Name	Casablanca
Official name	Casablanca
Other name	Anfa, ⴰⵏⴼⴰ کازابلانکا
Native name
Old name	Anfa/ⴰⵏⴼⴰ/ أنفا
Nickname	Casa
Image seal	Coat of arms of Casablanca province.jpg
Seal size	100px
Pushpin label position
Pushpin mapsize	300
Coordinates region	MA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Morocco
Subdivision type1	administrative region
Subdivision name1	Grand Casablanca
Leader title1	Mayor
Leader name1	Mohammed Sajid
Established title	First settled
Established date	7th century
Established title2	reconstructed
Established date2	1756
Established title3
Unit pref
Area total km2	324
Population as of	2004
Settlement type
Population total	2,949,805
Timezone	WET
Utc offset	+0
Timezone dst	WEST
Utc offset dst	+1
Postal code type	Postal code
Postal code	20000-20200
Website	http://www.casablanca.ma/
Footnotes	}}

Casablanca (Arabic: الدار البيضاء "ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ", original name in Berber: Anfa / ⴰⵏⴼⴰ) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture of Casablanca and 3,631,061 in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.

Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the largest port of North Africa. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

Etymology

The Latinized name of the city is a Spanish word combination meaning 'White House' (''blanca'', 'white;' ''casa'', 'house'). It is thought that the Spaniards adopted the name from Portuguese Casa Branca. The city is now nicknamed Casa by many locals.

The Berber original name, (meaning: "hill" in English), was used by the local, and Berber-speaking, city dwellers until the French occupation army entered the city in 1907 and adopted the Spanish name, Casablanca. "Anfa" now refers to the original old city quarters of Casablanca.

Legally speaking, Anfa is considered by the Moroccans as a prefecture (a district) with 0.5 million city dwellers, and is thus a part of the Grand Casablanca.

One of Casablanca's two airports is called Casablanca-Anfa Airport, the other Mohammed V International Airport.

Geography

Casablanca is located in the Chawiya plain which has historically been the breadbasket of Morocco.

Apart from the Atlantic coast, the Bouskoura forest is the only natural attraction in the city. The forest was planted in the 20th century and consists mostly of Eucalyptus and Pine trees. It is located half way to the city's international airport.

The only watercourse in Casablanca is Oued Bouskoura, a small seasonal creek that until 1912 reached the Atlantic Ocean near the actual port. Most of Oued Bouskoura's bed has been covered due to urbanization and only the part south of El-Jadida road can now be seen. The closest permanent river to Casablanca is Oum Er-Rbia River to the south-east.

History

Before the French Protectorate

The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century BC.

It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans.

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A small independent kingdom, in the area then named Anfa, arose around late Roman time in response to Arab Muslim rule, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.

During the 14th century, under the Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. In the early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again, and emerged as a safe harbour for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the Portuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468.

The Portuguese used the ruins of Anfa to build a military fortress in 1515. The town that grew up around it was called "Casa Branca", meaning "white house" in Portuguese.

Between 1580-1640, Casablanca was part of Spain, and later it became part of Portugal again. The Europeans eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following an earthquake which destroyed most of the town. See: 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.

The town was finally reconstructed by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1756–1790), the grandson of Moulay Ismail and ally of George Washington with the help of Spaniards from the nearby emporium. The town was called الدار البيضاء ''ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ'', the Arabic translation of the Spanish ''Casa Blanca'', meaning "white house").

In the 19th century, the area's population began to grow as it became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in Britain and shipping traffic increased (the British, in return, began importing Morocco's now famous national drink, gunpowder tea). By the 1860s, there were around 5,000 residents, and the population grew to around 10,000 by the late 1880s. Casablanca remained a modestly sized port, with a population reaching around 12,000 within a few years of the French conquest and arrival of French colonialists in the town, at first administrators within a sovereign sultanate, in 1906. By 1921, this was to rise to 110,000, largely through the development of ''bidonvilles''.

French rule

In June 1907, the French attempted to build a light railway near the port and passing through a graveyard. Residents attacked the French, and riots ensued. French troops were landed in order to restore order, which was achieved only after severe damage to the town. The French then took control of Casablanca. This effectively began the process of colonization, although French control of Casablanca was not formalised until 1910.

