A Moroccan Aside

Well, I've been working on my dissertation of late, and part of that required some background research into Morocco. I found out some interesting trivia that's not exactly relevant to my dissertation in the end, but worth sharing nevertheless. It is fun facts for wHeNeVeR, right?

• Morocco is the world's third largest producer (after the US and Russia) and the largest exporter of phosphates.


• Morocco was the first country to officially recognise the US as a country in 1777 after it declared its independence from Britain. Indeed, the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship is the US's oldest non-broken friendship treaty dating back to 1786.


• Essaouira, a formerly important port on the Atlantic coast, was home to a large Jewish community that escaped there following Spanish persecution under Queen Isabella.


• In 2006 a free-trade agreement went into effect between Morocco and the US. However, because the dirham is linked mainly to the Euro and the dollar has been so weak, trade between the two countries is still quite minimal.


• Tourism is one of Morocco's key markets for development, with a government goal of 10 million tourists per annum by 2010. Figures stood at 6.1 million in 2005.

Who knew?