Located at the extreme North-West of the African continent, Morocco is between two seas, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, spread out from the southern bank of the Mediterranean, only 15 km from Europe, to the shifting sand of its Saharan borders.
The Rif Mountains extends on a large arc-like circle surrounding the North of the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the West, and the Mediterranean side of this solid mass goes to a rocky coast; whereas the South of the Rif tends towards low pre-Riffian hills.
In the centre stand the Atlas Mountains: Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas in a South-western/North-eastern axis where Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa with 4 167 m, is located.
To the south of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas the pre-desert extends. This region is characterized by the presence of oases where palm plantation reign and where rivers coming from the Atlas Mountains extend.
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Fauna
Different species of birds live in the mountains, in cedar and argan forests, in the steppes and in the desert: eagles, falcons, vultures, owls, young partridges and quails.
The Moroccan south is populated with pink flamands, storks, turtle-doves, and corbels.
We also find some wild animals: wild boars, mongoose, porcupine, chameleons, foxes, squirrels, and certain monkeys living in groups in the trees of the Middle Atlas or in the meadows of the Ouzoud Waterfall.
The jackals, hyenas, jerboas, hedgehogs, gazelles, lizards and snakes attend the Sahara region. Sheep, goats, horses, asses, mules, poultries... are the domestic animals most widespread in Morocco, in addition to the dromedaries which live especially in the pre-desert areas.
One finds approximately 250 sea species of animals; among them: sardines, anchovy, tunas, bonitos, lines, hakes, mullets, hog-fish, mackerels, squids, and lobsters. Dolphins can be observed in the Straits of Gibraltar and some seals on the Atlantic coast.
The Flora
Morocco has large and beautiful forests: cedar (Rif, Middle Atlas), holm-oak, cork- oak, oak zeen, thuja, eucalyptus, olive-tree, juniper-tree, pine d’Alep, cypress, gum-tree, ash, poplar, and tamarisk are widespread.
Olive-trees, cane-apple bushes, brooms, heathers, myrtles, rosemary, and lavenders find refuge in the sparser forests. The pink bay-trees border the oueds. The argans, and trees like the prickly pear trees push especially in the arid areas of south-west.
All kinds of wild flowers paper the mountains as of the snow melt, between the xerophytes thorn-bushes particularly adapted to resist the winter rigour...
The date palms are growing in the Saharan areas. |
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Spring is incontestably the season when Morocco is most resplendent (starting from the end of January); in the Sahara the temperature rises gradually as early as March.
July, June and August know the highest temperature. On the other hand, the most favourable periods to visit the dunes and to explore the stony extents are November, October and December.
The Moroccan coasts have a moderate climate both in summer and in winter.
The interior of the country undergoes great variations in temperature: very hot in summer, cold winter. During winter, snow covers the mountains and can persist in high altitude until the end of spring.
• Average temperatures in the main cities
Stations |
Average Temperature in January |
Average Temperature in July |
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Tanger |
12° |
23°5 |
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Rabat |
12° |
23°5 |
|
Casablanca |
11°7 |
23° |
|
Laâyoune |
17° |
27° |
|
Ifrane |
5° |
28° |
|
Agadir |
14°5 |
22°5 |
|
Meknès |
9°7 |
27° |
|
Fès |
9°8 |
27°1 |
|
Marrakech |
12° |
29° |
|
Oujda |
7° |
28° |
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MOROCCO (HISTORICAL Background)
Its geographical location between two continents, Africa and Europe, have made Moroccan an open space for the influences of other civilizations since a long time.
Ancient Morocco began between 5 000 and 2 000 BC with the arrival of waves of newcomers from the East (Near-East and Egypt) who mingled with the local Berber population. The Phoenicians and Carthaginians took possession of the country and established colonies mainly with Sala Colonia (present-day Rabat), Lixus, Volubilis (splendid ruin to visit close to Meknès). Volubilis was the capital of the Berber King Juba II. With the Romans Morocco knew very important architectural, cultural and economic development; it lasted until mid-eleventh century AD. Later, the Byzantines’ and the Vandals’ influence succeeded the Romans’.
The advent of Islam in the 8th century constituted a historical turning point in Morocco. Indeed, half a century after the arrival of the first Moslem conquerors, the Berber population (1st inhabitants of Morocco) became the strongest defenders of Islam and the agents of its propagation in Africa and in Spain. Once firmly established, Moroccan Islam targeted the Iberian Peninsula. In 711 Tarek Ibn Ziad started the conquest of Andalusia; consequently, the destinies of two banks of the strait became inseparable. |
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