Morocco

__ http://i.infoplease.com/images/mmorocco.gif
 * French Imperialism in Morocco **

**Geography** __

Morocco has fertile plains along the Atlantic coast. The geography along the Mediterranean is very mountainous. These mountains, called the Atlas Mountains, have an elevation of about 11,000 feet.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/1b/07/c5/atlas-mountains.jpg (__Atlas Mountains__, located on the Mediterranean Coast of Morocco)  __ **Culture** __

The majority of people from Morocco practice Islamic religion. It is easy to make acquaintances with the locals. If invited to a Moroccan home for a meal, it is courteous to take off your shoes. All Moroccan meals are eaten with hands. Usually men are on the go working while the women stay at home. Morocco is a friendly, colorful place. Hospitality is most important to Moroccans. These conditions are great for representing true Moroccan life.

__ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/AncientGnawa.jpg

**Natural Resources** __

Morocco’s main natural resources are phosphates, citrus, lead, silver, and copper.

__ **Agricultural/Manufactured Products** __

A manufactured product of Morocco is metal. Metal is used for making various items such as machinery used in factories. Metal is an attractive possession because it is a durable material that is used everywhere around the world. It can be produced in large quantities and doesn’t cost a lot to make. Some other manufactured products of Morocco are cosmetics, hotel products, and shampoo. Famous hotels such as the Hilton, Best Western, and Sofitel use these products, producing a ton of money for Morocco.

**__ Background Information __** Morocco is a country that has been visited and invaded since about 140 BC. It was also home to the Berbers, Moroccan people. They had been driven out of their homeland by the Europeans in the eleventh century. Upset at Spain, the Berbers joined with the Arabs to revolt against Spain. The Berbers soon turned on the Arabs, resenting their low social status. The Berbers took control of some Spanish territory until they were expelled in the thirteenth century. In the fifteenth century, Spain and Portugal began to invade Morocco again. Although Morocco could easily control the invasions and protect itself, the force of European imperialism was too great for Morocco to handle. In the sixteenth century, Ahmad Al-Mansur, Morocco’s leader at the time, wanted to repel foreign invaders and create a ‘golden age.’ In 1860 Spain occupied northern Morocco and caused half a century of arguing over trade, which made Morocco’s government slowly erode. A protection law was put over Morocco by the French, which eventually was outlawed and Morocco was free from French rule.

http://www.goway.com/africa/afr_img/maps/morocco_intro_map.jpg

**__ Positive Effects of Imperialism in Morocco __**
 * -**Introduced new technology
 * -**Improved transportation
 * -**Introduced better education systems
 * -**Introduced new crops


 * __ Negative Effects of Imperialism in Morocco __**
 * -**Labor was forced on Moroccan people
 * -**Economic exploitation (Using people for selfish purposes)
 * -**Racism

Morocco is only one of the many African countries that was a previous French colony. Imperialism in France was only one of the ways in which Europe wanted to spread capitalism and new ways of government to improve life for all people. 