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Dec 8, 2023 · Explore the geography, history, and culture of Morocco with maps and facts. Learn about its location, climate, landmarks, regions, cities, and more. See political, outline, physical, and regional maps of Morocco.
Languages: Arabic and French. Neighbors: Algeria, Mauritania and Spain. Categories: constitutional monarchy, sovereign state, Mediterranean country and locality. Location: North Africa, Africa. View on OpenStreetMap. Latitude of center. 31.653° or 31° 39' 11" north. Longitude of center. -6.724° or 6° 43' 26" west.
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Morocco, mountainous country of western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.
The traditional domain of indigenous peoples now collectively known as Berbers (self-name Imazighen; singular, Amazigh), Morocco has been subject to extensive migration and has long been the location of urban communities that were originally settled by peoples from outside the region. Controlled by Carthage from an early date, the region was later the westernmost province of the Roman Empire. Following the Arab conquest of the late 7th century ce, the broader area of North Africa came to be known as the Maghrib (Arabic: “the West”), and the majority of its people accepted Islam. Subsequent Moroccan kingdoms enjoyed political influence that extended beyond the coastal regions, and in the 11th century the first native Amazigh dynasty of North Africa, the Almoravids, gained control of an empire stretching from Andalusian (southern) Spain to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Attempts by Europeans to establish permanent footholds in Morocco beginning in the late 15th century were largely repulsed, but the country later became the subject of Great Power politics in the 19th century. Morocco was made a French protectorate in 1912 but regained independence in 1956. Today it is the only monarchy in North Africa.
Morocco borders Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It is the only African country with coastal exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its area—excluding the territory of Western Sahara, which Morocco controls—is slightly larger than the U.S. state of California. Two small Spanish enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, are situated on the country’s northern coast.
Britannica Quiz
A map of Morocco with international borders, major cities, regions, and airports. Learn about Morocco's geography, natural resources, and environmental issues.
Morocco is the northwesternmost country which spans from the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean on the north and the west respectively, into large mountainous areas in the interior, to the Sahara desert in the far south. Morocco is a Northern African country, located in the extreme northwest of Africa on the edge of continental Europe.
Find various maps of Morocco, including location, administrative divisions, road, physical and tourist maps. See Morocco on the Africa map and compare with other countries.
