Morocco

Geographical Features

The Kingdom of Morocco is located in the Northwest of Africa. It is bounded on the North by the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, on the South by Mauritania, on the East by Algeria and on the West by the Atlantic Ocean. The Kingdom covers a total surface area of 710 850 square kilometres. The Moroccan coastline extends over 3 500 kilometres. The capital city is Rabat. Major cities include Casablanca, Agadir, Fès, Marrakech, Meknès, Tangier, Tétouan and Laayoune.

The geographical location of the Kingdom of Morocco offers it a wide variety of geographical features stretching from the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, situated a few kilometres from Europe, right to the edge of the Sahara Desert.

Morocco enjoys an infinite variety of reliefs: mountains, coastline, desert, etc. Seen from the sky, the country which is hemmed in between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean presents a long strip of mountains stretching from East to West and then embeds itself in the sand up to the Mauritanian borders. The landscapes are very diverse: snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains, craggy Rif massifs full of ravines, dense oak and thuya forests of the Central Plateau, fertile plains of the Meseta, arid lands of the High Plateaus, semi-desert steppes and luxurious oases of the Souss Basin and Sahara sand dunes.

Each area has its native flora and wildlife, which are now protected to promote sustainable tourism development.

Climatic Conditions

The dominant climate in Morocco is Mediterranean, tempered in the West and the North by the Atlantic Ocean. The interior of the country has a more continental climate with major temperature shifts. The Atlas zone is humid with frequent snowing. The southern part has a desert climate. In winter, the climate in the mountainous regions of the South is often cold and humid (abundant snow on the Atlas Mountains).

The average annual sunshine per day in Agadir, Fès, Marrakech and Ouarzazate is more than 8 hours. The average temperature in these cities is above 17° C. Sometimes, the sirocco and chergui (a hot and dry east wind which raises temperatures) blow.

Each season has its specific advantages and level of sunshine. Therefore, travel is possible all year round, but spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit the imperial cities (Fès, Meknès and Marrakech). The best period to travel to the Sahara regions is between October and February. In August, the temperature on the edge of the Sahara, where dry and burning winds prevail, sometimes rises up to 45° C.

Currency and Exchange

The Moroccan currency is the Dirham (MAD), divided into 100 cents. The Moroccan Dirham may be imported and exported in amounts not exceeding MAD 2 000.

Foreign nationals who do not reside in Morocco may exchange foreign currencies imported freely against Dirhams in banks or institutions authorized to carry out foreign exchange transactions (hotels, bazaars, etc.).

Foreign nationals exchanging foreign currencies against dirhams should keep the exchange slip because it may be used to buyback foreign currencies with the rest of the Dirhams in their possession from a bank.

Telecommunications

International telephone lines allow for direct communication with all countries in the world from Marrakech. Internet and phone booth cards can be used for international calls. One can also obtain a mobile phone to use for the length of one’s stay in Morocco.

Voltage

Voltage: 220 V
Frequency: 50 Hz