MOROCCO
The kingdom of Light
Morocco
is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, with land border with Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. Morocco also claims the exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, all of them under Spanish jurisdiction, as well as several small Spanish-controlled islands of its coast. The capital is Rabat and the largest city is Casablanca. Morocco spans an area of 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi) and has a population of over 36 million.
Regions of Morocco
is known for its strategic geographical location and is considered as a Jet-Set destination. It is one of the most frequented bathing regions of the kingdom, with an area of 11 570 km² that covers 1.6% of the total surface of the country with a population of 2.5 million inhabitants. It is located at the north-western tip of Morocco, in the Rif mountain range, only 14 kilometers from the European continent. The area is bathed by the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It is bordered to the south by the regions of Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Fes-Meknes and to the east by the region of the oriental. It is one of the oldest regions of the Mediterranean with the most attractive landscapes and historical monuments, but also has one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean (Tangiers Med) and an international airport. The Tangier-Tetouan region is at the top of the recipient regions of Foreign Direct Investment in Morocco after Casablanca.
A privileged location on the edge of the Atlantic and a history of exceptional richness, makes this region a prime tourist destination, it boasts a unique historical heritage, reflecting the diversity of the legacies that shaped the “Deux Rives” Of Bouregreg over the centuries. The Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region is located on the Atlantic seaboard in the north-west of Morocco, it is considered as the result of a fruitful combination of the Arab-Muslim past and Western modernism, covering an area of approximately 12,000 km² with a population of 4,580,866 inhabitants, bounded to the north by the region of Tangier-Tétouane-Al Hoceima, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south by Beni Mellal-Khénifra region. This region has one of the few preserved historical and cultural heritages, since June 2012, a number of sites of the city of Rabat were inscribed on the list of World Heritage of Unesco as cultural property. The site includes the “new town”, designed and built under the French Protectorate from 1912 to the 1930s, including the royal residence, colonial administrations, residential and commercial complexes, the Botanical and Pleasure Gardens. There are also ancient parts of the city which in some cases date back to the 12th century.
Known as the capital of the traditional culture and knowledge of Morocco, its superb buildings are the flamboyant symbol of this region, which embodies the glorious memory of the great royal dynasties. Celebrated for their cultural richness, the region is considered as the representation of the history Of Morocco as it still maintains its centuries-old traditions. It is located in the center of Morocco with a population of 4,236,892 inhabitants in 2014. It enjoys a degraded oceanic climate comparable to that of the Paris region. Snow is abundant in much of this region. Tourism in the region is mainly cultural tourism due to the historical, architectural heritage which is renowned internationally. Thanks to the presence of several mineral springs and spas, notably those of Moulay Yaâcoub and Sidi Harazem, it is considered a destination of choice for lovers of rest and cure tourism. In addition, mountain tourism is an important part of the region, thanks to the existence of important and diversified assets: natural diversity, the multiplicity of sites, the presence of springs, lakes, forests and waterfalls.
Considered a conservative region, the Oriental region is one of the regions of Morocco where the traditions are most ingrained because of its rich history, a paradise for archaeologists. The Oriental region covers 82,820 km2, or 11.6% of the national territory. It is a tri-border area with a population of 2,314,346 in 2014, or 6.8 per cent of the national population. The region occupies the north-east of Morocco. The northern part of the region is the most populous, corresponding to a very large part of the eastern Rif (coast rifiya from Hoceima to Kebdana / Saidia). It is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Algeria, on the south by Algeria and the Draâ-Tafilalet region) and on the west by the Fez-Meknes and Tangier-Tetouan regions -Al Hoceima. The Region is strategically important, both for its geographical position and for its economic potential: it is the essential interface to strengthen Morocco’s geostrategic position as a crossroads between Europe, the Great Maghreb and the Mediterranean world. By its extent within the national territory, the Oriental offers an exceptional diversity of natural biotope. The region occupies the north-east of Morocco.
The excursions in this region will bring you unforgettable discoveries and revelations, as well as the exploration of the Berber nature and culture are breathtaking: spectacular landscapes, lifestyles, architecture, crafts and people. The region of Casablanca-Settat, is located in the western part of the country and it is the most populated region with 6,861,739 inhabitants in 2014, ie 20% of the national population of 1,615 km² . This region is limited to the north-west by The Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Marrakech-Safi region and to the east by Beni Mellal-Khénifra. Called the mega region because of its economic importance, the region of Casablanca-Settat enjoys port, airport, railway and road infrastructures that facilitate the movement of goods and people. The port of Casablanca accounts for 40% of foreign trade with some 20 Mt per year and its airport Mohammed V concentrates 40% of the aircraft movements with 43 000 t per year and 51% of the passenger movements. This region has replaced the region of Greater Casablanca after adding to it the districts of El Jadida and Sidi Bennour from the former region of Doukkala-Abda and the districts of Settat, Benslimane and Berrechid from the former region of Chaouia-Ouardigha.
Geographically, the region of Beni Mellal-Khénifra is based on three distinct formations: the fertile plain, dedicated to agricultural and industrial activities, the foothills and the spectacular mountains of the Middle and High Atlas which are used for the development of green tourism. The region of Beni Mellal-Khénifra is bounded on the west by the Casablanca-Settat and Marrakech-Safi regions, on the south by the Draâ-Tafilalet region, on the east by the eastern region and on the north by the Regions of Fez-Meknes and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra over an area of 41,033 km² with a population of 2,520,776. It is considered as a privileged destination of ecological tourism thanks to the beauty of the reddish mountains, its lakes and its majestic forest of cedars. Between fertile plains and spectacular mountains, the region of Beni Mellal-Khénifra enjoys a privileged strategic position, in the heart of Morocco, close to the main urban and tourist hubs of the country.
