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.

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!

Surfing

In Maroc, those who love to surf can endlessly indulge their pleasure. They can be carried along by the Atlantic waves or the trade winds, slide on the snowy slopes of the Atlas mountains or the dunes of the south.

Horse Riding

Maroc is an ideal country for horse lovers. The main riding centres can be found in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Meknes, Fez, Oujda, Ouirgane and Tangier.

Fishing

There are many opportunities for fishing in the quiet waters of the rivers and lakes throughout the country and well as deep sea fishing.
Trout can be fished in the wadis and more challenging in the gorges. Pike, black bass, perch, roach, carp, eels and barbels are plentiful in the lakes (the season generally being from May - June according to species).
Bonitos, sea perch, mullet, chad and sea bream are abundant in the Oceans. Several ports are equipped for deep sea fishing, for example Sakhla in the Sahara and Mohammedia near Casablanca, where you can go out and fish for tuna, swordfish, marlin, grouper and barracudas.