Background: In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily eroded; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in September 2003.
April 30th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca Casablanca ist ziemlich wie ich es mir vorgestellt habe. Breite Strassenschluchten durch den sich eine stählerne Lawine zwängt, umsäumt von kleineren Läden in denen es verschiedenste Dinge zu kaufen g ... [full story]
March 12th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca
So, after the Belize/Jamaica trip I went back to MN for 2 days. Enough time to do laundry, repack & head out again. This time...purely for holiday/vacation! One of my roommates, Becky & I ... 29 photos[full story]
March 3rd 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca The walk to the train station took no time at all and we bought the tickets with no problems. The train was comfortable even in second class; it puts England’s trains to shame. We arrived in Cas ... 31 photos[full story]
February 9th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca We had a break between the time when our intensive Spanish classes ended and before our regular classes began. At the beginning of the break our program took us to Sevilla for two days. That was a l ... [full story]
January 4th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca Rabat and Casablanca got placed on our agenda not so much because we wanted to see them as much as they were in our way, their positions on the Atlantic making them unavoidable if we wanted to follow ... 10 photos[full story]
January 29th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca We arrived on Jan 28 to Casablanca. It is warmer than NY and TO but certainly not scorching - it is a little damp being winter here. I apologize for the short entry, but I am using a keyboard that h ... 7 photos[full story]
January 26th 2008Africa » Morocco » Grand Casablanca » Casablanca So we have all heard of Casablanca. Humphry Bogart running a bar in French Morocco and hanging out with the ex-pats. Its a sultry image, a stylish and cosmopolitan enclave in Africa. In reality, Casab ... 12 photos[full story]
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