Morocco is dominated by its fertile coastal plains which are isolated from the African interior and the Sahara desert by the Atlas Mountain ranges. Only to the south, as Morocco merges into the Western Sahara does the desert extend to the coast and the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, the Mediterranean coastline from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Spanish enclave of Melilla is dominatetd by the rugged mountains of the rif, while inland the plains shade into the high plateaus which act as a piedmont to the Atlas Mountains, with the Middle Atlas thrusting northwards towards the rif and separated from it only by the Taza Gap. To the south the Anti-Atals range breaks away southwards from the High Atlas range to form the Souss Valley. The northern and central regions enjoy warm, wet winters and hot dry summers while semi-arid to desert conditions prevail in the south.
Population
30.5 million (UN, 2003)
Area
446,550 km2
Ethnicity/ Race
Arab-Berber:99.0%, Jewish/other:1.0%
Major Languages
Arabic (official); Berber; French and Spanish.
Religion
Muslim98.7%, Christian1.1% Jewish 0.2%
Capital City
Rabat
Major Cities
Dar-al-Bayda, Fes
Currency
Dirham = 100 centimes 1 US Dollar (USD) = 8.81000 Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
Hilton Worldwide is looking to expand its portfolio in Morocco despite political protests there, said Rudi Jagersbacher, Middle East and Africa operations president. The hotel operator plans to open properties in Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh and Tangier.
