Language: Arabic
Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Calling code: +212
Morocco - officially called the Kingdom of Morocco
- is a sovereign country located in the Maghreb, north of Africa,
with coasts in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is separated from the European continent by the Strait of
Gibraltar. It borders Algeria to the east - the border has been
closed since 1994, to the southwest with Western Sahara, to the
north with Spain, its main trading partner with which it shares both
maritime and terrestrial borders -Ceuta, Melilla and the squares of
sovereignty- and to the south with Mauritania. It occupies part of
Western Sahara, after the green march of 1975, the signing of the
Tripartite Agreement of Madrid, and the interruption of the process
of decolonization and abandonment of Spain from the territory.
In 1984, the Assembly of the Organization for African Unity
(OAU), predecessor of the AU and of which Morocco was a founding
member, accepted as a member the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
(SADR). the organization. It is a member of the Arab League, the
Arab Maghreb Union, the International Organization of la
Francophonie, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Union
for the Mediterranean, the European Broadcasting Union, the Group of
77 and the North-South Center. It is also a major non-NATO ally of
the United States. It is also the country in the Arab world where
the Spanish language is most studied, with more than 80,000 students
according to the information provided by the Instituto Cervantes in
2015. From 1984 to 2017, it was the only African country that
was not a member of the African Union. The Moroccan State was
reinstated with an absolute majority on January 30, 2017, during the
28th Summit of the African Union, which took place in Ethiopia.
Souss-Massa National Park is located in the South- west Morocco. This nature reserve covers an area of 33,800 hectares.
Toubkal National Park is situated 70 kilometres from Marrakech in Western Morocco. The nature reserve covers an area of 380 sq km.
Entry requirements
Germans need a passport for Morocco, which must
be valid for at least six months from entry. Children either need the
child passport. Tourists automatically receive an entry stamp valid for
a stay of up to 90 days. It is possible to extend your stay, but it can
be very time-consuming. It is easier to leave and re-enter the Spanish
exclaves of Ceuta or Melilla. Exceeding the length of stay has criminal
consequences.
The validity of each individual ID card is checked
upon entry; To do this, an A6 document must be filled out upon entry and
exit. (Tip: take a ballpoint pen with you, there is a constant shortage
of them!) In addition to personal data, information about the
destination and address are required. The tour operators usually specify
which address must be entered. The customs officer puts a stamp in the
passport with a number, which is requested again at the hotel. Some tour
guides therefore give out lists on the journey to the hotel in which you
enter an entry number. This makes checking in a lot easier.
The
entry form can be filled out and printed out here.
The border
with Algeria is closed. The border with Western Sahara and further south
with Mauritania is open.
See also: List of Morocco's diplomatic
missions abroad
Customs regulations
A vehicle brought with you
must be taken back; this also applies to vehicles that have been
involved in an accident (see below under Car).
The import of
flying drones is prohibited.
Foreign exchange regulations
prohibit the import and export of the local currency, dirham. Failure to
comply could result in criminal prosecution. When you leave the country,
dirhams will be exchanged back upon presentation of an exchange receipt.
Exports of up to Dh2,000 are tolerated.
By plane
Most European
airports have connections throughout the country. Even low-cost airlines
such as Ryanair and EasyJet now offer flights from Germany, e.g. T.
under 100 euros. The state airline Royal Air Maroc also flies from
Europe to the most famous cities in Morocco. It flies from many cities
in Europe (e.g. Amsterdam, Düsseldorf (seasonal only), Frankfurt am
Main) to Morocco. Air Arabia Maroc also flies from Europe to many cities
in Morocco.
By train
There is a rail connection to and from
Algeria, but due to disputes with Algeria the border has been closed for
years and cannot be crossed. You can only get to Oujda by train.
In Spain there are trains that go to Algeciras (Frankfurt am Main -
Paris - Barcelona - Algeciras, 29 hours), but from there you have to go
to the ferry port and take the ferry to Tangier. From Tangier you can
then travel to all major cities that are connected to the rail network.
These include Rabat, Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech. Overcrowded trains
are to be expected, especially in summer.
It is best to take a
taxi from the port in Tangier to the new train station (Gare Tanger
Ville). From Tanger Med ferry port, take the city bus (45 min.).
On the street
Entry via Algeria is not possible. But you can take a
car ferry, e.g. B. translate from Algeciras in southern Spain to Tangier
or Ceuta. Entry from Mauritania is now possible without any problems.
If you enter the country with your own car, it must be declared at
customs. You can do this directly on site or via the Internet.
The green insurance card is required. It is important to ensure that MA
for Morocco is not crossed out. If you enter the country with a vehicle
that is not registered in your own name, you must have a power of
attorney from the vehicle owner. The easiest way to get this is from the
ADAC before you arrive.
When leaving the country by car,
difficulties can arise if a different person takes the car out than the
person who brought it in.
GPS devices must be registered with
customs.
Some distances (road km)
Tangier - Rabat 250 km, 3 h
Tangier - Casablanca 340 km, 4 h
Tangier - Marrakech 580 km, 6:45 h
Tangier - Agadir 800 km, 9 h
Tangier - Souk-el-Arba-du-Rharb - Fes
306 km, 5 h
Rabat - Fes 205 km, 2:30 h
Fes - Beni Mellal -
Marrakech 495 km, 6:50 h
By boat
There are ship connections to
Morocco, especially from Spain. The main destinations are the ports of
Tangier, Nador and the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Ferries
run from Algeciras, Tarifa, Málaga and Almería in Spain, from Sète near
Montpellier and Port Vendres near Perpignan in France, from Genoa and
Naples in Italy. An express ferry runs between Tangier and Algeciras.
There are no ferry or boat connections to the Canary Islands.
There is the possibility of sailing with a sailboat from southern Spain
(Estepona) for a few days in northeastern Morocco (Smir).
Via
Ceuta without your own car
If you take the ferry to Ceuta, you should
know that there is no direct bus connection from there to the interior
of Morocco. There is a city bus near the ferry port that goes directly
to the border. This then has to be crossed on foot. There are already a
large number of taxis waiting directly behind the border, which,
depending on your negotiating skills, can take you to the next village,
Fnideq, for €2-5. There is a bus station in Fnideq with connections to
Chefchaouen and Tetouan, among others. The trips are not always posted,
but rather the bus drivers walk around the bus station area and announce
their destination. There is a train connection from Tanger-Ville.
There is also the first ATM behind the border in Fnideq.
By train
The main cities such as Marrakesh, Meknes, Fes, Tangier,
Rabat, Casablanca, etc. are all connected by a reliable route network.