The famous 1942 film ''Casablanca'' underlined the city's colonial status at the time—depicting it as the scene of a power struggle between competing European powers, carried out with little reference to the local population. The film's vast cosmopolitan cast of characters (American, French, German, Czech, Norwegian, Bulgarian, Russian and some other nationalities) includes only a single (uncredited) local character, "Abdul" the doorman whose role is marginal.

Europeans formed almost half the population. During the 1940s and 1950s, Casablanca was a major centre of anti-French rioting. A bomb attack on Christmas Day of 1953 caused many casualties.

The Casablanca Conference

Casablanca was an important strategic port during World War II and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.

Since independence

Morocco gained independence from France on March 2, 1956.

In 1930, Casablanca hosted a Grand Prix. The race was held at the new Anfa Racecourse. In 1958, the race was held at Ain-Diab circuit - ''(see Moroccan Grand Prix)''. In 1983, Casablanca hosted the Mediterranean Games.

The city is now developing a tourism industry. Casablanca has become the economic and business capital of Morocco, while Rabat is the political capital.

In March 2000, women's groups organized demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country. 40,000 women attended, calling for a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law (divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time). Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new ''Mudawana'', or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists.

On May 16, 2003, 33 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were injured when Casablanca was hit by a multiple suicide bomb attack carried out by Moroccans and claimed by some to have been linked to al-Qaeda.

A string of suicide bombings struck the city in early 2007. A suspected militant blew himself up at a Casablanca internet cafe on March 11, 2007. On April 10, three suicide bombers blew themselves up during a police raid of their safe house. Two days later, police set up barricades around the city and detained two more men who had escaped the raid. On April 14, two brothers blew themselves up in downtown Casablanca, one near the American Consulate, and one a few blocks away near the American Language Center. Only one person was injured aside from the bombers, but the Consulate was closed for more than a month.

Climate

Casablanca has a very mild mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''BSh''). Most precipitation falls from November to March. See table below. Casablanca's climate is strongly influenced by the cool currents of the Atlantic Ocean which tends to moderate temperature swings and produce a remarkably mild climate with little seasonal temperature variation and a lack of extreme heat and extreme cold.

Economy

The Grand Casablanca region is considered the locomotive of the development of the Moroccan economy. It attracts 32% of the country's production units and 56% of industrial labor. The region uses 30% of the national electricity production. With MAD 93 billion, the region contributes to 44% of the Industrial production of the Kingdom. 33% of national industrial exportations, MAD 27 billions, which is comparably with US $3.6 billion, come from the Grand Casablanca. 30% of Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca.

One of the most important Casablancan exports is phosphate. Other industries include fishing, fish canning, sawmilling, furniture making, building materials, glass, textiles, electronics, leather work, processed food, spirits, soft drinks, and cigarettes.

The Casablanca and Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco.

Almost the entire Casablanca coast is under project, mainly the construction of huge entertainment centres between the port and Hassan 2nd Mosque, the Anfa Resort project near Megarama cinema which is a business, entertainment and living centre, Morocco Mall, a giant shopping and entertainment complex, and finally a complete renovation of the coastal walkway to be finished in June 2009. The Sindbad park is planned to be totally renewed with rides, games and entertainment services.

Royal Air Maroc has its head office on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca. In 2004, it announced that it was moving its head office from Casablanca to a location in Province of Nouaceur, close to Mohammed V International Airport. The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009.

Demographics

The population of Grand Casablanca was estimated in 2005 at 3.85 million. 98% live in urban areas. Around 25% of them are under 15 and 9% are over 60 years old. The population of the city is about 11% of the total population of Morocco. Grand Casablanca is also the largest urban area in the Maghreb. The number of inhabitants is however disputed by the locals, who point to a number between 5 and 6 million, citing recent drought years as a reason for many people moving into the city to find work.

Judaism in Casablanca

There was a Sephardic Jewish community in Anfa up to its destruction by the Portuguese in 1468. Jews were slow to return to the town, but by 1750 the Rabbi Elijah Synagogue was built as the first Jewish synagogue in Casablanca. It was destroyed along with much of the town in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Main sights

The French period New Town of Casablanca was designed by the French architect Henri Prost and was a model of a new town at that time. The main streets of the New Town (''Ville Nouvelle'' in French) radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, where the main market of Anfa had been. The New Town is possibly the most impressive in Morocco. Former administrative buildings and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco styles.

Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres. The mosque is also the largest in North Africa, and the third largest in the world.

Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building.

The ''Parc de la Ligue Arabe'' (formally called ''Lyautey'') is the city's largest public park. On its edge is situated Casablanca Cathedral (Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur), which is disused, but is a splendid example of ''Mauresque'' architecture.

The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of other Moroccan towns, such as Fes and Marrakech. However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in this project have been the western walls of the medina, its ''skala'', or bastion, and its colonial-period clock tower.

A popular site among locals is "The Marabout de Sidi Abderrahmane". This is on a small rocky island off the coast of Casablanca and can only be reached when the tide is low. This outcrop, is where the tomb of Sidi Abderrhamane Thaalibi, original founder of Algiers, is located. He is considered a saint by most people of Morocco. Because of his status as a saint, many people of Morocco make informal pilgrimages to this site "to reflect on life and to seek religious enlightenment". Some believe that the saint possessed magical powers and so his tomb still possesses these powers. People come and seek this magic in order to be cured.

Other sights

Casablanca Technopark

Transport

Air

Casablanca's main airport is Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco's busiest airport. Regular domestic flights serve Marrakech, Rabat, Agadir, Oujda, and Tangier, Laayoune as well as other cities.

Casablanca is well served by international flights to Europe, especially French and Spanish airports, and has regular connections to North American, Middle Eastern and sub-Saharan African destinations. New York, Dakar and Dubai are important primary destinations.

The older, smaller Casablanca-Anfa Airport to the west of the city, that served certain destinations including Damascus, and Tunis, was largely closed to international civilian traffic in 2006. It currently services domestic flights and freight.

Coaches

CTM coaches (intercity buses) and various private lines run services to most notable Moroccan towns as well as a number of European cities. These run from the Gare Routière on Rue Léon l'Africain in downtown Casablanca.

Metro

An underground railway system is currently being projected, which when constructed will potentially offer some relief to the problems of traffic congestion and poor air quality. The metro will not be ready before 2017, having a length of and costing 46.7 billion dirhams (approximately 5.8 billion USD). However, it should be noticed that none of the preparatory works for this project have started. In addition, no discussion of it has been observed in the media. The anecdote among Casablanca population is that "water is too near below, that they cannot dig tunnels."

Taxis

Registered taxis in Casablanca are coloured red and known as ''petits taxis'' (''small taxis''), or coloured white and known as ''grands taxis'' (''big taxis''). As is standard Moroccan practice, ''petits taxis,'' typically small-four door Fiat Uno or similar cars, provide metered cab service in the central metropolitan areas. ''Grands taxis,'' generally older Mercedes-Benz sedans, provide shared mini-bus like service within the city on pre-defined routes, or shared inter-city service. Grands Taxis may also be hired for private service by the hour or day, although typically only foreigners do so.

Trains

Casablanca is served by two rail stations run by the national rail service, the ONCF. The main long haul station is Casa-Voyageurs, from which trains run south to Marrakech or El Jadida and north to Mohammedia and Rabat, and then on either to Tangier or Meknes, Fes, Taza and Oujda. A dedicated airport shuttle service to Mohammed V International Airport also has its primary in-city stop at this station, for connections on to further destinations.

The second station, Casa-Port, serves primarily commuter trains running the Casablanca - Kenitra corridor, with some connecting trains with running on to Gare de Casa-Voyageurs. www.oncf.ma

Tram

A tram system is currently under construction should open in December 2012.

Administrative divisions

Casablanca is a commune, part of the Region of the Grand Casablanca. The commune is divided into 8 districts (prefectures عمالات), which are themselves divided into 16 subdivisions (arrondissements دوائر) and 1 municipality (بلدية).