Numerous adobe kasbahs, mountains and arid plains, verdant valleys and oases, palm groves and villages of red and ocher earth make the charm of this region and give it its tourist appeal, evokes both the foothills south of the high Atlas and the proximity of the desert. The region is located in southern Morocco, south of the High Atlas. It is bordered to the south by the Algerian border, to the west by the Souss-Massa region, to the north by the regions of Marrakech-Safi, Beni Mellal-Khenifra and Fez-Meknes, and to the east by the Oriental region. The journey in this region is always majestic, starting with the Sahara which reveals its splendor and its uneven beauty, the night shows, the characters and cultural contexts of the region, Mountains with the original reddish forms and colors, the Oases, the rivers, the forest of Tamaris and Acacia and the huge desert dunes of which the largest are called Ch’gaga. One of the great traditions of the region is a literary genre of its own, the Malhoun, a poetic and musical genre born in this region before flourishing in the rest of Morocco. In 1996, the remains of a new carnivorous dinosaur, Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, were discovered in the area. Larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It measured about fifteen meters and weigh about 8 tons. Another carnivore, unknown until now, baptized Deltadromeus agilis, measuring at about 9 meters and weighs about 4 tons. was also discovered in the DR A TAFILALET region .
The region of Marrakech-Safi remains the tourist capital of the country. Marrakech-Safi is a pearl polished by the history and taste of hospitality, knowing how to welcome its guests with open arms for centuries. Geographically, the region is limited to the north by the Casablanca-Settat regions, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region and to the south by the High Atlas mountain range The Souss-Massa and the Drâa-Tafilalet region. It has a total area of 31 160 km², which represents 4.5% of the national territory with a population of 4 520 569 inhabitants. The Marrakech-Safi region has indeed become one of the favorite destinations for celebrities who love its very well preserved charm which knows how to combine luxury, refinement and authenticity. The region then became a place renowned for its culture, its arts, its traditions and its architectural heritage which gradually attracted a large number of renowned artists.
The region of Souss-Massa is the first seaside resort of Morocco, and it is renowned for its western atmosphere. It is also the first tourist hub in the country, and has the first fishing port of Morocco. It is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by the region of Marrakech-Safi, East by the Drâa-Tafilalet region, to the south-east by Algeria and to the south-west by the region of Guelmim-Oued Noun. The region is bordered on the north by the mountain range of the High Atlas, following the valley of Wadi Souss, it is crossed in the center by the Massa river and the Anti-Atlas, and bordered on the south by the Drâa River. It counted in the 2014 census approximately 2 676 847 inhabitants spread over an area of 30 321 km2. The region is made up of mountain ranges, plains and plateaus and surrounded by both the desert and the Atlantic Ocean. It has a park that is frequented by 46 species of mammals, 40 species of reptiles and amphibians and 9 species of fish, more than 275 species of birds observed and many species of lepidoptera. There are 300 species of plants, 13 of which are endemic to the southwest of Morocco. The biodiversity of the Souss-Massa region is particularly interesting for the combination of Palaearctic and Afro-tropical species but also for a very interesting endemic component.
The region of Guelmim- Oued Noun is considered as the gateway to the Sahara, for desert tourists, as it connects the desert of the ocean. Green and seaside tourism are also one of the expanding activities in this region without forgetting its immense mountains and oases. The region of Guelmim-Oued Noun is located in the south of Morocco. It is the northernmost of the southern provinces, but only a small part of the province of Assa-Zag is in the territory of Sahara. It is bordered on the north by the region of Souss-Massa, on the south by Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, on the east by the Drâa-Tafilalet region and Algeria, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Its population was 433,757 inhabitants in 2014, or 1.28% of the national population spread over an area of about 46,108 km2, or about 6.49% of the national surface. A region rich in historical and archaeological elements, ranging from prehistory to the 19th century, such as cave engravings, caves, rock shelters, kasbahs, granaries and other military, economic and social architecture Show us that the region has attracted the interest of men for millennia to the dynasties of medieval Morocco.
At the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and at the gates of the Sahara, the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, also known as “the region of the sands”, possesses the perfect combination between beach sand and desert sand and its welcomes visitors with a naturally splendid and varied setting . This region is mostly located in southern Morocco. It is bounded on the south by the Eddakhla-Oued Eddahab region, on the north by the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, on the east by Mauritania and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region is home to 367,758 inhabitants, or 1.1% of the national population, covering a total area of 139,480 km2, or 19.62% of the national surface. This region is a good example of the regional development, benefiting not only from an administrative favor and tax concessions granted to entrepreneurs and investors, but also this city began to change its urban image, based on population growth and Its new port.
The Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab region is simply characterized by an exceptional cultural, human, natural and historical richness. It has a vast desert, plains, mountains and oases, sheltering a rare and diverse flora and fauna, as well as numerous sites of historical significance which constitute an important archaeological heritage of this region. The region is bounded to the south by the Eddakhla-Oued Eddahab region, to the north by the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, to the east by Mauritania and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region is home to 367,758 inhabitants, which represents 1.1% of the national population dispersed over an area of 142,865 km2. It is the southern and the largest region of Morocco. Also known as the gateway to Morocco on sub-Saharan Africa, it is an almost empty region but rich in historical events that attract so many archaeologists from the region, there are still some writings, engravings, Vestiges such as monoliths, which are there as a testimony of the passage of man hundreds of years ago.