History of MOROCCO

Moroccan culture and peoples is a unique mix of Berber, European, Arab, Jewish and African found nowhere else! Due to its coveted position on the top of Africa, it has long been prized as a gateway for trade from beyond the Sahara Desert to the “New World” or Europe. The indigenous Berbers or Amazigh people have lived here for thousands of years. By the 8th Century BC the Phoenicians had established coastal bases, and in the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC the Romans established themselves in the north until the collapse of the Roman Empire early in the 5th Century AD. It was the Arabs arriving in 788AD who brought Islam to Morocco for the first time. For several hundred years various tribal dynasties came to power then crumbled leaving an astonishing legacy of great buildings, trade and crafts; European powers held strategic ports in the mid-1700s to early 1900s. Morocco became a French protectorate in 1912 and gained full independence in 1956. Morocco has a population today of approximately 35 million. The official language is Arabic, but many speak the Berber dialects, French and an increasing number of locals speak English and Spanish. Our most important industries are tourism, agriculture and phosphate production.