Districts

+ Administrative divisions of the Casablanca City
Districts (fr: Préfectures d'arrondissement, ar: عمالة دوائر)	Subdivisions (fr: Arrondissements, ar: دوائر)	Municipalities (fr: Municipalités, ar: بلديات )	Area	Population (2004)
	Aïn Chock		Aïn Chock
	Aïn Sebaâ-Hay Mohammadi		Aïn Sebaâ
	Hay Mohammadi
	Roches Noires (Assoukhour Assawda)
	Anfa		Anfa
	Maârif
	Sidi Belyout
	Ben M'sick		Ben M'sick
	Sbata
	(Sidi) Bernoussi		(Sidi) Bernoussi
	Sidi Moumen
	Al Fida-Mers Sultan		Al Fida		Mechouar
	Mers Sultan
	Hay Hassani		Hay Hassani
	Moulay Rachid		Moulay Rachid
	Sidi Othmane

Twin towns

Alexandria, Egypt Algiers, Algeria Athens, Greece Bordeaux, France, since 1988 Cairo, Egypt Chicago, USA, since 1982 Dubai, United Arab Emirates İstanbul, Turkey İzmir, Turkey Jakarta, Indonesia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Montreal, Canada New York City, USA, since 1998 Paris, France Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Saint Petersburg, Russia Rome, Italy Shanghai, People's Republic of China (1986) Sosnowiec, Poland Tokyo, Japan, since 2004

Education

Public Colleges and universities

Académie Mohammed VI Internationale de l'Aviation Civile (AIAC)

École Hassania des Travaux Publics (EHTP)

Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Electricité et de Mécanique (ENSEM)

École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca (EST)

École nationale des pilotes de ligne (ENPL)

École supérieure des industries du textile et de l'habillement (ESITH)

École nationale de commerce et de gestion de Casablanca (ENCGC)

École supérieure des beaux-arts de Casablanca (ESBAC)

École royale navale (ERN)

Institut supérieur d'études maritimes (ISEM)

Institut supérieur de commerce et d'administration des entreprises (ISCAE)

University of Hassan II - Ain Chock

University of Hassan II - Mohammedia

Private high schools and colleges

American Academy Casablanca

Babar land

Casablanca American School

George Washington Academy

Lycée Lyautey

Nelson C. Brown High School

Lycée Louis Massignon

Sports

Wydad Casablanca

Raja Casablanca

People born in Casablanca

Salaheddine Bassir - Moroccan footballer

Larbi Benbarek - Moroccan footballer

Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes - French footballer

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac - French fashion designer

Merieme Chadid - Moroccan astronomer

Gad Elmaleh - Moroccan-French one man show humorist/actor

Shatha Hassoun - Moroccan/Iraqi singer

Hicham Mesbahi - Moroccan boxer

Nawal El Moutawakel - Olympic champion

Mostafa Nissaboury - Moroccan poet

Hakim Noury - Moroccan film director

Maurice Ohana - French composer

Jean Reno - French Hollywood actor

Alain Souchon - French songwriter

Sidney Taurel - Naturalized American CEO of Eli Lilly and Company from 1998 to 2008

Richard Virenque - French cyclist

Abdallah Zrika - Moroccan poet

In fiction

Casablanca is the setting of the 1942 film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The film has achieved worldwide popularity since then, having also won three Oscars and been nominated in five additional categories.

Casablanca is one of the key locations in the 2006 video game ''Dreamfall'', as it is where the primary protagonist of the game, Zoë Castillo, lives.

Casablanca is the setting for several chapters in ''Doubleshot'', a 2000 James Bond novel by Raymond Benson. In the novel, one of the characters mentions that the 1942 film was shot in Hollywood and not on location.

The city is featured in ''The Mysterious Caravan'', Volume 54 in the original Hardy Boys series.

''A Night in Casablanca'' (1946) was the twelfth Marx Brothers' movie. The film stars Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx. It was directed by Archie Mayo and written by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. The film contains the song "Who's Sorry Now?", with music by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It is sung in French by Lisette Verea playing the part of Beatrice Rheiner, and then later sung in English. Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" is played twice, once by Chico on piano as an intro to the "Beer Barrel Polka", and again by Harpo on the harp.

References

External links

Official web site of Casablanca

Official Casablanca Tourism Website

Casablanca entry in Lexicorient

Casablanca photo gallery (buildings and other landmarks with a history dating back to the French Protectorate)

Category:Greater Casablanca Region Category:Metropolitan areas of Morocco Category:Populated coastal places in Morocco Category:Populated places in the Greater Casablanca Region Category:Port cities in Morocco Category:Prefectures of Morocco

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name	Mohammed VI
succession	King of Morocco
reign	23 July 1999 – present('''')
predecessor	Hassan II
spouse	Princess Lalla Salma
suc-type	Heir Apparent
heir	Moulay Hassan
issue	Moulay HassanLalla Khadija
house	Alaouite
house-type	Dynasty
royal anthem	"Hymne Chérifien"
father	Hassan II
mother	Lalla Latifa Hammou
birth date	August 21, 1963
birth place	Rabat, Morocco
religion	Sunni Islam }}

Mohammed VI (, born 21 August 1963) is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin (commander of the faithful). He ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father.

