Morocco
Where is Morocco?
Between Maghreb and Africa, a step away from Europe. Behind this simple question lie incredible anecdotes. Let’s find out where Morocco is!
Morocco, a gateway to Africa
If you ask a Moroccan where Morocco is, he will never tell you that it is in Africa. Behind such a simple and innocent question could be a real state case!
But before telling you this typically Moroccan anecdote, it is only fair that we clear up any misunderstandings by giving priority to geography.
According to science
If we open a map, we will see that below Europe, separated by the Mediterranean Sea, lies the African continent. At its far left end, there is a curved corner that almost touches Spain.
And yes, that is Morocco!
As you can see, the west coast of the country is totally washed by the Atlantic Ocean, while the north coast is washed by the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. Algeria defines the borders to the west, while to the south (apart from the Sahara) we find Mauritania.
So, for geographical science, Morocco is part of the African continent, and it is on this point that our popular anecdote focuses.
According to the Moroccans
While for science, Morocco is in Africa, for a large part of the Moroccan population, Morocco is in the Maghreb.
The term the Maghreb refers to a geographical region in the west of North Africa that includes the states of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. These three states define themselves as Arab, i.e. countries where the official and majority language is Arabic.
The word the Maghreb in Arabic means “place where the sun sets” precisely because it is located in the western part of the Arab countries. In fact, the eastern part is called Mashrek, which means “where the sun rises”.
The reasons why Moroccans feel more Maghrebi than Africans are due to a sense of linguistic and religious belonging that unites them with other Arab countries.
This is now a concept that belongs mostly to the older generation and has no discriminatory connotations. The new generations have a much broader and more global sense of belonging.
A step away from Europe
Morocco has a truly strategic geographical position, because it overlooks the second busiest sea stretch in the world.
The Strait of Gibraltar allows Morocco to be the closest African country to Europe. In fact, with a minimum length of only 14 km, the Strait of Gibraltar is the closest point of proximity between Europe and Africa.
Well, now you have the full picture of where Morocco is and you will be prepared for a statement like: “We Moroccans are not African, we are Maghrebi!”
How to travel in Morocco:
The best way to travel in Morocco is to travel with a local travel agency, and I recommend ” Morocco Tour Operator” agency, it is one of the best travel agencies in Morocco, they have comfortable transportation, good English and Spanish speaking guides…
