Maroc in brief
Destination Maroc, a Nations Online country profile of the Arab kingdom in the western part of the Maghreb in North Africa, officially known as the Kingdom of Maroc.
The country borders the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north; it shares maritime borders with Portugal and Spain.
Maroc borders Algeria in the east and Western Sahara in the south. The non-self-governing territory, claimed by Maroc, borders Mauritania in the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara.
Maroc has a land border with Spain at the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the two populated Spanish territories on the African mainland.
The kingdom covers an area of 446,550 km² (excluding Western Sahara); compared, it is slightly smaller than Sweden or somewhat larger than California.
The country has a population of 36.3 million (in 2021); the capital city is Rabat, the largest city is Casablanca. Spoken languages are Arabic (official), several Berber dialects (Amazigh) and French.
Sports in Maroc
Football Like many countries, Maroc’s most popular sport is football. In fact, football is so important to the country that Maroc has now made five bids to host the Fifa World Cup. So far those bids have been unsuccessful, but they are trying again for 2030. But if you’re not planning your holidays that far ahead, what football can you see in Maroc today? Botola Pro is the professional football league for Maroc, home to 16 teams competing for the title. This league is the most-watched in Africa, broadcasting to an audience of around two billion people across 153 territories. Two of the top teams in Botola Pro to look out for are the current champions and runners up, Wydad AC and Raja Casablanca respectively.
Equestrian sport
Equestrian sports are big crowd-drawers in Maroc, split between the principles of dressage, jumping, and fantasia. Fantasia, also known as Tbourida, is a traditional horsemanship exhibition that you are most likely to see during cultural festivals and if you are lucky enough to attend a Maghrebi wedding.
One particular draw for horse lovers is the annual Salon Du Cheval, a six-day international horse festival that celebrates all things equestrian through shows and competitions. Plan your trip to Maroc in October if you want to be a part of this spectacle! Equestrian sport in Maroc is governed by the Royal Moroccan Equestrian Federation, so if you want to know which equestrian events to attend and when start here.
African Games
Maroc is hosting the African Games in 2019 and the African Para Games in 2020. These games will take place across a large number of stadiums and arenas throughout Maroc. With a similar format to the more-familiar Olympics, the African Games includes the disciplines of everything from athletics to shooting. So if you prefer competitive sports events instead of an individual sport, Maroc is a great place to head!
Hiking and Trekking
In Maroc, the four mountain ranges including the ATLAS chain and the RIF mountain range, provide an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy trekking, hiking and climbing. All of them are accessible to people in good physical condition. Perhaps the most popular is Le Deren, in the High Atlas. Certain peaks of the High Atlas remain snow-capped throughout the year.
Of all the mountain sports practiced in Maroc, trekking (on foot or by ski) is one of the best ways to appreciate this vast and little-visited area. The mountains are beautiful and wild, yet they are well organised for hikers with qualified guides, a good network of refuges for night stopovers, hire of pack mules and cross country bikes
Tennis
In Maroc, tennis is played on clay courts. Challenging and exciting play can be found at all major resorts where tennis is a very popular sport.
