Morocco
Where the Atlas Mountains meet the Atlantic and the Sahara
Morocco occupies the far northwestern corner of Africa, the only country on the continent with both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and a near neighbor of Europe across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. Its landscapes shift dramatically from surf-pounded beaches and fertile plains to the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas and the dunes of the Sahara beyond. A kingdom ruled by a dynasty that traces its line back centuries, Morocco blends Arab, Berber, and Andalusian influences in its cities, cuisine, and crafts, and stands as one of the most stable and visited nations in North Africa.
Three great ranges, the Rif along the Mediterranean and the Middle and High Atlas across the interior, divide the country and wring rain from Atlantic storms. The High Atlas culminates in Mount Toubkal, North Africa's loftiest summit at 4,167 meters, its slopes feeding rivers that irrigate the plains around Marrakech and Fez. South and east of the mountains the land slides into pre-Saharan oases and desert. Phosphate mining, in which Morocco holds the world's largest reserves, joins agriculture, tourism, textiles, and a growing automotive and renewable-energy sector to drive a diversified economy.
Morocco was home to Berber kingdoms and Roman Volubilis before Arab armies brought Islam in the seventh century, and successive Berber and Arab dynasties built the imperial cities of Fez, Marrakech, Meknes, and Rabat. The country absorbed waves of Andalusian Muslims and Jews expelled from Spain, enriching its culture. After decades as a French and Spanish protectorate, Morocco regained independence in 1956 under the Alaouite monarchy that still reigns. Today it asserts control over the disputed Western Sahara, courts foreign investment, and showcases a living heritage of medinas, mosques, music, and a famously elaborate cuisine.