Climate Of Morocco, Moroccan Weather

Climate Of Morocco, Moroccan Weather.

Weather:

The dominating weather in Morocco is Mediterranean, temperate in the west and the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Inside the country, the weather is more continental with significant differences of temperature. The Atlas area is very humid, it snows frequently. The south has a desert weather.

Climatology:

Nestling on the northwestern tip of Africa, Morocco is part of the subtropical zone. It is exposed in the summer to the conditions of the warm dry zone and  to the fresh,wet and moderate conditions in the winter, the climatological data registered by the meteorological stations in Morocco is received by the Direction of National Meteorology, the main received information concern: temperature, precipitation and sunstroke.

Temperature

 The registered temperature is that which is taken by means of a thermometer sheltered in about two meters underground, absolute minimal temperature is the lowest daily minimal temperatures (the daily minimal temperature is the lowest temperature taken between 6 pm and 6 pm the next day).

Precipitations

They are measured between 6 am and 6 am the next day by means of a pluviometer placed in 1,5 m above the ground. A millimeter height of water amounts to 1 liter of water per square meter, precipitation day: it is the day when the quantity of precipitations registered by the pluviometer is equal to at least 0,1 mm height.

Sunstroke

The duration of sunstroke, expressed in hours, is measured by means of a heliograph. The legal time in Morocco lasts between 0 am till 12 pm from midnight. It is equal to the civil time of the Greenwich meridian.

THE TOURISM IN MOROCCO

THE TOURISM IN MOROCCO
Tourism in Morocco is well developed, with a strong tourist industry focused on the country's coast, culture, and history. Morocco has been one of the most politically stable countries in North Africa, which has allowed tourism to develop. The Moroccan government created a Ministry of Tourism in 1985

In the second half of the 1980s and the early 1990s, between 1 and 1.5 million Europeans visited Morocco. Most of these visitors were French or Spanish, with about 100,000 each from Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Tourists mostly visited large beach resorts along the Atlantic coast, particularly Agadir. About 20,000 people from Saudi Arabia visited, some of whom bought holiday homes. Receipts from tourism fell by 16.5% in 1990, the year the Gulf War began. In 1994, Algeria closed its border with Morocco after being falsely accused of the Marrakech attack, this caused the number of Algerian visitors to fall considerably; there were 70,000 visitors in 1994 and 13,000 in 1995, compared to 1.66 million in 1992 and 1.28 million in 1993. In 2008 there were 8 million tourist arrivals, compared with about 7.4 million in 2007 i.e. a 7% growth compared to 2007 30% of the tourists in 2008 were one of the 3.8 million Moroccans living abroad. Most of the visitors to Morocco continue to be European, with French nationals making up almost 20% of all visitors. Most Europeans visit in April and the autumn, apart from the Spanish, who mostly visit in June and August.
While Morocco was a French Protectorate (from 1912 to 1956) tourism was focused on urban areas such as the Mediterranean cities of Tangier and Casablanca. Tangier attracted many writers, such as Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. There was a period of beach resort development at places such as Agadir on the Atlantic coast in the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
Tourism is increasingly focused on Morocco's culture, such as its ancient cities. The modern tourist industry capitalizes on Morocco's ancient Roman and Islamic sites, and on its landscape and cultural history. 60% of Morocco's tourists visit for its culture and heritage.[2] The country's attractions can be divided into seven regions: Tangier and the surrounding area; Agadir and its beach resorts; Marrakech; Casablanca; the Imperial cities; Ouarzazate; and Tarfaya and its beach resorts.

Moroccan Arts

Moroccan Arts

Morocco is a multi ethnic country of  (Arabs, Berbers, Phoenicians, Romans, Jews, Sub Saharan Africans) with a very rich Moroccan culture which have had a big impact on the Moroccan art scene. Each Moroccan region offers its own heritage, culture, customs and unique artistic forms contributing to rich cultural heritage.  

There is a yearly event for Moroccan Arts hosted at  Casablanca International Art Fair. Several international artists use Morocco as an inspirational ground like well known French artist Matisse. Authentic Berber Arts and Moroccan arts can be seen at Municipal Amazigh Museum, museums in Rabat, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah at Essaouira, and Maison Tiskiwin- Bert Flint Museum . 

