ABSTRACT
Morocco, an ancient country long ruled by sultans, finally succumbed to European pressure in 1912 when France took over most of the territory and Spain established control of the northern coastal zone. A vast economic gulf developed between the Moroccans and the European settlers and an anti-colonial movement came into being in the 1940s. Independence was attained in 1956 but the sultan retained power as Muhammad V. He was succeeded by his son, who ruled from February 1961 until his death on 23 July 1999. During the major part of this period, the main opposition was provided by the Union Nationale des Forces Populaires (UNFP), the best-known leader of which was Ben Barka, who was kidnapped in Paris in 1965. Despite several coup and assassination attempts, the royal system has managed to combine repression with nominally democratic institutions. In 1975, the king led 350,000 Moroccans on the Green March to claim Western Sahara, the phosphate-rich territory formerly held by Spain.
