Morocco Research Paper

3157 Words7 Pages

Overview
Morocco is a country of 446,550 square kilometers that is located in Northern Africa between Algeria and Western Sahara. It borders both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In 788, around 100 years after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a succession of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to reign in Morocco. The current Moroccan royal family belongs to the Alawite dynasty, which dates back from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and began a 50 year period of trade rivalry amongst other European powers. Shortly after this in 1912, the French made Morocco a protectorate country. The French rule ended in 1956 with Morocco’s independence. Sultan Mohammed V, the current monarch’s grandfather, organized …show more content…

Moroccan cuisines employ a large variety of spices that are used in the Mediterranean region, such as cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Couscous is the traditional Moroccan Berber dish and is often served with stewed meat and vegetables. Kebobs of chicken, lamb and seafood are also common. Morocco has a national dish called tagine, for the large clay pot in which it is cooked. Tangine is a heavily spiced stew that includes vegetables and shredded chicken or beef. Moroccan flat bread is commonly served at every meal. Morocco also has a rich history of artistic expression, and is a chief example of the intricacy of Islamic art. Tile work and carpet weaving are the most recognized of Moroccan …show more content…

In the 1980s, Morocco was a heavily indebted country before pursuing austerity measures and pro-market reforms that are overseen by the IMF. Since he took the thrown in 1999, King Mohammed VI has presided over a stable economy marked by steady growth, low inflation and gradually falling unemployment, although a poor harvest and economic difficulties worldwide contributed to an economic stagnation in 2012.
Industrial development strategies and infrastructure improvements are improving Morocco’s competitiveness. Morocco also is seeking to expand its renewable energy capacity with a goal of making renewable energy 40% of output by 20202. Key sectors of the Moroccan economy include agriculture, tourism, phosphates, textiles, apparel and subcomponents. To boost exports, Morocco entered into a bilateral FTA with the U.S. and an Advanced Status agreement with the European Union in 2000. However, despite Morocco’s economic progress, the country still suffers from high unemployment, poverty and illiteracy. In 2011 and 2012 high prices on fuel strained the government’s budget and widened the country’s current account deficit. In fall 2013, Morocco capped some of its fuel subsides in an effort to gradually reduce the country’s large budgetary

More about Morocco Research Paper

Open Document