 Where In The World?
Where in the World is Morocco?
 Its time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ships captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol . Get ready to travel the world!
If you find the longitude of 5 W and the latitude of 32 N on a globe, you will see Morocco. Morocco is south of Spain and is bordered by Algeria and Western Sahara. Morocco was once controlled by Spain, but France governed it starting in 1912. The country celebrates Independence Day on January 11, the day on which the country asked for independence from France in 1944.
Morocco did not become independent until March 2, 1956. Moroccos main language is Arabic, but the people speak French for business and government.
Morocco is a very mountainous country but also has plains where people farm. Morocco grows fruit, tea, soybeans and grains to sell to Europe. Farming is important but difficult because of the many droughts Morocco has. The country also produces 300 barrels of oil a day.
The government of Morocco is a constitutional monarch. There is a king and Parliament, and all people over age 18 can vote. The kingship is hereditary, which means one of the kings children or relatives will inherit the throne. The king chooses a prime minister. The capital city is Rabat.
Other interesting facts about Morocco:
98% of the population practice the Islamic religion.
Morocco has 60 airports, but only 26 have paved runways.
51% of Moroccans over 15 are literate, which means they can read and write.
Ashley Genova is a freelance writer from Fayetteville, NC.
Source: The World Factbook prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency.
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