Morocco Essay -- essays research papers

Morocco,is a country in the northwestern corner of Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The auditory sensation of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, separates Morocco from Spain by only about 8 miles (13 kilometers). Fertile plains deception along Moroccos coasts, and forested mountains stretch across the middle of the country from southwest to northeast. Beyond the mountains lies a sun-baked desert, the Sahara. Rabat is Moroccos capital, and Casablanca is the largest city. Nearly all Moroccans be of assorted Arab and Spanish descent. only if the volume make up two straightforward ethnic groups--Arab and Spanish--depending mainly on whether they speak Arabic or Spanish. closely all Moroccans be Muslims. Farming is the chief occupation, and more than half the people live in rural areas. France and Spain controlled Morocco from the early 1900s until it won emancipation in 1956.Morocco is a constitutional monarchy headed by a king. Its Constitution gives the king large powers. For example, he commands the armed forces, may issue orders that have the force of law, and controls the study government agencies. The day-to-day work of Moroccos government is carried out by a prime minister and a Cabinet of other ministers, all official by the king. The Chamber of Representatives makes Moroccos laws. Its 306 members serve six-year terms. The people elect two-thirds of the members. The rest are chosen by representatives of topical anaesthetic governments, professional organizations, and other groups. All citizens who are 20 years of age or older may vote.Morocco is divide into 35 provinces and 6 prefectures. Rabat makes up one prefecture, and Casablanca the other five. A governor appointed by the king heads each province and prefecture. The provinces are further divided into smaller units. The national government controls all local governments.Moroccos Istiqlal (Independ ence) Party promotes the spread of Arab culture and reforms based on Islamic teachings. The coalescency Socialiste des Forces Populaires (Socialist Union of Popular Forces) backs broad socialist reforms. The conservative Mouvement Populaire (Popular Movement) mainly supports the kings policies. Other political parties in Morocco ... ...r. Mauritania also wanted parts of the area. But the Polisario Front, an organization in Spanish Sahara, demanded independence. In 1976, Spain gave up the area to Morocco and Mauritania. Morocco claimed the northerly part, and Mauritania the southern. The area came to be called Western Sahara. The Polisario Front continued to demand independence for Western Sahara. Fighting broke out between the Front and promenade from Morocco and Mauritania. Algeria and Libya provided military aid to the Front. In 1979, Mauritania gave up its claim to Western Sahara. Morocco so claimed the entire area. Fighting between Morocco and the Polisario Front continued. The cost of the fighting in Western Sahara drained the economy of Morocco. The economy also suffered when the world mart price of phosphate rock, Moroccos chief export, dropped sharply in the 1980s. A armistice between Moroccan forces and those of the Polisario Front was declared in September 1991. The cease-fire plan also called for a referendum (direct vote) to determine whether Western Sahara would become autarkical or a part of Morocco.