Overseas Property Consultants - Morocco Property Country Guide

The Kingdom of Morocco is a country located in the Northern tip of Africa and is the 57th largest Country in the world, approximately the same size as France . It has international borders to Spain, where a mere span of 14kms of Mediterrean ocean separates the two countries. To the east and south east, it is bordered by Algeria and has a coastline that travels along the Atlantic ocean, past the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea. The Rif Mountains are located close to the Mediterranean Coast, and the Atlas Mountains runs like a backbone down the country from northeast to south west. Most of the population live to the north of the Atlas Mountain range as the area on the south east side is the Sahara Desert. The Mountain range and the Desert effectively separate Morocco from the rest of Africa.

Major Moroccan Cities

Has a population of 678,596 (2004 est). The mild winter climate (January average midday temperature 20°C/68°F) and good beaches have made it a major "winter sun" destination for Northern Europeans. The city is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean. Agadir is an important fishing and commercial port, the first sardine port in the world, (exporting cobalt, manganese, zinc and citrus).It is also a famous seaside resort with a long sandy beach. Because of its large buildings, wide roads, modern hotels, and European-style cafés, Agadir is not a typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town. Agadir is famous for its sea food and agriculture.

This modern city by the Atlantic sea is the business capital of Morocco of growing importance and an international metropolis with strong harbour trade. Casablanca is an important centre in world affairs. It retains strong religious traditions with a contemporary mosque, the second largest in the world and one of the most spectacular in the world. With a population of 3.9 million (September 2004 census), Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. With a majority of the modern economic sector being based in the Casablanca region, and the Casablanca area being dominant in industrial and service sector activity, it is often and justifiably referred to as the economic capital, although Morocco's political capital is Rabat. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

This city is located on the nearest Coast from Marrakech. The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late-18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa. The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi remains rather small, although the catches (sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal upwelling generated by the powerful northeastern trade winds. Tourism is a quite important industry, supporting a growing small-hotel "Riad" business within the traditional architecture of the old city, and small handicraft businesses such as cabinet making. The thuya wood carving is one of the typical hand crafts Essaouira has been famous for centuries. Essaouira is also renowned for its windsurfing, with the powerful northeastern trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis.

Is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 144,440 (2004 census) and is the port for Marrakech, 110 miles to the south. From the sea, El Jadida has a very un-Moorish appearance; it has massive Portuguese walls of hewn stone. El Jadida, previously known as Mazagan , was seized in 1502 by the Portuguese. From 1580 to 1640, Portugal was under Spanish dynastic rule. Portuguese abandoned Mazagão in 1769 and its inhabitants were totally evacuated to Brazil, where they founded new settlement Nova Mazagão, now in Amapá. The name is also connected with Mazagaon, one of Bombay's oldest neighbourhoods, also having Portuguese origins. The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology".

Fez is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Rabat, with a population of 946,815 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane Region. Fes is one of the four so-called "imperial cities" (the others are Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat). It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali (the old, walled city), Fes-Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah), and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes). The Medina of Fes el Bali, the largest of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the largest contiguous carfree urban area in the world. Fes el Bali is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fes is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination and many non-Moroccans are now restoring traditional houses (riads and dars) as second homes in the Fes medina.

Marrakech or Marrakesh, city (1994 pop. 672,478), west central Morocco. The city, renowned for leather goods, is one of the principal commercial centers of Morocco and a major tourist center. It was the capital of Morocco until 1147 and again from 1550 to 1660. It was captured by the French in 1912. Beautifully situated near the Atlas Mts., Marrakech has extensive gardens, ruins of a 16th-century palace, a former palace of the sultan that is now a museum of Moroccan art, and a royal necropolis (16th–18th cent.). The 253-ft (77-m) minaret (completed 1195) of the Koutoubia mosque dominates the city. The Université Ben Youssef, a center of Islamic studies, and a public university are in Marrakech.

Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located 130 kilometers from the capital Rabat and 60 kilometers from Fes. . Meknes was the capital of Morocco from 1672 – 1727, before it was relocated to Rabat. The population is 536,322 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Meknès-Tafilalet region. Meknes is named after a Berber tribe which was known as Miknasa in the medieval Arabic sources. The land upon which the city is founded and much of its surrounding territory came under the domination of the Roman Empire in 117 A.D. The original community from which Meknes can be traced was an 8th century Kasbah, or fortress. A Berber tribe called the Miknasa settled there in the 10th century, and a town consequently grew around the fortress. Meknes saw its golden age as the imperial capital of Moulay Ismail following his accession to the Sultanate of Morocco.

Ouarzazat is a city in southern Morocco. The origin of its name is "without noise". It hosts one of the largest movie studios in the world, Atlas Studios. Several historical movies were shot on those studios (e.g. Gladiator and lately Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven and "Babel"). It was also the location of the November 26, 2006 episode of the television series The Amazing Race. Many excursions through the valley of the Draa River into the Sahara Desert start from the city. It is home of the famous casbah of Taourirt, (the casbah of the former caïd and later the possession of T'hami El Glaoui).
Rabat, population 1.2 million (2005 estimate), is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé. Together the two cities account for a population of 1.3 million. Unfortunately, city's role as a port has diminished; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations (see Salé). In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.

Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million inhabitants. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region. It is the birthplace of the current Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Oujda is home to Angads Airport, which receives many international flights coming from Europe. Oujda is also home to Mohammed I University, a French, English and Arabic language and technology university. The city was founded in the 10th century and was the capital of a tribe called Zenata. The city was rebuilt in 13th century by sultan Abou Youssef. The French twice occupied it (in 1844 and again in 1859). Also to the west is Isli, which saw a major Franco-Moroccan battle in 1844. Once Morocco was occupied by the French, Oujda was used as a military base to control eastern Morocco. The city grew up along the roads that were built and owes much of its present form to the French. Since 2006, the city has been twinned with Trowbridge in England. Trowbridge has the largest Moroccan community in the UK outside London.

Tangier is a city of northern Morocco with a population of 669,680 (2004 census). It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Tangier-Tétouan Region. Tangier is the second industrial center of Morocco after Casablanca. Tangier's economy relies heavily on tourism. Seaside resorts have been increasing with projects funded by foreign investments. Real estate and construction companies have been investing heavily in touristic infrastructures. A bay delimiting the city center extends on more than 7 km. Years 2007-2008 will be particular important year for the city because of the completion of the big projects like the second "Tangier-Mediterranean port" and its industrial parks; a stadium with 45.000 seats, district business and Touristic developments. The city is the 11th largest in Morocco's and the most cosmopolitan of all Moroccan cities. It is steeped in legend and its history involves interaction with Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Portugese and Spanish. It was even ruled by British Empire at the end of the 17th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city was designated an international port so that no one power would have absolute control on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. Tangiers is well known for its connection with ‘The Arts’ with films such as, The living Daylight and From Russia with Love (both James Bond films); Casino staring Robert De Niro and the Bourne Supremacy featuring Matt Damon all being shot in this city.

Is the capital and cultural centre of the region Tangier-Tétouan (Tanja) in the north of Morocco, the only open port of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi (60 km) E.S.E. of Tangier. In 2004 the city had 320,539 inhabitants (census figure), up from about 25,000, of whom a fifth were Jews, in the early 20th century. Arabic is the official language but it is not used as a national language. Moroccan Darija-Arabic and Berber-Tamazight are used by the inhabitants in their daily life. The use of Spanish and French is still widespread especially by the businesspeople and intellectual elites. Its main religion is Islam but there are minorities of Jews and Christians. The medina (old town) of Tétouan is on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. The inner city is very characteristic and traditional. One can find many white houses there, especially low houses. Everywhere in the city there are people performing their craftsmanship, like weavers, jewelers, leather workers. Street sellers often try to sell carpets to tourists as well.