Throughout the years, Morocco's location at the northwest corner of Africa opposite Spain has attracted invading forces. The Phoenicians came to trade and settle, with successive waves of invaders such as the Romans, Visigoths, Vandals, and Byzantine Greeks arrived to dominate and rule the area. In the 7th century the Arabs began bringing their civilization. The Alaouite dynasty, which claims to descend from the Prophet Mohammed, has ruled Morocco since 1649. Invaders have been a major influence in Morocco and in more recent history the Portuguese controlled the Atlantic coast in the 15th century.

The French arrived in 1830 and in 1904 Morocco was divided into French and Spanish enclaves. In 1912 a treaty established these zones as protectorates. After World War II Morocco began to assert its independence with the formation of the Istiqlal (Independence) Party. Foreign domination led to active opposition and in 1953 after France deposed the highly respected Sultan Muhammad V he was replaced him with his unpopular uncle. France allowed Muhammad V to return to Morocco in 1955 and Morocco was granted political independence on March 2, 1956. In 1956 and 1958, Morocco gained authority over the Spanish-controlled areas. Tangier, an international zone since 1923, was also reintegrated.

Economy

Morocco’s fast growing economy can be related to a number of different factors.

One major reason is the low cost of production for labour-intensive products. Morocco also has a highly educated and trained work force as schools and universities in the country have a high standard and an excellent reputation. Especially when it comes to languages, then most young Moroccans have advantages to others. It is not uncommon in Morocco to speak 2 or 3 languages. Morocco does not have the highest spending power as the majority of residents belong to the middle class. There is also an important upper class but it does not belong to the fastest growing groups within the Moroccan society.

It can be said that Morocco as a total is relatively cheap - the only exception are imported goods. Additional the country offers an outstanding infrastructure as well as cheap labour. With a first look at the figures (GNP/capita) it appears as the Moroccan economy is still very weak. This has as a reason the enormous differences between “haves” and Have-nots”. It is true that there are many very poor people in Morocco but on the other hand, things do not get worse and it seems like with the increasing development, their living standards will increase too. 

People

The majority of the population in Morocco are Berber, mixed Arab-Berber or Sunni Muslims of Arab. It was in the 7th and the 11th century that the Arabs conquered Morocco and from this time forward their culture and traditions started to develop and establish. Today there are about 100.000 foreigners living in Morocco, the minority of which are Jewish (about 4.000) and the majority are French and Spanish. Many of the residents in Morocco speak a characteristic Arab dialect that is only spoken in the country but the official language is the classic Arabic tongue.

There is also the Berber language which is spoken by approximately 10 million Moroccans which can often be found in rural areas. Berber can be distinguished in Tarifit, Tamazight and Tashelhit. Those dialects are spoken as a first language but also in combination with the Arabic dialect, as a second language. French plays another important role in Morocco. It is the unofficially third language and is used extensively in education, government, economics and commerce.

Due to its proximity to Spain, there are many locals in northern Morocco who also speak Spanish. Today younger Moroccans also often choose to learn English as it is taught from the fourth grade on, in all public schools. The Atlas Mountain range is isolating the country from the hot Sahara Desert. This is why the majority of people in Morocco live on the west side of it, between the mountains and the sea. Important ports within Morocco can be found in Casablanca which is also centre of industry and commerce and the city of Tangier which is widely known as gateway to Spain.

The seat of government can be found in Rabat and largest tourist resort is the city of 'Berber'. More important for residents is the 'Arab' Fes which is the religious and cultural centre of the country.

Lifestyle

The lifestyle in Morocco can be totally different from the lifestyle back home, especially if you are planning on moving to a holiday or leisure area.

One of the differences is the time you will spend at work. People here work long hours but you will also have more time for other things. Whether you want to follow your hobby, meet up with friends or simply sit in a café and enjoy you time out – you will definitely find the time to do so. It is not very often that you will need longer than 15 minutes to get to work, which leaves more time for everything else.

Privacy is very important in the Moroccan society. You will often see homes which are surrounded by walls, for inhabitants to pursue their own and private lifestyle without disturbances or onlookers. Anyhow, due to the warm climate and other factors, the majority of leisure time is spent outdoors. Generally there is no central heating or central air conditioning available which does not mean that you cannot purchase them in form of a unit. Please note that this might have a high electricity bill as a consequence.

The “patio” style is very popular with homes in the Medina quarters. For those who live there, most of the life takes place outdoors. Especially foreigners who live in Morocco and belong to the middle classes and upper classes often spend their time with tennis, swimming, skiing, biking or any other outdoor sport. An advantage of living in Morocco is that you will be able to reach both the sea and the mountains from nearly everywhere in the country.

Experience the traditional, healthy and delicious cuisine that is offered in Morocco. Excellent fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased all year and for very low prices – compared to other countries. Also worth mentioning is the great medical and dental care which also costs much less than elsewhere. Morocco has a very good reputation when it comes to schools and universities.

The multilingual country in which not only Arabic, Berber and French but also widely Spanish and English is spoken, offers international schools in most of the big cities. Since 2001 the country started focusing more intensely on the English language which now has as a result that there are more and more English-speakers in Morocco.

Foreigners who are coming to Morocco to learn languages are being welcomed with support, appreciation and encouragement. Despite the increasing cost of living in Morocco, it is still a lot less expensive than in other Western European countries. Most European foreigners in Morocco could live at a higher standard with their given salary.