Morocco has long been a favourite destination for travellers and it's easy to see why. Accessible but exotic, the country combines a spectacular landscape of mountains, desert and coastline with a rich historical and cultural heritage. Although there are traces of Roman and European colonial influences, Morocco's heritage stems largely from the centuries long rule by Islamic sultans. This manifests itself in the the splendour of the imperial city of Meknes and the medinas of Tétouan, Rabat, Fez and Marrakech, the latter one of the most atmospheric and evocative cities in the world. The Atlas mountains is of the best trekking destinations in the world, with the stunning scenery matched by the hospitality of the local Berber people. Morocco also boasts fertile and scenic valleys, dramatic gorges, vast sand dunes at the edge of the Sahara Desert and fascinating fortified villages, or ksars, throughout the country. Explore in depth highlights of morocco.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
|---|---|---|
| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT 0 (Greenwich mean time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Arabic |
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| Other languages: | French, Spanish, Tamazight |
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| Currency: |
Moroccan dirhams (MAD) €1 = MAD10.91, $1 = MAD9.78, £1 = MAD13.00 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .ma | International Dialling Code: 212 |
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For help planning your trip to morocco including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our morocco trip planning page.
Further information on morocco
Discover more about morocco - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 446,550 sq km (250 sq km under water)
Coastline: 1,835 km (Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Algeria (1,559km), Spain (16km), Western Sahara (443km)
Climate: Coastal regions have a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The interior regions are hotter and dryer, with the peaks of the Atlas Mountains snow-capped all year round.
Highest mountain: Jebel Toubkal (4,165m) - Climb this mountain!
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for morocco from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 116/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Moderately Free | 89/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Difficult situation | 128/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 80/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 143/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Kingdom of Morocco Status: Independent Country
Population: 32,987,206 (rank: 38/196) Density: 73.8 people/sq km (rank: 106/196)
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
GDP (PPP): $180 billion GDP per capita: $5,500 (rank: 126/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.