On most routes there is a connection every 60-90 minutes.
Train
travel in Morocco is comparatively cheap. A one-way ticket from Tangier
to Marrakech costs around Dh200 in second class or Dh300 in first class.
Trains offer a good alternative to the often overcrowded buses,
which take significantly longer to cover the same route. Of course,
trains do not connect all cities and towns in Morocco. Moroccans are
generally friendly and approachable on the trains, and travelers are
often drawn into conversations about their trip. This is often a good
opportunity to get more good tips for your trip.
Information can
be obtained from the Moroccan Railway website.
The Al Boraq
high-speed train (modeled on the French TGV Duplex) has been running on
the Casablanca-Rabat-Tanger route since the end of 2018. The journey
time from Tangier to Rabat has been reduced to 1:20 hours; from Rabat to
Casablanca it takes 50 minutes. There are nine pairs of trains running
every day.
On the street
The main streets were renumbered in
2018, which is not yet visible on all maps and signs.
If you are
traveling in your own car or a rental car, you should definitely
familiarize yourself with local traffic practices beforehand. Travelers
who are only familiar with the traffic in their home country should
avoid driving in larger cities in Morocco! Here are a few relevant
observations:
Traffic rules, especially right-of-way rules, are
often only observed when a police officer is in sight.
Overtaking
happens wherever the opportunity arises, whether from the right or the
left. Turning maneuvers are also usually carried out spontaneously.
Red lights are often run through: less often during the day, but almost
always at night.
Road users include not only cars, trucks and mopeds,
but also bicycles, horse-drawn carriages, handcarts, pedestrians and
donkey carts.
Hardly any vehicle has proper lighting, so it is not
uncommon to encounter completely unlit objects at night.
Although the
police seem powerless to deal with the chaotic conditions on the
streets, you still have to be careful about violating the rules. If you
get caught, you have to pay. Mobile radar measurements are commonplace,
especially on arterial roads. In addition to speed restrictions, you
should also take parking bans seriously if you don't want to find a claw
on your bike when you return. When accidents result in personal injury,
things get really serious: even if you are not at fault, the vehicle is
initially immobilized and you often end up in a cell until the case is
resolved.
In conclusion, it should be said that with a decidedly
defensive driving style and a little experience you can navigate the
city traffic of Morocco quite well.
City streets are now equipped
with an enormous number of bollards to force drivers to slow down. Often
every 100 meters. However, many bollards, especially on side streets,
are not adapted to the speed limit and can only be passed without damage
at walking speed.
You can find car rental companies everywhere in
the big cities. If you rent from small companies, you should inspect the
car thoroughly beforehand and check, for example, whether there is a
spare wheel and jack on board. You should also consider whether the
contract allows the use of unpaved roads, especially if you want to
drive to remote areas.
The road network is largely fine. The main
cities are connected by toll highways, which are still being expanded.
The A1/A3 leads from Tangier via Rabat and Casablanca to El Jadida. The
A2 leads from Rabat to Fes. From Casablanca south the A7 leads via
Marrakesh to Agadir. Further information can be found on the Moroccan
Highway Administration website.
Street signs are in Arabic and
French. The traffic rules are broadly the same as those in Europe, but
are often not followed (see above). There are frequent police checks on
major roads, especially speed checks, including in urban areas. Unless
otherwise stated, the maximum permitted speed here is 40 km/h. Grande
taxis, buses and trucks sometimes seem to follow their own right-of-way
rules, and it's better not to insist on your right. In roundabouts, the
rule is right before left, unless there are appropriate “give way”
signs. To the attentive Central European tourist, it seems as if the
red-yellow-green traffic lights only contribute to the color of Moroccan
road traffic, not to traffic regulation or safety. It is also noticeable
that there is a lot of honking - apparently for no reason. A tour guide
once said that this was done "so that the person in front of them would
wake up."
Fuel supplies are sufficient throughout the country.
You can get super unleaded and diesel as well as Eurodiesel practically
everywhere on the main roads and in the cities.
By bus
Morocco
has a fairly dense bus network. Actually every place has a bus station
where you can buy tickets. There are direct connections between almost
all major cities. The bus stations can be very confusing, especially if
you don't speak or read Arabic. Many timetables are exclusively in
Arabic. You will find a lot of helpful people, but they almost always
want a tip for their help. In smaller towns there are no timetables or
anything similar. It's best to ask the bus drivers directly. It is also
common for bus drivers to walk through the building and announce their
destinations and leave when the bus is full.
You often have the
choice of taking the more touristy buses with air conditioning and
television or the much cheaper and less comfortable buses that most
locals use. In the latter you get to see more of the country and its
people. In some cases the buses also run other routes, away from the
tourist routes. It can be an interesting adventure to take the cheap
buses.
The state-run CTM and Supratours have air-conditioned and
“Comfort” buses between the big cities. The latter is a subsidiary of
the railway and sees its network as an extension of the railway lines,
which is why people always stop at the train station if there is one.
The company is about a quarter more expensive than others, but you get
reliability and well-maintained vehicles. You pay a small amount for
luggage depending on the route. You can either register it at the
counter at the large stations and receive a sticker, or you can tell the
driver at small stops. The liability is limited to Dh100 unless a higher
value is stated. limited!
taxi
It is common to take a taxi in
Morocco. A distinction is made between small taxis (petite taxi) for
inner-city journeys and large taxis (grande taxi) for longer journeys
out of town. The prices are comparatively cheap and the law stipulates
that inner-city taxis have a taximeter. But that doesn't necessarily
mean that they will be turned on. In big cities, the petite taxis have a
uniform color, e.g. B. ocher in Marrakesh or turquoise with a yellow
stripe in Tangier.
On long journeys it is common for the taxi to
stop and pick up additional passengers like a bus. The price usually
depends on the number of passengers, the length of the route and whether
you are going back. Grande taxis (almost all painted in old white) are
now mostly of Japanese or Korean production. A beautifully presented car
often indicates a good driver. Grande Taxis are sometimes the cheapest
way to get from place to place.
Mini and grand taxis do not
always correspond to the latest technical standards. When you drive into
the country, you occasionally wonder why the vehicles can still move at
all. However, there is now also a “TÜV” (Control Technique des
Véhicules) in Morocco.
It is advisable to insist that the
taximeter is switched on. Even if the night tariff is on, this is often
still cheaper than a negotiated price. It is also advisable to ask the
hotel about taxi prices.