Education

On the day of his birth, he was appointed Heir Apparent and Crown Prince. His father, King Hassan II, was keen on giving him a religious and political education from an early age. At the age of four, he started attending the Qur'anic school at the Royal Palace, and received a religious and traditional education.

After primary and secondary studies at Royal College|date=June 2011}} and after he received his Baccalaureate in 1981, Mohammed obtained in 1985 a Bachelor's degree in law at the College of law of the Mohammed V University at Agdal in Rabat. His research paper dealt with "the Arab-African Union and the Strategy of the Kingdom of Morocco in matters of International Relations". He has also frequented the Imperial College and University of Rabat. In the same year of 1985 he was appointed President of the Pan Arab Games and commissioned Colonel Major of the Royal Moroccan Army on 26 November, and Coordinator of the Offices and Services of the Royal Armed Forces until 1994.

In 1987 he obtained his first ''Certificat d'Études Supérieures'' (CES) in political sciences and in July 1988 he obtained a ''Diplôme d'Études Approfondies'' DEA in public law.

In November 1988 he trained in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then President of the European Commission.

He obtained his doctorate in law (PhD) with distinction on 29 October 1993 from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis for his thesis on "EEC-Maghreb Relations".

Mohammed was promoted to the rank of Major General on 12 July 1994, the same year he became President of the High Council of Culture and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Moroccan Army until 1999, the year he succeeded his father on 23 July, being enthroned at Rabat on 30 July.

He received an honorary degree (doctor honoris causa) from George Washington University on 22 June 2000 for his promotion of democracy in Morocco.

Social reform and liberalization

Shortly after he took the throne, he addressed his nation via television, promising to take on poverty and corruption, while creating jobs and improving Morocco's human rights record. Mohammed VI is generally opposed by Islamist conservatives, and some of his reforms have angered fundamentalists. He also created a new family code, or Mudawana, which granted women more power. The law came into effect in February, 2004.

In December 2010 Wikileaks published diplomatic cables which alleged high-level corruption involving the King himself.

Mohammed VI also created the so-called Instance Equité et Réconciliation (IER), a commission, which was supposed to research human rights violations under Hassan II. The commission was however not allowed to report about human rights violations until 1999, when Mohammed was enthroned. This move was welcomed by many as a move towards democracy, but also criticized because reports of human rights violations could not name the perpetrators. According to human rights organisations, abuses still exist in Morocco. The 2011 Moroccan protests were motivated by corruption and general discontentment towards politicians in general and by the desire of better life conditions motivated by the economic crisis. The King has answered the protesters with the promise of further reforms.

In a speech delivered on 9 March 2011 the King said that parliament would receive "new powers that enable it to discharge its representative, legislative, and regulatory mission". In addition to the powers of the judiciary being granted independence from the King. And the king announced that he was impaneling a committee of legal scholars to produce a draft constitution by June.

On July 1 voters approved a set of political reforms that the King proposed. The reforms consisted of the following:

The Amazigh language is an official state language along with Arabic.

The state preserves and protects the Hassānīya language and all the linguistic components of the Moroccan culture as a heritage of the nation

The king has the obligation to appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in the parliamentary elections. Previously, he could nominate a technocrat in this position if no party has a decisive advantage, over the other parties, in terms of the number of seats in the parliament.

The king is no longer "sacred" but the "integrity of his person" is "inviolable"

High administrative and diplomatic posts (including ambassadors, CEOs of state-owned companies, provincial and regional governors), are now appointed by the prime minister and the ministerial council which is presided by the king, previously the latter exclusively held this power.

The prime minister is the head of government and president of the council of government, he has the power to dissolve the parliament.

The prime minister will preside over the council of Government, which prepares the general policy of the state. Previously the king held this position.

