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Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية), is a country in North Africa. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south.

The full Arabic name Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiya translates to "The Western Kingdom." Al-Maghrib (meaning "The West") is commonly used. The Latinized name "Morocco" originates from medieval Latin "Morroch," which referred to the name of the former Almoravid and Almohad capital, Marrakech.

Morocco is a de jure constitutional monarchy. The King of Morocco, with vast executive powers, can dissolve the government and deploy the military, among other prerogatives. Opposition political parties are legal, and several have been formed in recent years. (Read more...)