The official languages are Arabic and Tamazight, although French is widely used as a business and educational language and is understood almost everywhere. Official signage is generally in three languages: Arabic, Tamazight and French. Anyone who speaks French will have no problems getting along in Morocco.
The Moroccan currency is called dirham. One dirham (MAD or Dh) is
divided into 100 centimes (c). Coins are available in 5c, 10c, 20c, ½
Dh, 1 Dh, 2 Dh, 5Dh and 10 Dh. You rarely see the centime pieces
anymore, only ½ Dh as change from the bread seller.
Notes are
denominated in Dh20, Dh50, Dh100, Dh200 and Dh1000. The exchange rate
(March 2021) is approximately 1 euro = 11 Dh, 10 MAD = 0.90 €, in
everyday life you change to a 1:10 rate.
Large bills can cause
problems with change in markets, taxis or cafés. Brazenly, the dealer
will often say “that’s right”. If you are unsure of the true price, it
is better to offer a relatively small bill and accept the change. If you
offer too little, the person concerned will complain.
Since the
currency is not traded outside Morocco, you have to meet your needs at
money exchange offices (gold logo) or at the hotel reception. You will
receive a receipt for the free exchange, which you should keep until you
leave the country to ensure that money that is no longer needed can be
exchanged back, as export is prohibited. The official tolerance limit is
Dh2,000. Foreign currencies with an equivalent value of 100,000 dirhams
or more must be declared.
ATMs can be found in every town - often
in modern urban areas. They are rare in souqs and old towns. Most ATMs
accept foreign cards. However, incorrect bookings have occurred more
frequently recently.
Cash exchange is often offered by locals.
You should be very careful and never exchange larger amounts. It is
always safer to exchange money at a bank or hotel.
You should
spend as many dirhams as possible before traveling back. Remember the
final tip to bus drivers, hotel staff and tour guides! (Giving tips only
with the right hand, with the left is offensive!) Dirhams are only used
in Morocco and are not allowed to be exported. Returns are generally not
possible abroad.
Credit cards from major international
institutions are accepted in larger hotels, restaurants and shops.
There are more and more supermarkets in big cities. You can also buy
alcohol there, including international brands. The locals buy almost
everything they need for their daily needs at markets and small kiosks,
shops and bakeries. These can be found in every city and everywhere. The
ban on plastic bags has made a significant contribution to improving the
waste situation. You only get reusable bags.
You can find
particularly beautiful handicrafts in most medinas. From dishes to
vases, lamps, shishas, chests, cupboards, doors and windows, you can get
an incredible amount here, often beautiful, often ugly, but with a
little patience and skill for a fraction of the price you would pay in
Germany .
Anyone interested in fossils, rocks and minerals can
find them in many tourist places in Morocco.
Cigarettes cost
Dh33-40 for branded products after two sharp tax increases in 2019 and
2022. Cigars are very expensive, if they can be found at all.
Price labels are not common. The concept of a “fair” fixed price is
alien to Moroccans. You ask for the price and then bargain. The price
suggested by the seller is definitely at least 150% of the reasonably
reasonable price, and sometimes much higher. If you don't act, you're
basically paying way too much, especially as a foreigner. You don't have
to feel guilty about offering 20% of the seller's price. He will then
laugh and walk down with his prize. At some point you will meet
somewhere in the middle. If you pay less than 60%, that's usually a good
value. If the seller doesn't go deep enough, you can simply walk away
without feeling guilty. If you're lucky, the seller will come after you
and lower your price further. Then you can be sure that his price was
significantly too high. If he doesn't do it, the last price was
realistic.
If you buy expensive goods, e.g. For example, for
handicrafts, you can find out the average price in a city by bargaining
several merchants down until they give up. Good trading takes a few days
of practice, but it pays off as it's a good way to strike up a
conversation with the locals. When an agreement is reached, the sellers
are always happy about it and very talkative.
Moroccan cuisine has a good international reputation and is known for the countless dishes that combine Arabic and colonial influences. Unfortunately, the cheap restaurants often only offer a smaller selection of the rich cuisine that seems to be similar everywhere.
Tagine is probably the most popular Moroccan dish. This is a spicy
meat stew that is simmered for hours in a special clay pot of the same
name. Different variations are often offered, such as chicken tagine
with honey and dates, chicken tagine with lime grass and olives or
shrimp tagine with a spicy tomato sauce. In cheap restaurants, dishes
cost around Dh25.
Couscous is a very common dish in North Africa.
Kaliya is a Berber dish made from lamb, tomatoes, peppers and onions.
Bread or couscous is usually served as a side dish.
Pastilla is a
popular delicacy: thin layers of dough alternate between layers of
sweet, spiced meat (usually lamb or chicken, pigeon is particularly
recommended) and layers of almond paste. The dough is folded to the size
of a plate and sprinkled with powdered sugar after baking.
Harira,
French soupe marrocaine, is a delicious soup made from lentils,
chickpeas, lamb, tomatoes and vegetables. You usually eat bread with it.
The dish costs around Dh2.5-5.
Besara is a traditional soup served
for breakfast. The porridge, which consists of green beans and a good
dash of olive oil, is available almost everywhere in the morning at
markets and in the old towns. For 3-5 Dh you can get a bowl of besara
and some bread.
Many cafés and restaurants offer breakfast (petit
déjeuner), which usually consists of tea or coffee, orange juice and a
croissant or bread with jam. You should pay around Dh10 for this.
A common fast food chain in Morocco is Rôtisserie chicken, where you
can get a fried chicken quarter with fries and salad for around Dh20.
You can also get sandwiches there for around Dh10, which are also often
offered at small stalls. These are crispy baguettes that are available
with various fillings: including tuna, chicken and various salads. Then
there are French fries in the sandwich and mayonnaise on top. You are
often approached by street vendors offering small bags of nuts, broad
beans or popcorn. The patisseries usually offer excellent pastries, both
in European and Moroccan traditions.
Sardines mariées are called
Sardines m'joujine (السردين المتزوجات) in the Moroccan dialect. The
"married sardines" can be fried or grilled. These are sardine fillets
stuffed with chermoula
Chermoula is a marinade that is as much a
part of Moroccan cooking heritage as couscous. It accompanies all types
of fish but is also suitable for many other recipes, from hot to cold.
In the classic version, chermoula is a mixture of cumin, coriander,
paprika, parsley, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Turmeric and chili are
also added to make them more colorful or spicier.
If you can't
help it, you can find a McDonald's or other international chains in all
major cities.
Larger supermarkets - have a special section where you can buy
alcoholic beverages. There are also special alcohol shops on the main
arteries of larger cities, e.g. B. in Meknes or Tétouan.
