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Morocco - a short history

While modern-day Morocco can offer all the facilities and infrastructure of a fast-expanding emerging economy, the country is ancient and draws on a diverse range of cultures.

The Berber people were the indigenous inhabitants of Morocco, and lived as tribes with no one particular tribe controlling the entire country. Following various attacks by Phoenicians and Carthaginians, the country came under Roman rule, as did much of neighbouring Europe. When the Romans departed, the area was eventually settled by both Jews and Moors from Spain, and cultural influences can still be seen in cities such as Marrakech.

As with many countries during the middle ages, Morocco was subject to assaults and campaigns from more powerful regions, and there were expeditions by the Portuguese to take control of the Atlantic coast as Morocco itself prized for its strategic position and access to the Mediterranean. France has also been a key influence on the country and many of the inhabitants of Morocco speak French to this day. Eventually pressure from the Sultan of Morocco to achieve independence led to Spain and France relinquishing their holdings, and the country finally became independent in 1956.

More recently, Morocco’s increasing political stability has enabled the country to achieve further economic expansion and the country was granted Major non-NATO ally status by the US a few years ago. Morocco now has free trade agreements with both the US and the EU and is a key focus for investors keen to capitalise on the growth prospects of such a dynamic emerging economy.

A climate of warmth and sunshine One of the most attractive features of the country is that despite its proximity to Europe and its position in the Northern Hemisphere, it is warm during the winter and offers gorgeous sunshine during the summer. Such weather is particularly attractive to tourists from the colder climes of Northern Europe.

Of course, the climate within the country varies according to the diverse nature of the terrain. The Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts are renowned for their mild climate. Marrakech enjoys a long, hot summer and a relatively short winter, which is good news for tourists. The further inland you go, the more interesting the climate gets. It’s no surprise that you can find weather just about as hot as could be expected by the time you reach inland to the Moroccan Sahara, while the temperature in the Atlas Mountains can be cool enough for snow.