The parliament has the power of granting amnesty. Previously this was exclusively held by the king

The judiciary system is independent from the legislative and executive branch, the king guarantees this independence

Women are guaranteed "civic and social" equality with men. Previously, only "political" equality was guaranteed, though the 1996 constitution grants all citizens equality in terms of rights and before the law

The King would retain complete control of the armed forces, foreign policy and the judiciary; authority for choosing and dismissing prime ministers and he would retain control of matters pertaining to religion.

All citizens have the freedom of: thought, ideas, artistic expression and creation. Previously only free-speech and the freedom of circulation and association were guaranteed.

Wealth

The king and his family hold stock in the ONA Group, a holding company with a diverse portfolio (mining, food processing, retail and financial services, etc.) Mohammed is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $2 billion and the Moroccan Royal Family has one of the largest fortunes in the world. His palace's daily operating budget is reported by Forbes to be $960,000, owing much of it to the expense of clothes and car repair.

Family

Mohammed, who was born in Rabat, has one brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and three sisters, Princess Lalla Meryem, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna.

On 21 March 2002 in Rabat, he married Salma Bennani (now H.R.H. Princess Lalla Salma) in Rabat, and she was granted the personal title of Princess with the style of Her Royal Highness on her marriage. They have two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who was born on 8 May 2003, and Princess Lalla Khadija, who was born on 28 February 2007.

Decorations

Include: Grand Officer of the Order of the Equatorial Star of Gabon (7 July 1977) Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (27 October 1980) Grand Cross of the Order of the Chrysanthemum of Japan (7 March 1987) Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia (x August 1987) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic of Italy (18 March 1997) with Collar (11 April 2000) Collar of the Order of Hussein ibn 'Ali of Jordan (x March 2000) Grand Collar of the Order of the Seventh of November of Tunisia (x May 2000) Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of France (19 March 2000) Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit of Mauritania (x April 2000) Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali of Mali with Collar (14 June 2000) Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic of Spain with Collar (16 September 2000) Grand Cross of the Order of Oumayid of Syria (9 April 2001) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Lebanon of the Lebanon Special Class (13 June 2001)

24px|alt=|link=International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Grand Cross of the Order of Abu Bakar Siddiq of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (29 June 2001)

Grand Collar of the Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain (28 July 2001) Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait (22 October 2002) Grand Cross of the Order of the Independence of Qatar (25 October 2002) Grand Cross of the Order of the Nile of Egypt (28 October 2002) Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan First Class (Nishan-e-Pakistan) of Pakistan (19 July 2003) Grand Cross of the Order of Valour of the Cameroon of the Cameroon (17 June 2004) Grand Cross of the Order of the Equatorial Star of Gabon (21 June 2004) Grand Cross of the National Order of the Niger of the Niger (24 June 2004) Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I of Belgium (5 October 2004) Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil (26 November 2004) Medal of Honour of the Congress of Peru of Peru (1 December 2004) Grand Collar of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins of Chile (3 December 2004) Grand Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin of Argentina (7 December 2004) Grand Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle of Mexico (11 February 2005) Grand Cross of the Order of Burkinabé of Burkina Faso (1 March 2005) Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum of Japan (28 November 2005) Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia (20 February 2006) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Congo of the Congo-Brazzaville (22 February 2006) Grand Cross of the Order of the National Heroes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of Congo-Kinshasa (28 February 2006)

Styles

Name	King Mohammed
Dipstyle	His Majesty
Offstyle	Your Majesty
Altstyle	Sir }}

The official style of the King is ''His Majesty the King Mohammed the Sixth, Commander of the Faithful, may God grant him victory'' ( ''Ṣāḥib al-Jalālah al-Malik Muḥammad al-Sādis, 'Amīr al-Mu'minīn, Naṣṣarahu-Illāh''). In contexts wherein he is executing a duty regarding the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, he is generally entitled the "Commander-in-Chief."

References

External links

Morocco Alaoui dynasty

History of Morocco

King Mohammed VI Grants Exclusive First-ever Interview to Time

Laurenson, John. The most powerful man in Morocco, ''BBC News'', 11 March 2006.

King Mohammed's luxury car collection

Constitutional Reform in Morocco: I Am the Reform!

Category:1963 births Category:Alaouite dynasty Category:Arab politicians Category:Current national leaders Category:Kings of Morocco Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Living people Category:Reigning monarchs Category:Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class Category:North African royalty

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