It's
easier with the "Moroccan whiskey", as the mint tea (French thé de
menthe, Arabic atay nanna) is jokingly called by the locals. The tea is
made from Chinese green tea with some mint leaves and an incredible
amount of sugar added. The tea is a national drink and is drunk by
locals everywhere and at any time of the day. A glass costs around Dh5.
Another national drink is coffee, which you can get in every cafe or
restaurant. Coffee is usually served with lots of milk and sugar. A cup
costs around Dh5. The French coffee names are usually understood: e.g.
B. café au lait, café casse, café noir, café américain, etc.
Fruit juice stands where you can get various freshly squeezed fruit
juices are also very common in Morocco. A glass of freshly squeezed
orange juice costs around Dh2.50.
A lot of interesting
information about Moroccan cuisine can be found at Koch-Wiki.
Morocco is a strictly Muslim country. The local population does not normally drink alcohol. In most medinas (e.g. in Marrakesh) serving alcohol is generally prohibited, so bars that serve alcohol are almost only found in the modern suburbs. However, it is very expensive there. However, there are some restaurants in Marrakech that have alcohol available upon request. However, this cannot be found on the menu. There are no cocktail bars or clubs in the country, you can only go to a tea room. Shisha bars, which are commonly found in the Middle East, are strangely completely absent. Liquor and alcohol shops can only be found in larger cities.
In Morocco you can find hotels of all price ranges and requirements.
International hotel chains with higher standards, such as the Hyatt or
Sheraton, can be found in the modern districts of the larger tourist
cities. In small towns you can often find exquisite inns, usually
palatial Moroccan townhouses (riads) that have been converted into
boutique hotels, often with a magnificent courtyard with a fountain or
pool.
At the other end of the price scale are youth hostels,
which are available in all major cities. A bed in a dormitory costs
around Dh50. The cheapest hostels offer single rooms from Dh65 and are
often in the old and historic city centers. These houses can often be
very basic and sometimes do not have a shower or hot water. Sometimes
you have to pay extra for this (around Dh5-10). If there is no shower,
you can often use a nearby hamman (public bathhouse).
New, clean
and slightly more expensive hostels and small hotels can usually be
found outside the historic city centers. A single room here starts at
Dh75.
The hotels in the medinas often have beautiful roof
terraces where you can also sleep. This is particularly useful when it
gets too hot in the unair-conditioned rooms. If you don't need a room,
you can rent a mattress on the roof for around Dh25.
Morocco also
offers alternatives to hotels and hostels in many cities and towns for
camping enthusiasts. The campsites have very different standards, often
have water and electricity and occasionally have a small café. In rural
areas, locals often have no objection to camping on their property. But
you should always ask for permission beforehand.
Many
municipalities charge tourist taxes per overnight stay. These vary and
can also depend on the quality of the accommodation. They are often not
properly shown in relevant booking portals. In Marrakesh, for example,
you have to expect between 3 and 6 euros a day in 2022.
Anyone who wants to study or learn in Morocco will usually be
interested in an Arabic or French language course. There are such
courses in all major cities, and some programs even give you the
opportunity to live with an Arab host family for a while.
The
Institute for Language Communication Studies, 29, Oukaimeden Str., 10
080 Rabat-Agdal. Tel.: +212 (37) 67 59 68, Fax: +212 (37) 67 59 65,
Email: ilcs.adm@ilcs.ac.ma. The institute in Rabat offers intensive
courses starting from Dh3,000.
The Arabic Language Institute in Fez,
B.P. 2136, 30,000 fez. Tel.: +212 (55) 62 48 50, Fax: +212 (55) 93 16
08, Email: alifez@menara.ma. At this institute in Fes you can take
various courses in Moroccan Arabic and modern standardized Arabic.
Dar Loughat, 8, Place Moulay el Mehdi. Tel.: +212 66 68 77 88, Email:
info@darloughat.info. The Dar Loughat, which translates as “House of
Languages”, offers language courses in Arabic in a friendly and academic
atmosphere. The school is located in the center of Tetouan.
In Morocco the metric system is used for weights and distances. Newer
buildings have a 220 V/50 Hz power supply, while older buildings
sometimes only offer 110 V/50 Hz connections. In some cases the
connections are mixed, so if you are unsure you should ask.
Important criminal law provisions
In Morocco, possession of even the
smallest amounts of drugs (e.g. cannabis) is punishable by prison
sentences of up to ten years as well as high fines and customs fines.
Particular caution should be exercised when driving through the Rif
Mountains, the world's largest cannabis growing region. But people are
also discreetly asked to buy drugs at popular tourist meeting points in
big cities. The attentive observer also occasionally notices staggering
people who are not drunk but have consumed the drug in large quantities.
If they attract attention in traffic, they are arrested and taken away
by the omnipresent police. The author does not know whether they face
punishment or just a sobering-up cell.
As with any trip, you should always use common sense:
Avoid
dark alleys
Whenever possible, travel in groups if you have little
travel experience
Keep money and ID in a secured inner pocket or
hotel safe
Always carry backpacks and bags with you. Always make sure
there is nothing important in the outside pockets.
Women traveling
alone sometimes face harassment. Usually this is limited to whistling
and unfriendly hissing. You shouldn't feel compelled to remain friendly.
A Moroccan woman would never tolerate such behavior. Dark sunglasses
make it easier to avoid eye contact. If someone doesn't want to leave
your side, you should look for families and busy shops or, if necessary,
ask a local woman for help. If you want, you can wear a headscarf, but
this is generally not necessary. However, women should pay more
attention to conservative and closed clothing than men. Additionally,
women who go to nightlife and bars alone are often mistaken by locals
for prostitutes looking for clients. However, they are just ladies who
are supposed to encourage drinks sales.
In the towns surrounding
the Rif Mountains, particularly Tétouan and Chefchaouen, travelers are
occasionally offered kif (marijuana). However, the consumption and
trafficking of hashish and pot is also punishable in Morocco!
In
tourist areas there are also countless fake tour guides who offer tours
of the old town, directions to "cheap" craft shops or even to a drug
dealer. Often these men are harmless, but of course you should never
accept drugs or other products. You should make it clear that you are
not interested in their services. If they get too pushy, you should look
for a taxi, enter a tea shop or any shop - then the owner will usually
scare the guide away. If you hire such a guide for a tour - they are
often cheaper than the official guides - you should definitely agree on
the price in advance and write it down. You should also make it clear
that you are not interested in shopping.
