Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Corsican, Portuguese, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cuisines. The cuisine of Morocco has been influenced by the native Berber cuisine, the Arabic Andalusian cuisine brought by the Moriscos when they left Spain, the Turkish cuisine from the Turks and the Middle Eastern cuisines brought by the Arabs, as well as Jewish cuisine.

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Chicken is the most widely eaten meat in Morocco. The most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco is beef; lamb is preferred, but is relatively expensive. Couscous is the most famous Moroccan dish along with pastilla, tajine, and harira. The most popular drink is green tea with mint. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.

Morocco has been in its history by different cultures. Excavations were relics of the Phoenician, Greek, Carthaginian and Roman civilizations discovered. The Arabs led in Morocco a written language, which is still in business and cultural area dominates. West African cultural influences, especially in dance, arrived on trade links to the country.

In Morocco are several cultural monuments to the list of UNESCO World Heritage site were taken. These include the towns of Fez, Meknes and Marrakesh, the fortified town of Ait-Ben-Haddou, the Medina of Tetouan (Titawin) and Essouira (Mogador) and the excavation site Volubilis.

The education of 9 years was introduced in 1963. There are fewer girls than boys at the school participated, with all but the ratio gradually aligned. The enrollment rate is around 80 percent, a rate of 100 percent is the goal of the Moroccan education policy. At secondary school age attend 39.3 percent of all children in the classroom. Instruction is Arabic, in secondary schools is also in the French language. The literacy level is despite strong promotion of education only at 52.6 percent.

Traditional education is at the University of Al-Qarawiyin taught in Fez, which already 859 AD was founded. Modern education is the Mohammed V University (founded in 1957) in Rabat, the Mohammed Ben Abdellah University (1974) in Fez, the Cadi Ayyad University, (1978) in Marrakesh, the Hassan II University (1976) in Casablanca and Mohammed I. University (1978) in Oujda and the private Al-Akawein University in Ifrane. In Rabat are also higher for the fine arts, management sciences, agriculture and economy, and in Tetouan, there is a university for folk art and craft, was founded in 1921.

The full Arabic name Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiya translates to “The Western Kingdom.” Al-Maghrib (meaning “The West”) is commonly used. For historical references, medieval Arab historians and geographers used to refer to Morocco as Al-Maghrib al Aqşá (“The Farthest West”), disambiguating it from neighboring historical regions called al-Maghrib al Awsat (“The Middle West”, Algeria) and al-Maghrib al Adna (“The Nearest West”, Tunisia).

The Latinized name “Morocco” originates from medieval Latin “Morroch,” which referred to the name of the former Almoravid and Almohad capital, Marrakech.^[5] The Persians straightforwardly call it “Marrakech”while the Turks call it “Fas” which comes from the ancient Idrisid and Marinid capital, Fès.

The word “Marrakech” is presumably derived from the Berber word Mur-Akush meaning Land of God.

On the northern coast the weather is tourist-friendly pretty much all year round, although winter can bring cool and wet conditions. Beaches further south are prone to fog in the summer months, a phenomenon caused when the heat of the desert meets the chill Atlantic current. In the lowlands, the cooler months from October to April are popular among visitors. This time of year is pleasantly warm to hot (around 30°C) during the day and cool to cold (around 15°C) at night. Winter in the higher regions demands some serious insulation. If you’re heading into the hills, the ski season usually lasts from December to March. April to October is the main trekking season, when the mountain snows start to thaw. In high season (mid-June-mid-September) you’ll need to book or you may find areas full.

Rabat (Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ), population 1.7 million (2007 estimate), is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region.

The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat’s bedroom community. Together the two cities account for a population of 1.7 million. Unfortunately, silting problems have diminished the city’s role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations (see Salé).

In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.

Morocco (Arabic: المغرب‎ “al-Maghrib”), officially the Kingdom of Morocco^[2] (Arabic: المملكة المغربية‎), is a country in North Africa with a population of 33,757,175. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south.^[3]

Morocco is the only African country that is not currently a member of the African Union. However, it is a member of the Arab League at present, Arab Maghreb Union, the Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77, and is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.