The country of Morocco was originally inhabited by the Berbers, people indigenous to the west Nile Valley and Northern Africa. In the 7th century A.D., Morocco was invaded by the Arabs, who brought Islam. The two groups attempted to invade Spain in 711, but the Berbers – tired of being second class citizens – turned on the Arabs and gained control of large portions of Moorish Spain. They were later forced out in the 13th century.
Morocco was a Barbary state in the 17th and 18th centuries, a headquarters for the pirates who sailed the Mediterranean Sea. Around 1840, the French and Spanish colonized it, but had many territory disputes. Finally, in 1904, they divided the country into zones. France controlled most of the regions, leaving a tiny southwestern area to Spain. Germany tried to get in on the colonization in 1905, which nearly led to a war in Europe. The Algeciras Conference in 1906 limited France’s hold on Morocco.
In 1956, Morocco gained independence from Spain and France. Morocco’s government became what is known as a constitutional monarchy or ‘Hassanian Government’, named after King Hassan, which gave the people political freedom while under the rule of a monarch.
Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since the 1970’s. Western Sahara was formerly Spanish Sahara and was the small portion of Morocco that Spain had ruled. After the Spanish relinquished it in 1976, Morocco and another country, Mauritania, flooded to Western Sahara. Morocco has completely occupied it since 1979, when Mauritania left the country. The Polisario Group has fought for the independence of Western Sahara since 1976. Although the UN agreed on a cease-fire in 1991, the current king of Morocco, Muhammed VI, has said that Morocco “will not renounce an inch of it”. Morocco has, in fact, been opposed to the treaty for the last decade.
Terrorists attacked Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, on May 16, 2003. There were also bombings in 2004 and a sudden surge of suicide bombings in 2007.
Morocco was a Barbary state in the 17th and 18th centuries, a headquarters for the pirates who sailed the Mediterranean Sea. Around 1840, the French and Spanish colonized it, but had many territory disputes. Finally, in 1904, they divided the country into zones. France controlled most of the regions, leaving a tiny southwestern area to Spain. Germany tried to get in on the colonization in 1905, which nearly led to a war in Europe. The Algeciras Conference in 1906 limited France’s hold on Morocco.
In 1956, Morocco gained independence from Spain and France. Morocco’s government became what is known as a constitutional monarchy or ‘Hassanian Government’, named after King Hassan, which gave the people political freedom while under the rule of a monarch.
Morocco has occupied Western Sahara since the 1970’s. Western Sahara was formerly Spanish Sahara and was the small portion of Morocco that Spain had ruled. After the Spanish relinquished it in 1976, Morocco and another country, Mauritania, flooded to Western Sahara. Morocco has completely occupied it since 1979, when Mauritania left the country. The Polisario Group has fought for the independence of Western Sahara since 1976. Although the UN agreed on a cease-fire in 1991, the current king of Morocco, Muhammed VI, has said that Morocco “will not renounce an inch of it”. Morocco has, in fact, been opposed to the treaty for the last decade.
Terrorists attacked Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, on May 16, 2003. There were also bombings in 2004 and a sudden surge of suicide bombings in 2007.
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