Know Morocco Before You Go (On Holiday)
Where is Morocco:
Morocco is not Monaco. Nor is it the Maldives nor Madagascar. Though the latter would at least give you the right continent. No, Morocco is located in the upper northwestern jog of the African continent. The borders, both natural and man-made, are the Mediterranean Sea to the North, the Atlantic to the West, Algeria to the east and southeast and the Western Sahara to the south-southwest. Though some major cities—such as Casablanca and Rabat seem mildly dense–there are only 56 people per square kilometer. That’s not too many people once you consider the US is 31 per square kilometer.
What’s The Topography of Morocco Like:
Well, the north is fortified by the rugged Rif Mountains near Chefchaouen. The mountains of the eastern and southern areas include the High Atlas Mountains and the Middle Atlas Mountains. Including the Sarho Mountains, the Dhara Plateau encase this region. The plains along the coast are generally fertile and keep the boundaries—along with rivers—well marked and divided. The north is generally more green and lush with rolling hills the closer you get to the Rif Mountains. The coast are flatter while the Sahara Desert is essentially flat but with some mountain-ish dunes. Unfortuntately, there’s only 20% forested lands, while nearly 50-60% of the land is used as pasture, cultivation and agriculture.
What’s Morocco People Like:
The cities are not as crowded as they are polluted with the rolling smells of diesel tankers and lorries rolling by. Casablanca has about 3 million; Rabat has 1.5 millin (and growing); Fez has about half a million; and Marrakech is one of the fastest growing cities, with countless people coming in. There sex distribution of males to females is nearly 50-50.
Moroccans all have a little Berber blood in them. Most of the population is a mix or Berber or Semitic Arab. Jewish history is brawny in such a country, but today they are by and large the minority. Ninety-nine percent of the people practice Islam. Most people speak Arabic, French or a mixture of each or the two. Certain regions of the north exhibit a Spanish past, and several thousands of people speak this language as well. In a lot of toursity areas, you’ll have no problem finding people who speak English. For some reason, Moroccans are born with the ear chime for languages.
What’s Morocco’s Weather Like:
Morocco’s north is more of a Mediterranean climate—considered one of the best on the planet by and large. The winters are warm if not wet and the summers are dryer and hot. The closer you get to the Sahara—pre-Sahara region—has a wetter season from April to May and often in October and/or November, varying from just south of 4 inches to just north of 10 inches. In the Sahara, you’ll have hot, dry winds blowing called the Sirocco. Blowing sand can keep the roads closed and tourist hotel-locked for days. At the right time of the year, the weather is perfect in any given location.
What Else About Morocco:
Morocco uses the Dirham as its internal currency. Many tourist venues accept Euros, but don’t count on it. There’s a good bus system and railway system in Morocco. In fact, soon there will be a high speed railway linking the North to Marrakech. Believe you me, it will be expensive (for locals at least). There’s a lot of international airports: Casablanca is the main one; Fez has a small one; Rabat and Marrakech both have one, with the latter’s flights increasing tenfold since five years ago. The people are coming, for sure, as over 1 billion of tourist dollars were seen in Morocco last year alone. Hurry before there’s not enough beds to go around! Get on board for a Morocco family tour before it’s too late.
by Terry Hollowell
Morocco Travel Guide and Managing Editor
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