Morocco, general information

Morocco is surrounded by the Mediterranean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Algeria in the east and Mauretania in the south. There are two mountain ranges in Morocco: the Rif Mountains and the Atlas. The Rif lies parallel to the Mediterranean coast, it's highest peak being the Tidirhine (2,456 m). It is an inaccesible range with a lot of erosion. The Atlas consists of the Middle Atlas (the northwestern range) and the High Atlas which is connected to the southern range, the Anti-Atlas. In the High Atlas, which separates the Atlantic coast from the Sahara, lies the highest peak of North Africa (Djebel Toubkal, 4,165 m). The greater part of the population lives on the fertile plains along the coast. South and east of the Atlas Mountains are dry steppes and deserts.
More facts on abacci.com.

One third of the population is made up of several Berber tribes, coming from the Rif and Atlas mountains, the other two third is mostly Arab. In 2002, 55% of the population lived in cities (35% in 1971 and 51% in 1994).
About 1.7 million Moroccans (mainly Berber) live and work abroad, most of them in France. In Holland there are 260,000 Moroccans.
Almost 35% of the population is aged under 15. The average life expectancy for men is 66, for women 71.
Click on abacci.com for more details.

Arabic is the official language but the Berber speak their own languanges (there are several). The spoken Arabic differs a lot from written classic Arabic. French is the former colonial language and still used a lot. Spanish is used in the northern coastal areas. We were surprised to notice that more and more people also speak English.
More information about the spoken languages in Morocco on ethnologue.com.

Morocco has been the home of the Berbers since the second millennium B.C.
We have decided not to write a detailed history anymore, since we would have to cite other sources that are often on the internet already. Instead a few links with more information about Moroccan history:

Morocco has a subtropical climate, tempered by oceanic influences that give the coastal regions moderate temperatures. Toward the interior, winters are colder and summers warmer, a more continental climate. At high altitudes temperatures of less than -17.8° C (0° F) are not uncommon, and mountain peaks are covered with snow during most of the year.
Rain falls mainly between November and April. Precipitation is heaviest in the northwest and lightest in the east and south. The last few years there almost has been no rain in the south and east of Morocco.
The warmest month in Marrakech is August, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. We visited in September and at day it was between 32 and 40 degrees, at night between 24 and 29 degrees.

Marrakech lies on a plain between the Middle and High Atlas mountains. It is one big oasis in a desertlike landscape. We have seen mainly palmtrees (dades) and olive trees, but also orange trees and cactusses. Except for a lot of birds we have seen some exotic animals on Jemaa el Fna square (snakes, monkeys) but they live in captivity.
Click for more information about the flora and fauna in Morocco.