The region constituting Morocco has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, more than 300,000 years ago. The Moroccan state traces its origins to the establishment of the Idrisid dynasty by Idris I in 788, although its historical territories did not coincide with those of present-day Morocco; the country is regarded as one of the world's oldest continuously existing states. Morocco was subsequently ruled by a series of other independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties, both Berber kingdoms, when it controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with Portugal seizing some territory and the Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east. The Marinid and Saadi dynasties otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape Ottoman dominion. The Saadi dynasty expanded its territory through the conquest of the Songhai Empire in the late 16th century. The Alawi dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. It is among the world's oldest reigning royal dynasties. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest. In 1912, France and Spain established protectorates over the country and designated Tangier as an international zone, while the Sultan remained the formal sovereign with limited authority under colonial control. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, Morocco regained its independence and reunified in 1956 under the leadership of Sultan Mohammed V.
Since independence, Morocco has remained relatively stable. It has the fifth-largest economy in Africa and wields significant influence in both Africa and the Arab world; it is considered a middle power in global affairs and holds membership in the Arab League, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the African Union. It is one of the few countries in Africa ranking high on the Human Development Index and is Africa's leading industrial economy. Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The executive branch is led by the King of Morocco and the prime minister, while legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Judicial power rests with the Constitutional Court, which may review the validity of laws, elections, and referendums. The king holds vast executive and legislative powers, especially over the military, foreign policy and religious affairs; he can issue dahirs, decrees which have the force of law, and he can also dissolve the parliament after consulting the prime minister and the president of the constitutional court. Morocco is classified as a hybrid regime and, as of 2025, holds the highest ranking in the Arab world, according to The Economist Democracy Index. Islam is both the official and predominant religion, with nearly all of the population identifying as Muslims. Arabic and Berber are the official languages, though the Moroccan dialect of Arabic (known locally as Darija) is widely spoken and considered the lingua franca. The culture of Morocco is a mix of Arab, Berber, European (specifically Andalusian), and African cultures.
Founded under Idrisid rule during the 8th century CE, Fez initially consisted of two autonomous and competing settlements. Successive waves of mainly Arab immigrants from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Spain/Portugal) in the early 9th century gave the nascent city its Arab character. After the downfall of the Idrisid dynasty, other empires came and went until the 11th century when the AlmoravidSultanYusuf ibn Tashfin united the two settlements into what is today's Fes el-Bali (lit.'Old Fes') quarter, a.k.a. Medina of Fez. Under Almoravid rule, the city gained a reputation for religious scholarship and mercantile activity.
Fez reached its zenith in the Marinid era (13th–15th centuries), regaining its status as political capital. Numerous new madrasas and mosques were constructed, many of which survive today, while other structures were restored. These buildings are counted among the hallmarks of Moorish and Moroccan architectural styles. In 1276 the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub also founded the royal administrative district of Fes Jdid (lit.'New Fez'), where the Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen) is still located today, to which extensive gardens were later added. During this period the Jewish population of the city grew and the Mellah (Jewish quarter) was formed on the south side of this new district. After the overthrow of the Marinid dynasty, the growth of Fez stalled and the city subsequently competed with Marrakesh for political and cultural influence. It became the capital again under the 'Alawi dynasty up until 1912. (Full article...)
Image 2Headdress of the traditional Moussem of roses, Kelaat Mgouna (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 3French artillery in Rabat in 1911. The dispatch of French forces to protect the sultan from a rebellion instigated the Agadir Crisis. (from History of Morocco)
Image 5Sultan Abd-al-Aziz with his bicycle in 1901. The young sultan was noted for his capricious spending habits, which exacerbated a major trade deficit (from History of Morocco)
Image 6Pastilla/Bstlla is an other dish that can be either salty or sweet and savory. A regal dish from the city of Fez; it is a pie dusted with sugar and filled with beef (or pigeon, following the medieval recipe). A version with seafood, lemon, and vermicelli also exists. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 7Tajine Djaj Zitoune; one of the numerous Moroccan Tajine and the most well known. It is made of chicken, olives and candied lemon (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 10The sweet and savory luxurious Tajine Lham Bel Berkouk, made with lamb, prunes, apricots and almonds. It is a consumed during Moroccan weddings (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 12Ahwach a traditional dance performed during Yennayer and symbolizing unity. The women all dance under the same long veil (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 18The Berber entrepot Sijilmassa along the trade routes of the Western Sahara, c. 1000–1500. Goldfields are indicated by light brown shading (from History of Morocco)
Image 33Couscous is traditionally enjoyed on Friday, the holy day in Islam. Garnished with vegetables and chickpeas, it is served communally. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 36A window displaying a wrought iron window grill in Asila. The knots are tied with bent metal in the traditional way, rather than soldered. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 37Destruction of Casablanca caused by the 1907 French bombardment. (from History of Morocco)
Image 39A plate of Moroccan pastries. Almonds, sugar, honey are the sesame seeds and orange blossoms are the main ingredients for the preparations of sweets, cakes, pastries in Morocco (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 45Zaazaa the traditional Moroccan avocado smoothie, it can be found in the street food stalls and restaurants in the city of Fes (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 46Lubna Al-Shammak, Miss Amazigh 2016 wearing a Tamlhaft and (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 47Harira, the Moroccan traditional tomato-based soup mixed with (from Culture of Morocco)
The Bombardment of Salé was a French naval attack against the Moroccan city of Salé that took place between 26 and 27 November 1851. After seven hours of fighting, the Moroccan artillery suffered severe damage, and the French bombarded the city through the night, damaging the city's infrastructure and the Great Mosque of Salé.
The bombardment occurred outside any state of war, and regarded an incident from 1 April 1851 in which the residents of Salé looted a cache of goods which had been rescued from a capsized French merchant ship. The French requested repayment, the Moroccans did not respond. In late November, a French squadron sailed to the city to demand repayment, else they would bombard the city. The Moroccans did not acquiesce, and both sides prepared for battle. The French opened fire on the morning of 26 November. During seven hours of clashes, the Moroccan artillery of Salé supported by that of Rabat and led by the Abdelhadi Zniber suffered significant damage. The French squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Louis Dubourdieu bombarded the city until the next day, seriously damaging the city's infrastructure, including the Great Mosque which was seriously affected. (Full article...)
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↑In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Casablanca as 3,359,818,[1] which corresponds to the population of Casablanca Prefecture.[2]
↑In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Fez as 1,112,072,[1] which corresponds to the combined population of those parts of Fez Prefecture not within the cercle of Fez Banlieue ("suburbs").[2]
↑In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Meknes as 632,079,[1] which corresponds to the combined population of the municipalities of Meknes, Al Machouar – Stinia, Toulal and Ouislane.[2]
↑In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Rabat as 577,827,[1] which corresponds to the population of Rabat Prefecture.[2]
↑The population figure refers only to the urban centre (HCP geographic code[fr] 09.001.05.09.3) of the rural commune of Drargua.
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