About Morocco

Here are some things you may not know from the classic Humphrey Bogart film…

Morocco is located on the Northwestern coastline of Africa, directly across from Spain, which is separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Geographically, Morocco is home to a variety of terrains and climates. Most notably, are portions of the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, but it’s also known as one of the world’s top surfing destinations. With a population of over 35 million people, nearly sixty percent are living in urban areas – and not just its political capital of Rabat or economic center in Casablanca – you’ll probably recognize city names like Tangier, Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes.

Peace Corps Morocco – History and Program Purpose

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps as a federal agency to “promote world peace and friendship,” through three goals:

  1. to help the peoples of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women;
  2. to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; and
  3. to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

By the end of 1963, nearly 7,000 volunteers were serving in 44 countries, including Morocco.  Since then, more than 5,000 volunteers have served in Morocco and the work has transitioned from its initial corps of English teachers and rural community action workers with an emphasis was on surveying and irrigation to its current collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, focused in the area of Youth Development. The Ministry’s vision for the program includes developing leadership and life skills, girl’s education and empowerment, healthy lifestyles, and community service.  This general program purpose sounds vague – as it should! Morocco is an incredibly diverse and swiftly developing nation, and no volunteer’s experience will be the same; the purpose of the Peace Corps remains set in JFK’s three initial goals, and the subject matter of the assignment is largely dependent on the needs of the community and its leaders.

Now that you’ve got some basics, let’s jump right in with some fast facts:

  • In 1777, the Kingdom of Morocco was the first country to acknowledge the United States of America as an independent nation; and in 1786, Morocco formally recognized the United States by signing a treaty of peace and friendship, with full diplomatic relations beginning in 1905.
  • You heard that right – Morocco is governed as a Kingdom by its current King Mohammed VI, part of the 17th century Alaouite Dynasty, founded in 1631.
  • In 2004, the U.S. and Morocco entered a Free Trade Agreement, the first U.S. agreement with an African country, through which Moroccan exports to the United States have more than doubled, and U.S. exports to Morocco have more than tripled, currently valued around $1.6 billion.
  • Morocco’s two official languages are Modern Standard Arabic and Amazigh (Berber); although most Moroccans speak Darija, the Moroccan dialect of Arabic.
  • Beginning in 2018, Morocco will open its high-speed rail with speeds reaching 320 mph and service from Tangier to Casablanca –  but not everyone’s on board.

For more detailed information, please visit the Peace Corps Morocco homepage.