No specific vaccinations are required for Morocco, but you should
still check before departure if there have been any outbreaks of illness
that require vaccination. It is generally recommended to have a
vaccination against tetanus (tetanus), diphtheria, polio (polio) and
hepatitis A (jaundice, which is acquired through impurities in the
water), and for long-term stays of more than three months also hepatitis
B (transmitted through blood contact). If there is a particular risk
(e.g. stays in the country, hunting, backpacking with changing
accommodations), additional vaccination protection against rabies and
typhus can be useful. It is best to consult with a travel doctor well in
advance (some vaccinations require three injections at specific
intervals to ensure protection).
The German-Moroccan social
security agreement only covers costs for determining incapacity to work;
for all other purposes, foreign health insurance is required.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when consuming food and
drinks: Fruits or vegetables that have not been peeled should not be
eaten raw. Cooked or fried food is usually not a problem. It is best to
only drink water from bottles and not from the tap.
Women in particular, but also in general, should dress conservatively
and modestly. Skimpy clothing should be avoided away from the beach. The
armpits and knees should be covered. Because of the heat, we recommend
wearing long sleeves and loose, loose pants anyway. With a bikini,
swimsuit or swimming trunks you can swim undisturbed anywhere, nude
bathing and toplessness for women is strictly forbidden throughout
Morocco.
As a greeting, friends and family kiss each other twice
on the cheek. If you haven't seen the other person for a long time, kiss
each other on the cheek four times. However, this only applies to the
same gender! Otherwise you shake hands. If you want to express respect
and warmth, bring your right hand to your mouth or heart after shaking
hands. The same rules apply to the farewell.
The left hand is
considered unclean in the Arab world. Therefore, you should carry out
all activities with your right hand if possible, even if you are
left-handed. In particular, handing out money (e.g. "baksheesh") with
the left hand is considered offensive.
In Moroccan society,
loyalty and a submissive attitude towards the royal family are expected.
You come across photos and images of the king everywhere, be it in
public life or in private. lese majeste is a crime punishable by
imprisonment. So you should save any resentment you may have towards the
Moroccan monarchy or monarchy in general for after the trip.
phone
Public telephones are rarely found in city centers anymore.
In addition, there are fewer and fewer private telephone shops (also
called teleboutiques or telekiosques) from which you can make calls. For
connections abroad you have to dial 00, followed by the country code.
International calls are expensive. It may be worthwhile to go to the
Spanish exclaves if you have to make a lot of international calls. Or
you can get e.g. B. the prepaid card from Maroc Telecom, called Carte
Jawal, which is already available for under 100 Dh. to have. This means
you can call anywhere in Morocco virtually for free (passport is
required when purchasing). This means you can then be reached on a
Moroccan cell phone number.
Important telephone numbers in
Morocco are:
Police: ☎ 19.
Fire department: ☎ 15.
Road
emergency number: ☎ 177.
Information: national ☎ 160, international ☎
120. Telegrams and telephone: ☎ 140. Intercity: ☎ 100.
Numbers with ☎
080… are free, 089… premium services. Both cannot be accessed from
abroad.
Mobile phone numbers start with a “6” i.e. 06… or
internationally +212-6…
The mobile phone network in Morocco is
covered by three operators: Orange Maroc (previously Meditél), Maroc
Telecom and Inwi.
Prepaid cards are offered for all networks (for
Orange Maroc 30 Dh, including 10 Dh credit). Further information about
network coverage and roaming partners can be found at GSM-World.
Nevertheless, 2G and 3G usually work without problems, 4G is well
covered. Internet speed is usually good.
When it comes to SIM
cards, you have to keep in mind that credit is only valid for a
comparatively short time. The more you charge, the longer. For example,
at Maroc Telecom you get 1 G data for 10 Dh, which is only valid for 3
days, if you buy the scratch strip with top-up code available in many
stores for 20 Dh. This way you get 2 GB for a week. With this company
you top up by texting 555. Then send the scratch code as a message. If
you don't want voice credit but data, then you have to add “*3” to the
code. Credit for special international tariffs requires “*4”. A
confirmation indicating the period of validity will arrive within a few
minutes.
post
Basically, the Moroccan postal service is
reliable. In larger cities it is possible to receive postal items for a
small fee. An ID is then required to collect the mail.
Parcels
and freight shipments are first examined at the post office counter
before a shipment can be sent. Only after the check should you seal the
package.
Email and Internet
There will still be few internet
cafes in cities and tourist resorts in 2022. The internet cafés are
usually open late in the evening. An hour costs around Dh6-10. They are
often located next to a Telekiosque. They can often be recognized by the
Cybercafé sign. In the north, cafes are generally better equipped and
have faster connection speeds than in rural areas. You can also print or
burn CDs in most internet cafés.
The ban on internet telephony
(e.g. via Skype or WhatsApp) was lifted in 2016. Even “dirt and trash”
will no longer be blocked. (As of: Oct 2022)
The country is officially called Arab. المملكة المغربية al-Mamlakatu l-Maghribiyatu, literally - “the kingdom of the Maghreb”, in addition, there are self-names Arab in the country. المغرب الأقصى, El-Maghrib el-Aqsa - "Far West", and Arabic. مراكش - Marrakish, the name from the oikonym of the city, which in the Middle Ages was one of its capitals. In Europe at the end of the 19th century, the French form of the name of the country Maroc became widespread, used in various spellings: Morocco, Marok, Morocco, etc. The exception is Spain - in Spanish the country is called Spanish. Marruecos.
People inhabited the territory of Morocco from the early
Paleolithic. In the area of Casablanca (Thomas I) and Sale,
instruments of the Acheulean and Mousterian cultures were
discovered. The finds of the early Homo sapiens from Jebel Irhud
date from 240 ± 35 thousand years to 378 ± 30 thousand years of age.
In the most ancient era, the climatic conditions of the region were
more favorable for the life of people. Venus from Tan Tan dates back
over 300 thousand years ago. The age of 108 thousand years is dated
to the skeleton of a child of 8 years old, found in 2010 in Temara.
Ancient history
See also: Prehistoric North Africa and
Carthage
In the first millennium BC, Moroccan lands belonged to
Carthage. From the II century BC e., after the conquest of Carthage
by the Romans, Roman rule began in North Africa. In 429, the
territory of modern Morocco (the Roman province of Mauritania of
Tingitan) was captured by the Vandals, but after a hundred years it
was returned to the empire by the Byzantines.
