ABSTRACT

Morocco usually evokes colorful images—the sun-bleached rooftops of Tangier, the desolate, yet impressive Riff mountains, and the sands of the Sahara. The government’s “Moroccanization” program, the adoption of an import substitution strategy, a heavy dependence on phosphate exports, and a growing reliance on external financing, led to an economic crisis in 1983. Morocco sits on the northernmost shoulder of the African continent. Morocco was also Islam’s launching point for the conquest of the Iberian peninsula. Morocco’s economic development began a roller coaster ride in 1974–1975 when phosphate prices rose precipitously due to the overall spike in commodity prices. Morocco’s economic program weathered the 1990–1991 Middle East crisis caused by Iraq’s ill-fated August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Aware of the need to deal with social issues, such as unemployment and job training, the King launched a new program in January, 1991. Morocco also benefitted from the growth of the informal sector of the economy, especially in the textile industry.