Morocco<\/strong> is a state in northwestern Africa. It is separated from the European continent by the Strait of Gibraltar. It borders the Mediterranean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west and Algeria in the east. In the south of Morocco is the Western Sahara.<\/p>\n Morocco has been independent since 1956 and, according to the 1992 constitution, a constitutional monarchy. The head of state since July 23, 1999 is King Mohammed VI, who belongs to the dynasty of the Alawids.<\/p>\n Geography: Essentially the following natural geographical units can be distinguished: the coastal regions in the north and west, the Atlantic region with the Moroccan Meseta, the montane region with the High and the Middle Atlas and the Rif Mountains, and finally the transmontane region with the plateaus in the northeastern border region, the Anti-Atlas and the basin landscapes in the border area of the Sahara.<\/p>\n The High Atlas extends in a gentle arc about 800km from southwest to northeast. With its rugged mountain forms and steep peaks, it has high mountain character. Here are the highest elevations of the entire Atlas mountain system and at the same time the whole of North Africa, including the highest mountain in Morocco, the 4167 m high Jabal Toubkal.<\/p>\n Climate:The climate of Morocco shows a transition from the Mediterranean influenced northwest of the country to the Saharan-continental southeast and south. The High and Middle Atlas, which together are to be understood as their own climatic space, form with their main ridge the climatic veil. The northwestern part of the country has dry, hot summers with a mean August temperature of 23 \u00b0 C and average temperature maxima between 26 \u00b0 C and 29 \u00b0 C. Winters are mild and rainy, with precipitation decreasing to the south. Inland, the attenuating influence of the sea decreases rapidly, so that in the central Meseta and in the Atlas Mountains pronounced continental climate prevails: in Marrakech (August average 29 \u00b0 C) in the summer can reach 45 \u00b0 C, while in winter, the temperatures can be around freezing , The Sahara outskirts to the south of the Atlas have an extremely dry desert climate. There are only occasional rainfalls, which rarely reach 200mm per year, so that agriculture can only be operated in oases with irrigation. During the summer months, the Scirocco, a hot dust-laden wind from the Sahara blows at times.<\/p>\n Flora and fauna:The flora is divided into two parts by the Atlas Mountains: Northwest of the mountains the Mediterranean vegetation predominates, southeast of it the desert steppe. In the mountains there are stone and cork oaks, Thujen, Atlas cedars and Aleppo pines. In the southern coastal area grow argan trees and jujubes. In the rest of Morocco there are tree peas, strawberry trees, pistachios, junipers and dwarf palm trees. On the other side of the Atlas Mountains, dry steppe vegetation with tuft grasses and thorn bushes are predominant, and in the northeastern high steppe, the resilient halfagras grows. Date palms are cultivated in the oases. The wild animals have retreated to the sparsely populated areas of Morocco; some species, such as the leopard and the desert lynx, are threatened with extinction. Other mammals in the country include Barbary macotas (magots), gazelles, hyenas, jackals and desert foxes (Fenneks). Reptiles (lizards, chameleons, turtles, snakes) are also numerous. By 2003, 452 different bird species were detected in Morocco.<\/p>\n Population: About 35.7 million people live in Morocco. Population growth was 1.3 percent in 2015 and the average age is 28 years. About 45% of the population are Berbers including 21% Arabized Berbers. Today they are mostly settled farmers. Only a minority still live as nomads or semi-nomadic in remote areas of the Middle Atlas or on the high plateaus in the east of the country. Around 44% of Moroccans are of Arabic descent. The population is very unevenly distributed in Morocco. Two-thirds of the population live on about one tenth of the land area in the northwest or west. Conurbations are the coastal areas in the north and northwest and the Sebou lowlands.<\/p>\n Languages: About 90% of Moroccans speak Moroccan Arabic, called Darija, whereas the Hassania dialect only accounts for about 0.7% of the population. Moroccans of Berber descent speak various Berber languages, with more than half of Moroccans speaking a Berber language. The official languages of Morocco are the Arabic and the Moroccan Tamazight. French is used throughout the country as a working, educational and unofficial working language. In the north of Morocco, the Western Sahara and Sidi Ifni additional Spanish is needed. English is gaining importance as a language of educated youth.<\/p>\n Religion: State religion is Islam. About 98.7% of the population are Muslims, of whom 90% are Sunni Muslims. Around 0.1% of the population profess to Christianity (mostly Catholics) most of them Europeans and African migrants, as well as an estimated 2000 people to Judaism. Belief in spirits – inherited from pre-Islamic Berbers and African influences – is deeply rooted in popular religion.<\/p>\n