Morocco

Morocco, a country of contradictions and contrasts, poverty and hardship on the one hand, wealth and prosperity on the other. motorbikes pulling carts loaded with fruit and vegetables for the local market, run side by side with brand new Mercedes cars, wealth and influence alongside poverty and hardship. Lush green valleys below the rif and Atlas Mountains run side by side with dry arid deserts that stretch for mile upon mile. Businessmen in smart suits driving to work in shops and manufacturing units alongside poor farmers eking a living from pockets of earth before delivering the goods by donkey to market. traditional houses built from local earth, stone and clay using materials like rammed earth mud brick and mountain rock make up the majority of housing, camel owners live alongside their camels in mud huts whilst the better of live in flats and apartments in the town centres, men drive or set of to work. In smart suits or djellaba made of wool or light cotton in different shapes and colours, the kaftan is also worn extensively throughout Morocco as is the long sleeve thobe, the ladies also wear the kaftan the layered takchita or the casual gandoura recognised globally as a cultural heritage symbol of elegance and craftsmanship. Prosperity is beginning to grow in Morocco following its extensive wars with its enemies over many years the last being its interstate war against the Polisario front known as the western Sahara war, following a un brokered ceasefire in 1975 to 1991 the region has been mainly stable though armed conflict and ongoing border hostilities between Morocco and Polisario front are still ongoing today. Historically, Morocco's last significant international conflict was the sand war a brief border dispute with Algeria in 1963 its primary rival and adversary.