Morocco: Land of Diversity, Culture, and Commerce.

Byline: Mohammed Karmoune

AT the north-west corner of Africa, just 15 km away from Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco enjoys a strategically important geographical location. For centuries, the country has been a blend of cultures. Arab, Berber, European and African influences are all part of the country's unique heritage. Morocco has become famous world- wide thanks to its interaction with the world, its dynamic Diaspora and the millions of tourists who visit the country. Morocco is North Africa's only monarchy, which enjoys political stability and inclusive political participation.

The country's long tradition as an international trading center continues, with a relatively open economy that has drawn in foreign investment and become one of Europe's major trading partners in Africa. Diplomatically, Morocco's pragmatic approach has won it a range of allies and partnerships, from its strong commercial and security ties with the EU, USA, Gulf countries, Brazil to a burgeoning relationship with China, India and Russia. Geography Moroccan territory covers an area of 710,850 square kilometers, a little bigger than Texas and around twice the size of Germany. Its coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean totals 3500 km.

Morocco has land borders of just over 2000 km with Algeria, the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla (plus the tiny rock of Penon de Velez de la Gomera) and Mauretania. The kingdom's political capital is Rabat, on the Atlantic coast. The economic center is Casablanca, the largest city, with a population of nearly 3.36 million. Other major cities include Fez, the former royal capital in the center-north of the country, Tangiers, at the mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar and the historic gateway to Europe and Marrakech, another former imperial city and a popular tourist destination. Rabat's sister city of Sale, across the Bouregreg River from the capital, is another important population center. Economy Morocco benefits from its well-developed manufacturing sector, mining industry, agricultural output, proximity to Europe, sizable diaspora community, low labor costs and market-oriented public policy. Its economy is well diversified, in comparison to other countries in the MENA region.

Trade and Investment Landscape Tourism is a substantial contributor to Morocco's economy, generating a revenue of $10bn(2022). The agricultural sector which accounts for 6% of Morocco's GDP, can be susceptible to variations in...