Medieval
history
In 682, the Arab conquest of North Africa began. The
first Arab state in Morocco was founded in 784 by Imam Idris ibn
Abdallah, who fled from Arabia. The Arab state reached its peak
during the dynasties of the Almoravids and Almohads in the 11th-12th
centuries. Under the Almoravids, Morocco was the center of a vast
empire that occupied the territories of modern Algeria, Libya,
Tunisia and the vast territories of Spain and Portugal. However,
with the fall of the Almohad dynasty, the empire collapsed.
From the beginning of the 15th century, Portuguese and then Spanish
expansion began in Morocco, when several port cities were captured
by Europeans (the first expedition was carried out by the Portuguese
to Ceuta in 1415). However, in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, a new rise of the Moroccan state began to be observed,
which reached its highest power under the Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour,
whose reign is called the "golden age" of the country. At this time
(1591), Moroccan troops led by Dzhudar Pasha captured the Songai
Empire, a state in Western Sudan, taking control of the
trans-Saharan trade in salt and gold. Also during the heyday of the
16th century, the Moroccan sultans managed to expand the territory
of the state to the maximum extent, having captured the majority of
the captured cities from the Spaniards and Portuguese, capturing the
western part of Algeria and pushing the border in the south to
Guinea.
After the death of Ahmad (around 1603), the state
began to weaken as a result of constant internal wars, so that
Mulei-Sherif, a descendant of Ali and Fatima, was easy to overthrow
in the middle of the XVII century. dynasty of the first sultans and
found a new, still ruling, dynasty of Alids, or Joseini. The most
famous of these is Mulei Islam, who ruled from 1672 to 1727 as the
greatest despot. Under his successors, feuds and strife over the
throne increased, leading the country more and more to decline,
before Mulei-Sidi-Mohammed (1757-1789), who was distinguished by
gentleness and desire to introduce European culture, entered the
throne. After his death, the period of internal conflicts and wars
began again. Under the Sultan Mulei-Suleiman (1794-1822), a period
of relative prosperity began again.
In the XVII-XIX
centuries, Morocco was considered a pirate state, since in many
cities the actual power was in the hands of sea pirates. It is
interesting that this did not prevent Morocco from exercising
diplomatic functions; in 1777, Morocco was the first state to
recognize US independence.
Morocco in modern times
During
the Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859-1860, the Kingdom of Spain occupied
part of the land of the Sultanate.
At the end of the 19th century, Morocco (ruled since 1894 by
Moulay Abd al-Aziz) became the object of rivalry between Spain,
France, Britain, and in the 20th century also Germany. France’s
capture of all of the Sahara and part of Sudan, which made her
sovereign of almost all of West Africa, provoked her desire to
prevail in those neighboring states that still retained their
independence. By the Anglo-French agreement on April 8, 1904,
Morocco was recognized as falling within the scope of French
influence; but this agreement aroused protest from Germany. Wilhelm
II visited Morocco in 1905, and after that the German resident in
Fez Tattenbach (German) and Chancellor Bülow launched a campaign
against French influence in Morocco. They demanded that the reform
project in Morocco, developed by France, be considered at a
conference of representatives of interested powers, and not be
carried out by France alone. Delcasse's sharp refusal to enter into
negotiations with Germany on the issue of reforms in Morocco nearly
brought France to an open break with the German Empire. The
intervention of Ruvier and the resignation of Delcasse helped to
settle the conflict, and on July 10, 1905, an agreement was convened
between France and Germany to convene the conference. This agreement
left a whole series of questions open - about the reorganization of
the Moroccan police, the establishment of a bank in Morocco, the
provision of Germany with the port of Mogador in the Atlantic Ocean,
etc. The issue of reorganization of the police brought France and
Germany into conflict. Germany insisted that the reorganization of
the police be entrusted to all interested powers. France strongly
protested against this. As a result, all controversial issues were
referred to the international conference, which met in February 1906
in Algeciras (Spain) and was supposed to decide the fate of Morocco.
As a result of the Moroccan crises of 1905 and 1911, France
acquired most of the territory of Morocco. During World War I, a
large number of Moroccans were drafted into the French army. About
8,000 of them died on the fronts.
The modern period of the
history of Morocco
After a three-year period of mass protests in
a number of areas of the country that turned into insurgent
anti-French action, and the political crisis caused by attempts to
change the king, France recognized Morocco's independence in March
1956, and Spanish Morocco gained independence in April, although
several cities remained with the Spaniards. Morocco becomes a member
of the UN, ILO, IMF, WHO, the League of Arab countries. In 1984,
Morocco withdrew from the African Union in protest against the
adoption of Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its territory.
In July 2016, the king of Morocco officially announced the country's
desire to return to the African Union, and the next year the kingdom
was re-accepted into this organization. Morocco is considered the
traditional ally of the United States and France in the region. In
June 2004, Morocco received the status of the main non-NATO ally of
the United States. At the same time, trade agreements were signed
with the US and the EU.
Morocco is a dualistic monarchy, which is enshrined in the
constitution. Exclusive power is concentrated in the hands of the king
and his council of ministers. The King signs all laws, his veto can be
overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the National Assembly.
He is the spiritual head, a symbol of the unity of the nation, appoints
all judges by his decrees, approves changes to the constitution,
declares war and commands the armed forces. The government, headed by
the prime minister, is appointed by the king, who can remove individual
ministers at the request of the prime minister.
The constitution
provides for three types of courts: civil, religious and special. The
Royal Armed Forces are also under the control of the King.
The
highest body of legislative power is a bicameral parliament. The lower
house - the House of Representatives (325 deputies) is elected by direct
vote for 5 years, the upper house - the House of Councilors (270
deputies) is elected for 9 years by indirect vote. Every 3 years, its
composition is updated by a third.
According to the Economist
Intelligence Unit, the country in 2018 was classified on the Democracy
Index as a hybrid regime.
The population is 36.91 million (June 2020 est.). It is the fourth
most populous Arabic-speaking country in Africa after Egypt, Sudan and
Algeria. About 60% of the population are Arabs, 40% are Berbers.
Europeans make up 60,000 people (mostly French, Spaniards and
Portuguese), Jews about 3,000.
The annual population growth is
1.5% (2009).
Birth rate: 20.96 newborns / 1000 people (2009).
Mortality rate: 5.45 deaths/1000 people (2009)
Average life
expectancy is 69 years for men, 74 years for women (2009).
Literacy - 60% of men, 40% of women (according to the 2004 census).
It is washed in the north by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and
in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Gibraltar separates
Morocco from Europe. In the east and southeast it borders on Algeria, in
the south - on Western Sahara (according to the Moroccan authorities,
who consider Western Sahara their territory, the country borders on
Mauritania in the south). The southeastern border in the Sahara desert
is not exactly defined.