Lifestyle in Morocco

Lifestyle in Morocco
Morocco is a developing nation and in many ways can be seen as a culmination of tradition and modernization.  For example, it is common in Morocco to see donkeys or horses pulling wagons or goods even in urban areas.  At the same time, large cities have cinemas and fashion boutiques.  In Morocco a souk is a marketplace.  Produce, spice and clothing are sold in stalls often in long alleyways off the city’s main square.  Bartering is common in the marketplace as prices are rarely posted.  

An upsetting fact is that many Moroccans, especially in rural areas, live in extreme poverty.  One in five Moroccans lives below the poverty line.  This is mainly because of the harsh terrain in some areas of Morocco.  Due to its geography and terrain there is not an ample supply of water in Morocco.  Morocco has often faced the hardship of significant droughts.  

Most of the water that is available is irrigated for agriculture, leaving a limited supply for use by the people.  In rural areas it is common for Moroccans to walk great distances for water.  

Typically the poorest people are those who live in rural areas that do not have access to fertile land or irrigation.  Many organizations including the World Bank and International Monetary fund have implemented policies to help alleviate this problem.  There has been significant progress in reducing poverty in Morocco, but it still remains one of the nation’s greatest challenges.  

While many Moroccans reside in cities some Moroccans, mainly in the desert region, are nomadic.  Some Berber tribes have a long tradition of moving around the Sahara.  As one would expect in the hot temperatures of the Sahara, water is a necessity.  There are wells in throughout the desert in Morocco.  However, often only the Berber people that reside in the desert know how and where to locate them.   Cars, though typically older models, are used to navigate in cities and throughout the country.

Travel

There are several modes of transportation in Morocco.  There is a railway system which connects cities in the areas to the north and west of the mountains.  The lager cities in Morocco have airports which allow travelers to travel domestically or internationally.  Ferries are a typical means of transportation between Spain and Morocco.  Livestock are used to transport goods in and around cities and in rural areas.


If one wants to travel from the north to the desert regions in southern Morocco it is common to take a series of taxis.  Taxis in Morocco are typically older style Mercedes that travel from one town/city to another. One must change taxis several times if traveling long distances as there are laws prohibiting drivers from going into regions other than the one from which they originate.  A taxi driver typically waits in a designated area of the city until he has a full car load, 7 people in most instances. This can get to be quite a hot journey considering the taxi is typically over capacity and most taxis do not have air conditioning.  Each passenger pays the driver his share upfront.  If a passenger does not want to wait for other passengers to make a ‘full taxi’ he must pay the driver for the empty seats.
As one might expect, camels are the preferred mode of transportation in the Sahara. They have a tremendous capacity to travel long distances in extreme conditions without water. They can carry heavy loads, and are adept to traveling through high winds and heat.  Their eyelids have long hairs on the end which allow them to see and navigate even in the Sahara’s infamous sandstorms.  Because of their great usefulness in the desert, camels are expensive by Moroccan standards.

ECONOMY OF MOROCCO

ECONOMY OF MOROCCO
Morocco's economy is considered a liberal economy governed by the law of supply and demand although certain economic sectors still remain in the hands of the government.

The economic system of the country presents several facets. It is characterized by a large opening towards the outside. France remains the first trade partner (supplier and customer) of Morocco. France is also the first creditor and foreign investor in Morocco.

We can quote the various agreements of free trade that Morocco ratified with its principal economic partners like The Euro-Mediterranean free trade area agreement with the European Union with the objective of integrating the European Free Trade Association at the horizons of 2012; the Agadir Agreement, signed with Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia, within the framework of the installation of the Arab Zone of Free Exchange; the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement with USA which came into force in January 1, 2006 and lately the agreement of free exchange with Turkey. (See section below)

Macro-economic trend

Morocco is a fairly stable economy with continuous growth over the past half-a-century. Current GDP per capita grew 47% in the Sixties reaching a peak growth of 274% in the Seventies. However this proved unsustainable and growth scaled back sharply to just 8.2% in the Eighties and 8.9% in the Nineties.

This is a chart of trend of gross domestic product of Morocco at market prices estimated by the International Monetary Fund with figures in millions of Moroccan Dirhams.

Year  Gross Domestic Product US Dollar Exchange Inflation Index (2000=100)

1980    74,090                     3.93 Dirhams          33
1985    129,507                  10.06 Dirhams         53
1990    212,819                  8.24 Dirhams           67
1995    281,702                  8.54 Dirhams           91
2000    354,208                  10.62 Dirhams        100
2005    460,855                  8.86 Dirhams          107
For purchasing power parity comparisons, the US Dollar is exchanged at 3.33 Dirhams only.

Since the early 1980s the Moroccan government has pursued an economic program toward these objectives with the support of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Paris Club of creditors. The country's currency, the dirham, is now fully convertible for current account transactions; reforms of the financial sector have been implemented; and state enterprises are being privatized.

Drought conditions depressed activity in the key agricultural sector, and contributed to an economic slowdown in 1999. Favourable rainfalls have led Morocco to predict a growth of 6% for 2000. Formidable long-term challenges include: servicing the external debt; preparing the economy for freer trade with the EU; and improving education and attracting foreign investment to improve living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youthful population.

Macroeconomic stability coupled with relatively slow economic growth characterize the Moroccan economy over the past several years. The present government has introduced a number of important economic reforms over the past several years. The economy, however, remains overly dependent on the agriculture sector. Morocco's primary economic challenge is to accelerate growth in order to reduce high levels of unemployment.

Through a foreign exchange rate anchor and well-managed monetary policy, Morocco has held inflation rates to industrial country levels over the past decade. Inflation in 2000 and 2001 were below 2%. Despite criticism among exporters that the dirham has become badly overvalued, the current account deficit remains modest. Foreign exchange reserves are strong, with more than $7 billion in reserves at the end of 2001. The combination of strong foreign exchange reserves and active external debt management gives Morocco the capacity to service its debt. Current external debt stands at about $19 billion.

Economic growth, however, has been erratic and relatively slow, partially as a result of an over-reliance on the agriculture sector. Agriculture production is extremely susceptible to rainfall levels and ranges from 13% to 20% of GDP. Given that almost 50% of Morocco's population depends directly on agriculture production, droughts have a severe knock-on effect to the economy. Two successive years of drought led to a 0.7% decline in real GDP in 1999 and stagnation in 2000. Better rains during the 2000 to 2001 growing season led to an estimated 6% growth rate in 2001. Over the long term, Morocco will have to diversify its economy away from agriculture to develop a more stable economic basis for growth.

The strongest point of Moroccan industry is phosphate mining near Khouribga and in Western Sahara. Morocco controls approximately two thirds of the world's phosphate reserves, placing it in a higher league than its major competitors, the People's Republic of China, Russia, and the United States. Although it employs only 2% of the population, phosphate mining is responsible for half of the nation's income.

The current government has introduced a series of structural reforms in recent years. The most promising reforms have been in the liberalization of the telecommunications sector. This process started with the sale of a second GSM license in 1999. In 2001, the process continued with the privatization of 35% of the state operator Maroc Telecom. Morocco has announced plans to sell two fixed licenses in 2002. Morocco also has liberalized rules for oil and gas exploration and has granted concessions for many public services in major cities. The tender process in Morocco is becoming increasingly transparent. Many believe, however, that the process of economic reform must be accelerated in order to reduce urban unemployment below the current rates above 20%.

Morocco has signed Free Trade Agreements with the United States of America and the European Union. The agreement with the United States has been ratified on July 22, 2004 in the United States Senate, by a vote of 85 to 13, while the agreement with the EU is to take effect by 2010.

Amizmiz Town Pictures

Amizmiz Morocco

Amizmiz is a small town in Morocco approximately 55 kilometers south of Marrakech. It lies at the foot of the High Atlas mountain range.

Its population of approximately 11,000  consists mainly of Berbers of Chleuh origin who speak the amazigh dialect. Its weekly souk every Tuesday is well known in the area.

Geographically and economically, Amizmiz acts as a juncture point between the many small Berber villages in the surrounding area. The weekly souk is an important part of this economic role, as individual Berber farmers from the hills surrounding Amizmiz bring their produce and livestock to sell and, in return, purchase packaged food items like tea and sugar—items brought in from Marrakech .

Ait Ben Haddou Region Pictures

Ait Ben Haddou Morocco

Aït Benhaddou‎ is a fortified city, or ksar, along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is situated in Souss-Massa-Drâa on a hill along the Ounila River and is known for its kasbahs, although they take damage with each rainstorm. Most of the town's inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; however, eight families still live within the ksar.

 

 THE TOURISM IN THE REGION