Country

Morocco

Local name: المملكة المغربية

Coordinates: 28°30′00″ N 10°00′00″ W

Subhros · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Population: 38,430,770; 38.4M
Continent: Africa
Local time: UTC+00:00; Africa/Casablanca · UTC+00:00

About Morocco

Morocco is a country in Africa. It is divided into 12 regions. Its population is 38,430,770.

From Wikipedia

Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east; the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera along the north, which it claims together with several small Spanish-controlled islands; and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south, partly occupied by Morocco since 1975.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built: 789
Area: 446,550 km²
Official website: maroc.ma

Source: Wikidata

Photos of Morocco

Mogador Island Christian Pirkl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lmarja Zarqa Zinkh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tislit Lake Annelui · CC BY-SA 3.0
Menara Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0
Jbel Zerhoun linuskendall · CC BY 2.0

Travel notes for Morocco

From Wikivoyage

Morocco (Arabic: المغرب, Al-Maghrib; Berber: ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Elmaɣrib; French: Maroc) is the northwesternmost country in Africa. Morocco has, for most people, been the gateway to Africa. With plenty of attractive locations, historical sights, and unique cultural traditions, there's lots to see and do in this beautiful, mesmerising country. At just a few hours from the main European cities, Morocco has everything to overwhelm you with the amazing colours, smells and sounds of Islamic Africa. Imagine bustling souqs and spice markets, stunning mosques, white-washed sea side towns and medieval city centres. With panoramic views varying from snow-covered peaks in the High Atlas to the endless sand dunes of the Sahara, no-one ever has to be bored in this beautiful country.

Understand+

Politics and government:

The only constitutional monarchy in North Africa, the Kingdom of Morocco is made up of 12 regions. It has one of the largest economies in Africa, and is an important player in Arab affairs.

Name transcriptions:

Arabic: المملكة المغربية, al-mamlaka al-maḡribiyya

Berber: ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Tageldit n lmeɣrib

French: Royaume du Maroc

History:

The earliest known independent state of Morocco was the Berber Kingdom of Mauretania under King Baga. This kingdom dates back at least to 300 BCE.

From the 1st century BCE, Morocco was part of the Roman Empire as Mauretania Tingitana. Christianity was introduced in the 2nd century CE and gained converts in the Roman towns, among slaves and Berber farmers.

In the 5th century CE, as the Roman Empire declined, the region was invaded from the north by the Vandals and later the Visigoths. In the 6th century, northern Morocco became part of the Byzantine Empire. Throughout this time, however, the Berber inhabitants in the high mountains of the interior remained independent.

In 670 CE, the first Islamic conquest of the North African coastal plain took place under Uqba ibn Nafi, a general serving under the Umayyads. The indigenous Berber tribes adopted Islam, but retained their customary laws. They also paid taxes and tribute to the new Muslim administration. The first independent Muslim state in the area of modern Morocco was the Kingdom of Nekor, an emirate in the Rif Mountains. It was founded by Salih I ibn Mansur in 710, as a client state. After the outbreak of the Berber Revolt in 739, the Berbers formed other independent states such as the Miknasa of Sijilmasa and the Barghawata.

Get in+

Entry requirements:

Morocco's visa policy is relatively liberal compared to other African countries; the country has numerous visa-free arrangements.

Nationals of the following countries can enter Morocco visa-free:

Schengen member states,

Algeria,

Argentina,

Australia,

Bahrain,

Brazil,

Canada,

Chile,

China,

Côte d'Ivoire,

Croatia,

Republic of Congo,

Guinea,

Hong Kong,

Indonesia,

Ireland,

Japan,

Kuwait,

Libya,

Macau,

Malaysia,

Mali,

Mexico,

New Zealand,

Niger,

Oman,

Peru,

Philippines,

Qatar,

Russia,

Saudi Arabia,

Senegal,

Singapore,

South Korea,

Tunisia,

Turkey,

United Arab Emirates,

United Kingdom,

United States.

The Moroccan Embassy is usually the first port of call for tourists from countries needing a visa to enter Morocco. They charge the equivalent of UK £17 for a single entry and £26 for double or multiple entries. (Double or Multiple entries will be issued at the embassy's discretion). Visas are usually valid for three months and take around 5-6 working days to process.

Visa requirements are completed application forms; four passport-size photos taken within the previous six months; a valid passport with at least one blank page and with a photocopy of the relevant data pages; Fee, payable by postal order only; a photocopy of all flight bookings and a photocopy of hotel reservation.

Tourists can stay for up to 90 days, and visa extensions can be frustrating and time-consuming. (You may find it easier to duck into the Spanish-controlled Ceuta or Melilla and then re-enter Morocco for a new stamp). Anti-cholera vaccination certificates may be required of visitors coming from areas where this disease is prevalent and pets need a health certificate less than ten days old, and an anti-rabies certificate less than six months old.

By plane:

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged