Morocco is a country at the crossroads of many different cultures. It has European influences from the north, Islamic and Arab influences from the East, and African influences from the south. Although the many invasions of the past have made Morocco's history tumultuous, today it has a diverse and rich culture. 摩洛哥地處多元文化交叉點。歐洲文化自北邊傳來，東受伊斯蘭教與阿拉伯影響，南邊受到非洲文化的影響。雖然過去種種侵略寫下摩洛哥動盪不安的歷史，卻也造就了摩洛哥今日豐富多元的文化。
A closer look 說古論今
Throughout its history, Morocco has attracted a lot of attention from powerful foreign countries because of its important location. It controls the Straits of Gibraltar with Spain, which gives it control over ships entering and leaving the Mediterranean Sea. The area has been inhabited since about 8,000BC, and the original people were called Berbers. In the fifth century it was conquered by people from Germany and Greece. Two hundred years later Islam was introduced by attacking armies from the Middle East. Beginning with the Portuguese in the 15th century, it came under the control of a series of European powers, and finally gained its independence from France in 1956.
Today, Morocco is the fourth most populated Arab country in the world. Although the official language is classical Arabic, about 40 percent of the population still speaks Berber. Although it is an Islamic country, all kinds of other religions exist there as well, including both Judaism and Christianity. The second largest mosque in the world, the Hassan II mosque, is located in Morocco's largest city, Casablanca. The mosque's tower is the tallest in the world, and it is the only mosque in Morocco open to non-Muslims.
Moroccan cuisine is also known around the world. Like its culture, Morocco's food is a mixture of many different Mediterranean countries. Moroccan spices are especially famous throughout the Mediterranean. Lunch is the main meal of the day, and Moroccans are known to not use forks or knives or chopsticks and instead use bread as a utensil.
Location: Northwest Africa
Border countries: Algeria and Spain
Population: about 33,240,000
Language: Arabic, Berber, French
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Currency: One Morrocan dirham equals between NT$6 and NT$7