The Guinness Encyclopedia

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Extensible Markup Language | 1995-06-13 | 5KB | 19 lines

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <!DOCTYPE card PUBLIC "-//Apple, Inc.//DTD card V 2.0//EN" "" > <card> <id>33776</id> <filler1>0</filler1> <cantDelete> <false /> </cantDelete> <showPict> <true /> </showPict> <dontSearch> <false /> </dontSearch> <owner>5472</owner> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet_3106.css" /> <content> <layer>background</layer> <id>31</id> <text>MOROCCOOfficial name: Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiya (The Kingdom of Morocco)Member of: UN, Arab LeagueArea: 458730 km2 (177115 sq mi), excluding the disputed Western Sahara (or 710850 km2 (274461 sq mi) with the Western Sahara)Population: 26494000 (1993 est), excluding Western Sahara, which had 195000 inhabitants in 1993.Capital: Rabat 1545000 (includes Sal├⌐; 1990 est)Other major cities: Casablanca (Dar el Beida) 3311000 (city 1069000), Marrakech 745000, Mekn├¿s 660000, Oujda 635000, K├⌐nitra 610000, Fez (F├¿s) 605000 (1992 est)Languages: Arabic (official; 75% as a first language but universally understood), Berber (about 25%), FrenchReligion: Sunni Islam (official; 98%)GOVERNMENTMorocco is a constitutional monarchy. The 333-member Chamber of Representatives consists of 222 members elected by universal adult suffrage for six years and 111 members chosen by an electoral college representing municipal authorities and professional bodies. The King appoints a Prime Minister and Cabinet.GEOGRAPHYOver one third of Morocco is mountainous. The principal uplands are the Grand, Middle and Anti Atlas Mountains in the west and north ΓÇô rising to Jebel Toubkal (4165 m / 13 665 ft) ΓÇô and a plateau in the east. Much of Morocco ΓÇô and all of the Western Sahara ΓÇô is desert. Climate: The north has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and warm wetter winters. The south and much of the interior have semiarid and tropical desert climates.ECONOMYOver 40% of the labor force is involved in farming, producing mainly citrus fruits, grapes (for wine) and vegetables for export, and wheat and barley for local consumption. Morocco is the worldΓÇÖs leading exporter of phosphates. Other resources include iron ore, lead and zinc. Many important industries and services are in state ownership. Tourism is growing. Currency: Dirham.HISTORYThe region became a Roman province in ad 46. In the 7th century Morocco became Islamic. In the 11th and 12th centuries the Almoravid (Berber) empire ΓÇô which included Muslim Spain ΓÇô was based in Marrakech. Morocco was ruled by the Almohad dynasty, who controlled a North African empire from 1147 until 1269. The Sharifian dynasty ΓÇô descended from the Prophet Muhammad ΓÇô rose to power in the 16th and 17th centuries, and still retains the throne. In the 19th century Spain confirmed control of several long-claimed coastal settlements. In the ΓÇÿMoroccan CrisesΓÇÖ (1905ΓÇô06 and 1911), French interests in Morocco were disputed by Germany. Under the Treaty of Fez in 1912 France established a protectorate over Morocco, although the Spanish enclaves remained. The 1925 Rif rebellion stirred nationalist feelings, but independence was not gained until 1956. King Hassan II (reigned 1961ΓÇô ) has survived left-wing challenges through strong rule and vigorous nationalism ΓÇô as in his 1975 ΓÇÿGreen MarchΓÇÖ of unarmed peasants into the then-Spanish (Western) Sahara. Morocco still holds Western Sahara despite international pressure and the activities of the Algerian-backed Polisario guerrillas fighting for the territoryΓÇÖs independence. A ceasefire was agreed in 1991, but a scheduled UN-sponsored referendum on Western Sahara has yet to be held.</text> </content> <name>Morocco</name> <script></script> </card>