The kingdom of Morocco has an incredibly rich and complex history. In just the past century, The country has been colonized by the French and had to share its land with the Spanish, despite the intense history of having foreigners scoop in and Arabize, later westernize their indigenous Berber ways, Moroccans remain some of the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world, ask almost any traveler that has ventured through Morocco or your local well read librarian- they will all say the same thing: Moroccan kindness and hospitality is one of a kind. 

Morocco is typically referred to as an Arab nation, but this is far from the truth, while it is accurate to state that there are primarily Muslims living in Morocco, Morocco is best described as a nation of both Arabs and Berbers. The Berbers were Morocco’s original inhabitants. The Arabs arrived at the end of the seventh century, after sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East in the name of their new revolutionary ideology, Islam. Eventually nearly all of the Berbers converted to the new religion and were immediately accepted as fellow Muslims by the Arabs. When Muslim armies invaded the Iberian peninsula from Morocco, the bulk of the troops were Berbers, and the two ethnic groups assimilated.  

Today, most Moroccan can claim both Arab and Berber ancestors, though a few (especially Shereefs, who trade their ancestry back to the Prophet Mohammed, and have the title “Moulay”) claim to be pure Arabs. But in the Rif and Atlas Mountains and in the Souss Valley, groups of pure Berbers remain, and retain their ancient languages (Tarfit, spoken by 1.5 million people in the Rif; Tamazight, spoken by over 3 million people in the Atlas; and Teshalhit, spoken by 3-4 million people in the Souss Valley region). Recently there has been a resurgence in Berber pride. TV programs are now broadcast in Berber languages, and they are taught in schools, but the country’s majority language remains Arabic.  

Berbers, whose origins remain uncertain, are suggested to have originated in Yemen or present day Syria. Any traveler visiting Morocco should not be surprised to encounter many green or blue eyed fair skinned individuals as over the centuries the Berber and Arab populations have participated in many interracial marriages.   

Language tells a lot about a country’s history and people. When visiting Morocco, it will become clear how the Europeans affected Moroccan’s way of life and institutions. Today French is recognized as the official language of businesses, government, and international relations in Morocco. In the northern part of the country, Spanish is also common. Contrastingly, seventy percent of the population speaks Arabic, the national language, and thirty percent communicate in one of the three hundred Berber dialects.