๐ Countries of the world ๐ Arab countries
Morocco
๐ In short
Morocco is an Arab country in the far northwest of Africa, facing the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Only the narrow Strait of Gibraltar separates it from Spain. Its capital is Rabat, and it has the high Atlas Mountains, desert and ancient cities.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- The Strait of Gibraltar separates Morocco from Spain by only about 13 kilometers.
- Morocco's capital is Rabat, and its biggest city is Casablanca.
- The currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- The two official languages are Arabic and Amazigh.
๐๏ธ Fact file
- Capital
- Rabat
- Official language
- Arabic
- Official name
- Kingdom of Morocco
- Currency
- The Moroccan dirham; one US dollar equaled 9.28 dirhams in 1999
- Area
- 710,850 kmยฒ
- Population
- 28,060,000 people
๐ Find out more
๐ Ancient cities
Morocco has beautiful old cities: Fez with its markets and narrow lanes, Marrakesh with Jemaa el-Fna square full of storytellers and musicians, and blue Chefchaouen in the mountains.
๐ The oldest university
Fez has the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri more than a thousand years ago, one of the oldest universities in the world.
๐ก The Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains run through the middle of Morocco, with snow on their peaks in winter, and Amazigh villages with red mud houses.
๐ฏ Tagine and tea
Some of Morocco's most famous dishes are tagine and couscous. Moroccans love green tea with mint, pouring it from high up to make a nice froth.
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 Who founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez?
2 What is the capital of Morocco?
3 The Strait of Gibraltar separates Morocco from Spain by only about ?? kilometers.
4 Which picture shows โMoroccoโ?
๐ Discover more
๐ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- Holger Uwe Schmitt ยท CC BY-SA 4.0
