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| | Need to Know | Capital City Rabat | | Tipping 10-15% | | Electricity 220V | | Weights and Measurements Metric system |
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People & Language
The majority of Moroccans are Berber, Arab, or a mixture of both. Due to intermingling between the two communities, they are losing their distinctive-ness, especially in the cities. The Berbers have traditionally lived in the mountains and deserts of Morocco. They speak three main dialects – Amazigh, Chleuh and Riffian. Before the creation of Israel, there was also a significant Jewish minority which settled in Morocco after having escaped the persecution in Spain during the Reconquista. The Jews in Morocco presently number around 30,000. A number of sub-Saharan Africans have settled down (especially in southern Morocco) over the centuries. Initially brought as slaves, many have stayed on to make Morocco their home. The high rate of population growth (more than 2%) remains one of the biggest problems in Morocco today.
Arabic is the official language, but spoken Moroccan Arabic (Drama) is very different from its Middle Eastern counterpart. French and Spanish are also spoken in the cities. The main Berber dialects are Amazigh spoken in the Middle Atlas area, Chleuh in the High Atlas and Riffian in the Riffian Mountains.
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Religion
The majority religion is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. The Moroccan version of Islam is far from orthodox, and there is a great degree of variation in everyday practice. In big cities like Casablanca, there is no strict segregation of the sexes of the kind found in other Muslim countries. There is also a tiny Jewish minority.
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Food
During your stay in Morocco, your taste buds will quite likely be in for an extremely pleasant surprise as many popular Moroccan dishes are simply delicious. One internationally renowned chef called Moroccan cuisine ‘one of the truly great cuisines in the world’. Rich spices such as cumin, coriander, saffron, chillies, dried ginger, cinnamon and paprika are used in every Moroccan kitchen. Not the Mediterranean taste for mild, tame food here, fiery dishes stand out in the menu. Take the spices back with you if you like - buy the Harissa and Ras el Hanout, mixtures of 10 to 100 spices. Each vendor has his own special recipe that has remained in their family for generations and no two tastes alike!
Pastilla is the national dish in Morocco – this is a delicious flaky pastry that has sweet and savoury flavours– it can be stuffed with chicken or pigeon meat and is served with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon to boot. The combination of sweet and salty flavours gives it an unbeatable edge and is what makes it so interesting to the palate.
A widely available cheap-and-filling dish is Harira, a lentil based broth with meat stock and vegetables, the traditional soup for Ramadan. Tagine is a meat and vegetable stew cooked with slow TLC (tender loving care!) in an earthenware pot. Couscous (granular semolina) with meat, vegetables and a spicy sauce is a national favourite, and the one Moroccan dish you are most likely to have come across outside of the country. Lamb is the most popular meat followed by chicken and pigeon. Grilled lamb brochettes and roast chicken frites (French fries) are also common. Lemon preserved in a salt-lemon juice adds a special flavour to many chicken and pigeon dishes across Morocco. Fish is served grilled or stewed with savoury nuts as topping. Seafood is plentiful along the coast and fresh and dry fruit are popular desserts.
A special note must be made of the incredible range of sweets available in Morocco – these include sinful French pastries and more traditional Moroccan sweetmeats.
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Culture & Crafts
Moroccan culture, especially in its cities, is essentially a living example of liberal Islam. There is a strong influence of Berber folk traditions in the everyday practice of Islam. The two main ethnic groups are Arab and Berber, although in the cities, intermingling between the two communities has been on the rise, therefore it is not always possible to tell them apart.
Moroccan crafts are often exquisite examples of skills nurtured and handed down over generations. Indeed, the cities of Fes and Marakech have still-functioning craft workshops where young apprentices are trained. The tourist industry is crucial to keeping many of these workshops alive. Morocco’s main craft exports are leather, carpets, woodwork and brass work.
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 | Where in the world are you going to travel to in the year 2011? Below is a list of the ... | | | | | |
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Travel Tools
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