Morocco
Kingdom of Morocco المملكة المغربية | |
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 Flag | |
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| Capital and largest city | Fez |
| Official languages | Arabic Spanish |
| Other languages | Berber dialects Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Berber Ladino |
| Lingua franca | Darija |
| Demonym | Moroccan |
| Government | Semi-Constitutional Monarchy |
| Establishment | Dilaite Dynasty - 1659
Spanish Protectorate - 1892 Ceuta Accords - 1933 |
| Currency | Moroccan Rial |
Morocco (Arabic:المغرب), officially the Kingdom of Morocco (Arabic: المملكة المغربية, Spanish: Reino de Marruecos, Berber: tageldit n Amerruk or Ayt Idilla), occasionally referred to as Mauretania, is a country in northwest Africa.
History
Dilaite Expansion (1850s - 1892)
In the second half of the 19th century the Dilaite Dynasty of Morocco began a series of campaigns aimed at expanding the kingdom and asserting their rule over its numerous tributaries, with the aim of securing its position in the face of growing European interests in Africa.
The cost of these campaigns left Morocco at the edge of bankruptcy, and the government struggled to maintain any sense of order in the newly acquired regions, many of which came under the control of their local governors, acting as independent chieftains.
Spanish Protectorate (1892 - 1933)
From the 1870s the Moroccan state increasingly fell under Spanish influence. Morocco had long been the target of Spanish colonial ambitions, as Spain desired control of both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. Seeing the internal instability of Morocco as an opportunity, in 1892 the Spanish presented an offer to the Dilaite Sultan. Facing unrest at home and open revolt in the recently conquered territories, the Sultan agreed, signing a treaty recognizing Morocco as a Spanish protectorate.
In exchange for a series of economic and territorial concessions, Spain would aid in the expansion and pacification of the borderlands of Morocco. This was greatly unpopular in Spain, and resentment began to grow as much of the Spanish working class had no desire to be sent to fight Morocco over what were seen as barren wastelands. Despite opposition, the Spanish Army along with Moroccan regulars would embark on a two decade long colonial conflict against local tribes, nomadic confederations and Saharan emirates like Aderer and El Hodh. By the early 1920s all of Morocco had been pacified, and the modern day Moroccan borders had been established.
The Spanish had hoped to reintroduce Christianity to Morocco, motivated by the romantic ideal of an ancient Christian romano-berber Kingdom of Mauritania. As part of this effort they would settle thousands of Spaniards, Italians and Loyalists fleeing from the Americas in Morocco, forming large settlement areas around the Spanish possessions on the Moroccan coast. While this would never come to pass, it would result in a unique European minority in northern Morocco. The Shephardic Jews and Andalusian families of Rabat, Sale & Tangiers would be favored by the Spanish, gaining a lot of power and wealth, more than they had in the 17th century, the latter forming the upper echelons of Moroccan society alongside the Shurafa (noble families descended from the Prophet Muhammad) and the Fassi (aristocrats from Fez), which presided over an indistinguishable mix of Arab, Berber, with a little European and Jewish minority.
The protectorate lasted until 1933, after the Republican Revolution, the Spanish Republic began negotiating with the colonial authorities of the Moroccan Protectorate, which culminated in the signing of the Ceuta Accords, resulting in the termination of the protectorate over Morocco, and the newly independent Kingdom of Morocco was admitted to La Hispanidad on March 5, 1933. As part of the treaty, the city of Ceuta, originally ceded to Morocco at the start of the protectorate, was returned back to Spain.
