Morocco is a North African country, featuring rugged mountains, coastlines, the Sahara desert and a history of independence uncommon in the region. It is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The predominant religion is Islam with Arabic and Berber as its official languages, although French is also widely used reflecting its history as a French protectorate.
The country’s climate is Mediterranean with lush forests to its north combined with the more arid inland deserts to its south. It has a diverse and relatively large regional economy, relying primarily on tourism, agriculture, telecoms, IT and textiles. The country has emphasized investment in transportation, ports, and industrial infrastructure with the focus of positioning itself as a center for business across Africa. With a population estimated at 33 million, Morocco’s major cities include Rabat (its capital), Casablanca, Fez and Marrakesh.