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My family and I have called Morocco home for almost three years. My husband was born here and my kids are proud to proclaim half their heritage lies in this North African country. To introduce more kids and families to this intriguing and diverse country I’m sharing twenty facts about Morocco to help you learn more!
Morocco: 20 Facts for Kids
- Morocco is about the same size as the US state of California.
- Morocco is located in the northwestern corner of Africa. It is directly across the Strait of Gibraltar and south of Spain and Portugal.
- Moroccan money is called the dirham.
- The original people of this area are called Berbers or Amazigh.
- The largest city is Casablanca.
- The capital is Rabat.
- The Moroccan flag is red with a green star in the middle.
- Morocco was a French protectorate in the early 1900’s but it was never a full colony.
- Moroccans speak a dialect of Arabic known as Darija. It is a mixture of Arabic, Berber, and European languages. You can learn a few words and phrases here.
- Children learn classical Arabic, French, and sometimes one of the Berber languages, English, or Spanish in schools.
- Mt. Toubkal, is the tallest mountain in the country and the highest peak in North Africa. In winter it is snow covered and there is a ski hill!
- Morocco gained independence in 1956 and celebrates on November 18th.
- The ruler is a king. His name is King Mohamed VI. He is married and has two children: Prince Moulay Hassan III and Lalla Khadijah.
- The Karawan mosque in Fez is the oldest university in the world that is still in operation. It was built in the the year 849 by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri.
- The Sahara Desert covers a large portion of Morocco. But, the entire country isn’t desert. There are also mountain ranges, forests, and fields.
- There are about 32 million people living in Morocco.
- Most Moroccans are Muslim but there are also small numbers of Christians and Jews that call Morocco home.
- The most well-known Moroccan food is couscous, a dish typically eaten on Fridays – the Islamic holy day. The base is small pasta balls that are steamed to cook and topped with spiced vegetables and meat.
- Morocco borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mediterranean Sea to the north, Algeria to the east, and Mali and Mauritania to the south.
- The most popular sport in Morocco is football (soccer). You’ll find kids and adults playing pick up games on almost every street!
Watch for posts this month to learn more about Morocco!
This post is part of our new series Global Learning for Kids. Each month we will feature a country and host a link party to collect posts about teaching kids about that country–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, etc. It will create a one-stop place full of information about the country.
This month we are learning all about Morocco, so link up below any old or new posts designed to teach kids about Morocco–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, music and more!
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Amanda Mouttaki
Latest posts by Amanda Mouttaki (see all)
- Things Expat Parents LOVE to Hear! - June 24, 2016
- Morocco: 20 Facts for Kids - January 8, 2016
- Reading English: 5 Ideas to Help Older Kids - December 15, 2015