Geography:
★Most of Morocco, north of Western Sahara and particularly along
the coasts, experiences a typical Mediterranean climate, with
mild wet winters and hot dry summers.
★The High Atlas, the Middle Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas mountain
ranges stretch across the country from northeast to southwest.
★
★Morocco has an area of 446,550 km² and a population of 37.1
million. The capital city is Rabat and the largest city is
Casablanca.
★Morocco shares small maritime borders with Spain, specifically
the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and Portugal.
Government and Economics:
★ Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy
with an elected parliament.
★ The politics of Morocco take place in a framework of
an official parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
★ The three leading exports are phosphates, textiles,
and agricultural produce (citrus fruits + market
vegetables).
★ Major imports are semi manufactures and industrial
equipment, crude oil, and food commodities.
★ Morocco is a 3rd World Country
★ Morocco is the 5th largest African economy by GDP
Values and Beliefs:
★The majority of Moroccans follow Islam, and a large majority are
Sunni Muslims. Other minority religions include Christianity, Judaism
and Bahaism.
★According to Islam, alcohol is haram, or “forbidden”, but you can buy
alcohol in the big cities, except during Ramadan. (The ability to
control one's temper is respected in Moroccan culture).
★Generosity is one of the most important Moroccan cultural values
★Moroccans value family, honor, dignity, generosity, and hospitality.
★Children's are expected to take care of their parents when the grow
old, therefore there are very few elderly homes compared to western
culture
★Moroccan perception of time is considered to be polychronic flexible.
This means they value relationships over schedules, see time as
flexible, are reluctant to control or measure time, value tradition, and
tend to focus on the present. Moroccans can also occasionally dip into
a cyclical perception of time, meaning they believe humans do not
control time and they view time as repetitive.
★Islamic calendars are based on lunar calendars, subject to moon
sightings, and prayer times are linked to the position of the sun.
Customs and Traditions:
★Morocco is a very culturally diverse country. Usually in Morocco it is
custom to eat most meals with your hands. In order to keep clean,
bowls of water are prepared before meals. During meals bread is
never served and 3 cups of tea are drunk in very small sips.
★Being multilingual and generous are expected
★Being late is part of the culture, as Moroccans do not value
punctuality like we do.
★In Morocco, extended family members typically live together. Families
in Morocco tend to be led by the father, and the mother's
responsibilities are more domestic, like managing the home and
caring for the children.
World Contributions:
★Morocco is the world's third-largest producer of phosphates.
★It has the fifth-largest economy in Africa and has significant influence
in both the African and Arab world, and is considered a middle power
in global affairs + holds membership in the Arab League.
★Morocco is an important link between Europe and Africa – politically,
culturally and economically.
★Morocco was the first country to recognize the new United States as
an independent country, starting a trend for other countries to
recognize the US and opening its ports to American ships by decree of
Sultan Mohammed III in 1777.
★King Hassan of Morocco helped to prepare the path for the Camp
David Accords (1978) between Israel and Egypt by opening up a
political dialogue with Israel in the 1970s and by continually pressing
both Palestinians and Israelis to seek a compromise solution.
Interesting Facts:
★Morocco, or in Arabic, Maghreb al-Aqsa, means "far west."
★Considered a melting pot of culture and a very diverse nation
★Home to the oldest education system in existence
★Celebrate 3 separate New Years
Ingredients:
Halwa Dyal Makina
★ all purpose flour
★ sugar
★ salt
★ Corn starch
★ Canola oil
★ eggs
★ Vanilla extract
★ whole milk
★ Chocolate chips
Iced Lemon Mint Tea
★Mint
★Lemon juice(organic from a real lemon)
★Water
★Organic blue agave
