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Moroccan Country Profile

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Morocco.

The Atlantic to the west, the Mediterranean to the north, wonderful beaches, four mountain ranges with cascading waterfalls, century old cedar forests, eternal snows, immense plains flowering with orange and almond blossom, rivers that lay out a carpet of greenery to the threshold of the desert and carve out the most spectacular gorges: From the Straits of Gibraltar to Mauritania, nature has made Morocco one of the most beautiful countries in the world, the country that is a feast for all the senses.

 

Country Statistics:

  • Population: 26 Million, of which 50% are under 20 yrs. old and 70% under 30.
  • Covers 710,850 square kilometers.
  • 2,900 km of Atlantic coast, 500 km of Mediterranean coast.
  • 60,000 km of roads.
  • 3 million date palms.
  • 800,000 tons of oranges per year.
  • More than 3 Million tourists.
  • The Moroccan ports of Agadir, Safi, and Tan Tan are the world's largest for sardine fishing.
  • World leader in the production of phosphate with 75% of the world reserves.

CAPITAL: Rabat

LANGUAGE: Arabic. French widely spoken. Spanish common in north only. Berber tongues are spoken in the mountains.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: Jan. 1 New Year's Day; March 3 Throne Day; May 1 Labor Day; July 9 Youth Festival; Nov. 6 Anniversary of the Green March; Nov. 18 Independence Day. Muslim religious holidays are observed throughout the year in various communities (dates, based on lunar calendar, vary).

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Valid passport. Nationals of most countries need no visa for stay of up to 3 months.

HEALTH: Drink bottled water only; peel fresh fruits and vegetables before eating; be sure meat and other foods are cooked thoroughly; avoid local dairy products. Some doctors and dentists speak English; French-trained doctors can be found in most cities. Bring along as much prescription medicine as will be needed for the trip.

ELECTRICITY: 110/220 volts 50 or 60 cycles AC.

TIPPING: Hotels and restaurants usually include a service charge of 15%, but it is customary to include an additional 5 dirhams per person for the waiter. Tip porters 5 dirhams per piece of luggage; tip for almost any service, no matter how small. Children expect a coin for giving directions or for having their picture taken. Negotiate taxi fares in advance; an additional tip is not necessary.

CLIMATE: Wide diversity of climate with roughly three different climatic zones. The coastal zone, extending along the north and west, has moderate summers with high humidity and little; winters are cold and rainy. In the inland mountain ranges summers are hot and dry; winters are very cold and snowy. The interior, which includes the rest of the country, has very hot and dry summers, with cold and damp winters in the northern portion. The further south, the hotter the summers (almost unbearably so) and the warmer the winters. Under the influence of the desert, temperatures can reach record highs of over 50 degrees C(122 F) in the shade.Overall, Morocco enjoys over 300 days of sun a year.

Average daily hi/lo temperature (F)- average number of days of rain

MARRAKECHRABAT

Jan 65/40- 7
Feb. 68/43-5
Mar 74/48-6
APR 79/52-6
May 84/57-2
Jun 92/62-1
Jul 101/67-1
Aug 100/68-1
Sep 92/63-3
Oct 83/57-4
Nov 73/49-3
Dec 66/42-7

Jan 63/46-9
Feb 65/47-8
Mar 68/49-10
APR 71/52-7
May 74/55-6
Jun 78/60-2
Jul 82/63-<1
Aug 83/64-<1
Sep 81/62-2
Oct 77/58-6
Nov 70/53-9
Dec 65/48-10


Country Code...+212
Currency...Morocco dirham (MAD) 8.50=$1.00

 

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