The total area of the country is
446,550 km². According to this indicator, Morocco ranks 57th in the
world.
The total length of land borders is 2018 km. Including
with such countries as: Algeria - 1559 km, Western Sahara (occupied by
Morocco) - 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) - 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) - 9.6 km. In
fact, Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, therefore it borders on
the Free Zone of Western Sahara - 2200 km.
Coastline of the
country: 1835 km.
On the northern coast of Morocco are the
Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The country is divided into four
physiographic regions: Rif, or mountainous region, which lies parallel
to the Mediterranean coast; the Atlas Mountains, stretching across the
country from the southwest to the northeast from the Atlantic Ocean to
Rif, from which they are separated by the Taza depression; the region of
the vast coastal plains of the Atlantic coast; valleys south of the
Atlas Mountains, merging into the desert. The highest point of the
country - Mount Toubkal (4165 m) - is located in the High Atlas ridge.
Rif rises to (2440 m) above sea level, Sebha Tah is the lowest located
place in Morocco - 55 meters below sea level. The main rivers of the
country are the Muluya, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and the
Cebu, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
In general,
territories suitable for agriculture occupy 12% of the country's area (9
million hectares), the same amount is occupied by forests, 25% of the
territories are occupied by mountains, the rest is arid semi-desert and
desert (mainly in the south and southeast of the country).
The climate when moving through the territory of Morocco changes
somewhat. At the same time, the temperature is positive almost
throughout the territory.
On the Mediterranean coast of the
country, the climate is mild, subtropical. The average temperature here
in summer is about +24…+28°С (sometimes reaching +30…+35°C and higher,
in the case of the shergi wind blowing from the Sahara), and +10…+12°С
in winter. Moving south, the climate becomes more and more continental,
with hot (up to +37°C) summers and cool (up to +5°C) winters. The daily
temperature difference can reach 20°C.
The northwestern part of
the country is greatly influenced by air masses from the Atlantic Ocean.
Because of this, the climate here is cooler, and daily temperature
fluctuations are much stronger than in the rest of the country. In the
mountainous regions of the Atlas, the climate is highly dependent on the
altitude of the place. Precipitation falls from 500-1000 mm per year in
the north and less than 200 mm per year in the south. The western slopes
of the Atlas occasionally receive up to 2000 mm of precipitation, even
floods of a local scale are not uncommon, while in the southeast of the
country there are years when precipitation does not fall at all.
Beginning in the 1960s, at the initiative of King Hassan II, a program
was adopted to build reservoirs and develop water resources, which made
it possible to provide drinking water to the population, as well as
agriculture and other sectors of the economy, while preserving the
country's water resources. This initiative received high marks from
international experts and is still in operation. Thanks to this policy,
in 2014-2015, the kingdom has more than 139 large reservoirs with a
total capacity of more than 17.6 billion cubic meters and more than a
hundred small dams. On average, 2-3 large reservoirs are put into
operation per year. Construction is carried out mainly by local
contractors.
The territory of the country is divided into provinces and
prefectures, which are combined into 12 regions, of which one region is
completely, and the second is partially located on the territory of the
disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Land boundaries
1559 km
- with Algiers (with the exception of the northern section, its line is
not officially recognized). Due to political differences, the land
border between the countries has been closed to crossing since the
mid-1990s (air traffic remains)
443 km - with Western Sahara (in
fact, it is not a border: the country in the south borders Mauritania)
16 km - with Spain (semi-enclaves of Ceuta - 6 km and Melilla - 10 km)
Religion
Islam is the state religion of Morocco. Moroccans are
98.7% Sunni Muslim, 1.1% Christian, and 0.2% Jewish.
Languages
The official languages are Arabic and Berber. The spoken Moroccan
dialect is lexically and grammatically very different from both the
Arabic literary language and from other (non-Maghreb) dialects of Arabic
and is practically incomprehensible in the Arab countries of the Middle
East.
Widespread: French, Berber and Spanish (in the north of the
country).
Approximately 12 million (40% of the total population),
especially in rural areas, speak the Berber language, which exists in
Morocco in the form of 3 dialects. French, which is not the official
language, but is actually regarded as the second language of Morocco, is
widely used in business and economics. It is also widely used in
educational and government fields. The use of Spanish is also common
(especially in the north of the country).
Customs regulations
The import and export of foreign currency is not limited, but its
circulation in the territory of the Kingdom is prohibited. When
exporting unspent currency, you must have a bank exchange certificate.
It is forbidden to export objects and things of historical and artistic
value without special permission. There is a restriction on the import
of professional photo and video equipment (this does not apply to
amateur equipment), as well as on the import of alcohol - no more than
one bottle of spirits and one bottle of wine, no more than 200
cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250 g tobacco.
Holidays
national
holidays having a fixed date;
religious holidays, the date of which
changes annually and depends on the lunar calendar;
holidays regional
National holidays
January 1 European New Year
January 11
Independence Day
May 1 Labor Day
May 23 national holiday
July
30 Throne Feast
August 20 Revolution Day
August 21 youth holiday
November 6 is the memorial day of the Green March
November 18
Independence Day - the anniversary of the return from exile of King
Mohammed V
Religious holidays
Muslim New Year
Birthday of
Prophet Mohammed
End of Ramadan
Feast of the Sacrifice
Regional holidays
Almond Blossoms - Tafraout - February
Roz - El
Kelaa M'Gouna - May
wax candles - Sale - May
Meda - Immouzzer -
May
Desert Symphony - Ouarzazate - June
(Festival) of music HANUA
- Essaouira - June
Cherries - Sefrou - June
(Festival) Popular Art
- Marrakesh - June
Camels - Guelmim - July
Horse riding - Tissa,
Fez - September
Finikov - Erfoud - October
(Festival) Sacred Music
- Fez - June
(Festival) Agadir - Agadir - December
Armed Forces of Morocco
This is the military organization of the
Kingdom of Morocco, designed to protect the freedom, independence and
territorial integrity of the state. Consists of ground forces, naval and
air forces.
Algeria
On February 27, 1976, the Polisario Front, waging a
guerrilla war against Moroccan troops with the support of Algeria,
proclaimed Western Sahara an independent state called the Saharan Arab
Democratic Republic (SADR).
2005 year
From June 15, 2005, the
Kingdom of Morocco unilaterally switched to a visa-free regime for
Russian citizens arriving in the country.
