Morocco

Only a short trip away from Spain and in the same time zone as the UK, Morocco is the perfect place to escape.

In this fascinating country, ancient and modern happily co-exist, and tradition mingles with cosmopolitan attitudes. Its natural physical beauty ranges from lovely unspoilt coastlines through scenic mountain landscapes to the dramatic wilderness of the Sahara

Location

The kingdom of Morocco is situated in northwestern Africa with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; it is bordered by Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south.

Area

From 1912 to 1956 Morocco itself was divided into French and Spanish protectorates. The area of Morocco is 458,730 sq km (177,120 sq mi). Since 1979 Morocco has also occupied the adjacent region known as Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara).

Language

The official language is Arabic but French is the dominant business language in central and southern Morocco and something you can get along with about anywhere. Spanish is often spoken in the north. English is fairly widely spoken. The Berber languages, once dominant throughout Morocco, have declined in importance, and in the early 1990s about 25 percent of the people used Berber as their first language.

Membership

Morocco is a member of the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference, OAU, and Union of the Arab Maghreb.
Currency

The Moroccan Dirham is a floting currency, subdivided into 100 centimes. In various parts of Morocco you may hear prices quoted in francs, pesetas, or rials, units of currency used during colonial periods.

Current rate of exchange is arounf 16 Dirhams to 1 Pound.