Geography of Morocco, about one-tenth larger than California, lies across the Strait of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean and looks out on the Atlantic from the northwest shoulder of Africa. Algeria is to the east and Mauritania to the south. On the Atlantic coast there is a fertile plain. The Mediterranean coast is mountainous. The Atlas Mountains, running northeastward from the south to the Algerian frontier, average 11,000 ft (3,353 m) in elevation.
Most of Morocco’s 32.2 million people live west of the Atlas Mountains, an Alps-like range that shelters the country’s fertile region from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca, an Atlantic seaport and the country’s largest city, is the focal point of business and industry. Rabat, the country’s second largest city, is the seat of government. Tangier, another major seaport, serves as the country’s gateway to Spain and Europe. The “Imperial Cities” of Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes are popular tourist destinations for Morocco’s 5 million annual visitors because of their handicrafts, shopping souks, and ancient architecture.
Morocco is similar in many respects to California, only it has 2,000 miles of coastline. Morocco has some of the most varied geographical attributes of any country in North Africa. It offers deserts, four mountain ranges (winter sports are enjoyed in the Atlas Mountains), over a thousand miles of beaches, and vast expanses of cultivated land that supply Europe with much of its produce. There are tremendous recreational and tourism opportunities that are rapidly being recognized by Europeans.
Morocco’s climate, like its geography, is remarkably varied. Weather in the coastal regions is mild, but can be cool and wet in the northern areas. The average daily temperature in Tangier and Casablanca ranges from 54° in the winter, to 77° F in the summer. Summer temperatures in inland cities like Marrakech can climb as high as 115° F, while winter temperatures in the Atlas mountains can fall below freezing.
Morocco: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel Holidays Cities
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