2006
On September 7,
Russian President V. Putin visited Casablanca. As a result of the
meeting between the President of Russia, King Mohammed VI of Morocco and
Prince Moulay Rashid, the following agreements were signed:
convention on the transfer of persons sentenced to deprivation of
liberty;
an agreement on cooperation in the field of marine
fisheries;
an agreement on cooperation in the field of tourism;
an
agreement on cultural and scientific cooperation;
agreement on
cooperation in the field of mass communications;
agreement on
cooperation in the field of plant quarantine.
2016
Muhammad VI
paid a working visit to Russia on March 15-16, 2016. During the visit,
he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev. A number of Russian-Moroccan documents were also signed on
cooperation in the field of investment development, countering
terrorism, protection of classified information, transport, ecology,
tourism, and in the humanitarian sphere.
2017
On October 11,
2017, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, together
with a large delegation, paid an official visit to Rabat, during which
the previously expressed intentions to develop mutual relations in
various fields were confirmed. Dozens of documents and agreements were
also signed in the field of agriculture, the fuel and energy complex,
cooperation between law enforcement agencies, the development of
peaceful atom and alternative energy, arms exports, engineering, culture
and education.
Israel
On November 24, 2021, Israel and Morocco
signed a memorandum of understanding in the defense field in Rabat.
Benefits: Economic stimulus policies and cheap labor attract
investment. Already, the developed tourism industry has even more
significant potential; phosphate mining and agriculture.
Weaknesses: high unemployment (23%) and large population growth. dry
periods. Cultivation of hemp (mainly for the European market)
complicates relations with the EU.
Foreign economic relations
The Moroccan economy is characterized by an outward orientation. Several
free trade agreements have been concluded with foreign countries:
Free Trade Agreement with the European Union with the aim of joining
the European Free Trade Area by 2012.
Agadir Agreement signed with
Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan to create an Arab Free Trade Area.
Free
Trade Agreement with the UAE.
Free trade agreement with Turkey.
The main export commodities are phosphates and fertilizers, clothing
and textiles, electrical components, inorganic chemicals, transistors,
minerals, petroleum products, citrus fruits, vegetables, fish; imports -
crude oil, textiles, fabrics, machinery and equipment, wheat, gas,
electricity, transistors, plastics.
The main trading partners in
2017: in terms of exports ($24.57 billion) - Spain - 23.2%, France -
22.6%, Italy - 4.5%, USA - 4.2%; imports ($44.13 billion) - Spain 16.7%,
France 12.2%, China 9.2%, USA 6.9%, Germany 6%, Italy 5.9%, Turkey 4.5%
.
The trade turnover between Russia and Morocco in 2016 amounted
to $2.5 billion (for comparison, in 2001 the trade turnover between the
countries was $300 million), the positive balance in favor of Russia
amounted to about $1.5 billion; 70% of Russian exports to Morocco are
oil and refined products (the rest is grain, chemical industry and
engineering products). Russia imports mainly Moroccan citrus fruits, to
a lesser extent tomatoes, fish and canned fish. In 2014, a little over
32,000 Russian tourists visited Morocco.
Rail transport in Morocco is operated by the national operator ONCF
(Fr. Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc).
Of the total
length of 2,120 km of railway lines in 2014, 1,022 km were electrified
with direct current (3 kV). Track width 1435 mm. The locomotive fleet
includes diesel locomotives and electric locomotives. For 2012, the
sections of Marrakech - Casablanca - Rabat - Kenitra - Meknes - Fes are
double-tracked and electrified throughout.
There are plans to
create high-speed rail lines in Morocco - the first of which Kenitra -
Tangier (180 km) should be opened in 2018.
Morocco has a
developed road network, one of the best in Africa - the total length of
roads in 2015 was over 58,000 km, of which 41,000 km were paved roads
and over 1,500 km were high-speed toll roads.
Roads that are part
of the Trans-African Highway Network pass through Morocco.
Morocco has a well-developed intercity bus service, represented by
numerous carriers (CTM, Supratours, Satan, etc.).
Morocco has oil
and gas pipelines of local and regional (from Algeria to Spain)
significance.
Morocco has 31 airports with paved runways and 33
airports with unpaved runways. 10 airports have international status.
Several major airlines operate in Morocco: Royal Air Maroc (national
carrier), Atlas Blue (ceased operations in 2009), low-cost airline Air
Arabia Maroc and regional airline Royal Air Maroc Express.
Several ferry lines link Morocco with Spain, France and Italy. The main
passenger port is the port of Tanger-Mediterane (Tanger-Méd) in the
north of the country.
Morocco has two major trading ports,
Casablanca and Tanger-Méd (which is one of the largest in the region,
and 46 in the world (Total tonnage 39 Mt + 3 million TEU (Twenty Foot
Equivalent) in container traffic (2015).
The state television and radio company - SNRT (Société nationale de
radiodiffusion et de télévision - "National Corporation for Broadcasting
and Television"), includes radio stations Radio Marocaine (launched on
February 15, 1928), Radio Amazigh (a radio station for Berbers in Berber
languages), Casa FM ( launched 1984), Radio Mohammed VI du Saint Coran
(launched 16 October 2004), Chaîne Inter (launched 23 March 2009,
broadcasting in Arabic, French, English and Spanish), regional radio
stations, Al Aoula TV channels (launched 3 March 1962 as TVM, current
name since 2007), Laayoune TV (launched November 6, 2004, broadcasts in
Western Sahara), Al maghribia (launched November 18, 2004, broadcasts in
Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish), Assadissa (launched November 3,
2005, religious TV channel, broadcasts in Arabic, French and one of the
Berber languages), Arryadia (launched September 16, 2006), Aflam TV
(launched May 31, 2008, broadcast broadcast in Arabic, Berber and
French), Tamazight TV (launched 6 January 2010, broadcast in one of the
Berber languages). Created February 15, 1928 as Radio Maroc, from
October 22, 1966 as Radiodiffusion Marocaine. Terrestrial television
operator - Tdm (Télédiffusion Multimedia Du Maroc). Media laws are
enforced by the Higher Council for Audiovisual Communication (Conseil
supérieur de la communication audiovisuelle) (until 2012, the High
Authority for Audiovisual Communication (Haute Autorité de la
communication audiovisuelle)), appointed by the King, the Prime
Minister, the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the President
Chamber of Councilors.
International classification
In 2002,
the international organization Reporters Without Borders ranked Morocco
119th out of 167 in its press freedom index.
The Economist's Quality
of Life Index ranks Morocco's standard of living 65th out of 111
countries in 2005.