population exists of so called "Berbers", a name that is used for ease only. The official name is Amazigh. The Amazigh are the original inhabitants, before the arrival of the Arabs, and are spread over some 10 countries in the north west of the African continent, the Maghreb (the north east is known as the Mashreq).
The three main Amazigh people in Morocco are the Rifains,in the Rif mountain range in the north of Morocco, the Tamazigh, in the centre of the country, and the Chleuhs, who live more towards the south, in the region around Agadir.
But also the Touaregs in southern Algeria and the north of Niger and Mali, are considered "Berber". Further there are the people of Kabyles (north Algeria and Tunesia) or the Oasis Berbers (centre of Algeria).
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