Morocco
Kingdom of Morocco Al Maghrib Northern Africa AREA 277K mi²; 717K km² ARABLE 15% POP 37.7M (136/mi²; 53/km²) GOV’T Parliamentary constitutional monarchy CAPITAL Rabat (2M) GDP/CAPITA $9,100 UNEMPLOYMENT 9% IN POVERTY 4% % WEALTH HELD BY TOP 10% 32% LIFE EXP 74 years MEDIAN AGE 31 yrs INFANT MORT 18/1K live births (83rd) LITERACY 77% INTERNET USERS 91% LANGUAGES Arabic, Tamazight (both official), other Berber languages, French (business, government, diplomacy) RELIGIONS Muslim 99% (official; predominantly Sunni), other 1% HEALTH 6% of GDP EDUCATION 6% of GDP MILITARY 4% of GDP GDP BY SECTOR Agriculture 11%, industry 27%, services 61% PCVs 1963–present CURRENT: Yes, TTD: >5,000 |  Morocco A devoted father shares a tender moment with his daughter after he has checked the water for their garden and household needs. Water is the most precious resource and is used extremely carefully. Like many modern Berbers, or Amazigh, this family is no longer nomadic. Their house is close to the village of Mergouza, near the high Erg Chebbi sand dunes on the northwestern edge of the Sahara Desert. The white of his cotton turban, or tikarzit, and his long shirt, or djellaba, symbolizes moral qualities and good fortune. Berber clothing designs vary by tribe, but many include the Yaz, a stylized stick figure that signifies the free spirit of the Amazigh people. |
Adult Books
Living in Your Light
By Abdellah Taïa, translator Emma Ramadan
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Seven Stories Press, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 144 pages
ISBN-10: 1644214539
ISBN-13: 978-1644214534
Goodreads Ratings: 3.8/5 | Amazon Ratings: 4.2/5
Summary:
Featuring an unbreakable female character, Malika, at the center of a triptych of stories that illustrate how her quest to survive has compromised her capacity for understanding. The novel spans three moments in Malika’s life from 1954 to 1999—from French colonization to the death of King Hassan II.
“An absorbing story told in melancholy retrospect by a compelling woman caught repeatedly in the riptide of colonial power and still somehow swimming indomitably toward the shore of a life lived on her terms.” —Diane Josefowicz, Necessary Fiction
The French version was shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt in 2022.
Kids' Books
Golden Threads
By Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, illustrated by Hagar Ophir, designed by Haitham Haddad
Publisher: Ayin Press, 2025
Format: 124 pgs, illus.
ISBN-10: 1961814218
ISBN-13: 978-1961814219
Age Range: 8–12 yrs.
Summary:
Rachelle lives in a Jewish neighborhood (mellah) in Fès, Morocco, in the 1920s. When rumors spread that a machine will soon arrive and threaten their traditional way of life, people of the neighborhood band together to stop its arrival.
“For families yearning to see a time when Jews and Muslims lived together, supported each other, and celebrated the work of artisans, Golden Threads is one of the few that succeeds in portraying such a time.” —Lorelei R. Brush, Historical Novel Society
Films
Film: Razzia
Director: Nabil Ayouch
Genre: Drama
Release Date: 2017
Language: Moroccan Arabic, Berber, French
Run Time: 119 minutes
Synopsis: The streets of Casablanca provide the centerpiece for five separate narratives that all collide into one.
Reviews: “A complex and involving compound portrait of the upheaval caused by creeping theocracy… brimming with visual and emotional rewards… a must for viewers interested in brave filmmaking intent on examining the underpinnings of current events.” —Lisa Nesselson, Screen Daily
Available: Prime Video\
Music
ElGrandeToto: Diplomatico
