Map of Morocco

Morocco

Morocco is officially the Kingdom of Morocco and Mamlakat al-Maghribiyyah—Arabic for 'western kingdom'. The earliest recorded country in Africa to have independence, as the Berbers claimed independence in 110 BCE. Before, the area had been part of the Carthaginian Empire and later the Byzantine empire; after Berber claim of independence, it was taken over by the Muslim Arabs in 670 CE. After the 11th century, the Berbers dynasties had reclaimed their sovereignty of the region. During the Spanish Reconquista, Muslims and Jews fled to Morocco for safety. Spain and France carved up the area, with Spain holding most of what is now Morocco in 1904. This angered the German empire, and led to both immigrants and natives being involved in fighting in WWI, WWII, and the Spanish civil war, as well as re-shaping Spanish Morocco.
The country is mostly desert, which used to be highly fertile land, but is now arid and inhospitable. While the country has a usual Mediterranean coastal climate, it holds the record for coldest recorded temperature for the Sahara at -11 degrees Fahrenheit (–24 degrees Celsius). It is on the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic.
Morocco's largest city is the famous Casablanca, featured in the film of the same name, a James Bond film, a Marx brothers' film, and the video game Deadfall. It holds claim to and administers the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, refusing to give leeway or agree to a plan that gives the territory a chance to vote for independence. It has fought Mauritania and Algeria in physical violence and negotiations to keep its claim, though Spain gave the territory to Mauritania and Morocco to divide up equally. Morocco was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States of America and vice versa. In 1984 Morocco left the Organization of African Unity due to turmoil. The king of Morocco has always had the power to dissolve parliament when he wishes. Studies have shown a close relationship via DNA between the native Berbers and the Scandinavian race Sammi.