Morocco

Morocco's earliest known inhabitants were the Berbers, or Amazigh, and the land later saw Phoenician traders and Roman rule, leaving cities such as Volubilis. The Arab conquests of the seventh century brought Islam, and in the eighth century the Idrisid dynasty founded the first Moroccan Muslim state, with Fes as a great centre of learning. A succession of powerful Berber and Arab dynasties followed, some ruling empires that reached into Spain and across the Sahara, down to the present Alaouite dynasty.

Morocco's landscape is strikingly varied, rising from fertile Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal plains to the high, snow-capped Atlas Mountains that run across the country, and falling away to the vast sands of the Sahara in the south and east. This range gives Morocco a wealth of climates and scenery within a single nation, from green valleys and cedar forests to desert dunes, and it has long shaped the lives of its farmers, herders, and traders.

The flag of Morocco is a red field bearing a green five-pointed star, known as the Seal of Solomon. Red has long been associated with the Moroccan ruling house, while green is the colour of Islam, and the interlaced star is an ancient symbol of life and wisdom. The bold, simple design has represented the kingdom for more than a century and is a unifying national emblem.

Morocco is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, following the Sunni tradition, and Islam is central to its identity, law, and daily rhythm. The king holds the religious title of Commander of the Faithful, underlining the close bond between faith and monarchy. The ancient university-mosque of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes, founded in the ninth century, is often cited as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Small Jewish and Christian communities reflect the country's older diversity.

Moroccan cuisine is celebrated for its fragrant, slow-cooked dishes and its masterful use of spices. The tagine, a stew named for the conical earthenware pot it is cooked in, simmers meat with fruit, olives, and spices into something rich and tender, while couscous, traditionally served on Fridays, is a national dish. Sweet mint tea, poured with ceremony, is the drink of hospitality, and pastries and dishes like the savoury-sweet pastilla reveal a refined culinary tradition.

Agriculture is a major part of Morocco's economy and employs a large share of its people. The country grows cereals such as wheat and barley, along with a celebrated array of citrus fruits, olives, tomatoes, and vegetables, much of it exported to Europe. It is also the world's main source of argan oil, pressed from a tree native to the southwest. Beneath the soil, Morocco holds some of the world's largest reserves of phosphate, vital to global fertiliser supply.

The founding of the Idrisid state in the eighth century began Morocco's long history as an independent Muslim kingdom. Medieval Berber empires, the Almoravids and Almohads, ruled vast territories spanning North Africa and Muslim Spain. In modern times Morocco came under French and Spanish protectorate rule in the early twentieth century before regaining its independence in 1956, after which the monarchy reasserted itself as the centre of national life.

Morocco has a population of around 37 million people, a blend of Arab and Berber heritage, with Berber communities especially strong in the mountains and rural south. Both Arabic and the Berber language, Tamazight, are official, and French is widely used in business and education. The population is increasingly urban, drawn to cities such as the economic hub of Casablanca and the capital, Rabat, while the ancient cities of Fes and Marrakech remain cultural treasures.