Casablanca is a city located in the center-west of Morocco, on the Atlantic coast, about 80 km south of Rabat, the administrative capital.
Economic capital of the country, seat of the Casablanca-Settat7,8 region, it is the largest city in the Maghreb by population9.
Administratively, its territory — to be distinguished from that of the agglomeration including its suburbs — with an area of 384 km24, corresponds to that of the municipality of Casablanca which is divided into 16 districts spread over 8 prefectures. The Méchouar of Casablanca, where a royal palace sits, forms its own micro-municipality10.
At the 2014 census, its population was 4,359,818 inhabitants3, making it the most populous city in the kingdom, and that of its agglomeration was 4,570,750 inhabitants3, making it the largest in the Maghreb11 .
The inhabitants of the city are called Bidawa or Casawa in Moroccan Arabic.
Made legendary by the film Casablanca (1942), the city has an important modern architectural heritage, due to the architectural diversity it experienced during the 20th century, when it was then the "laboratory of modernity"12 of a new generation of architects who studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.
Casablanca has one of the largest mosques in the world, the Hassan-II Mosque. architectural emblem whose minaret culminates at more than 200 meters.
Casablanca is currently experiencing a period of economic growth, marked by major land development projects: eradication of slums, construction of the tramway network, development of the motorway and rail network with the reception of the first high-speed line of Africa, creation of the new Casa-Anfa business center.
Casablanca is one of the top five global cities on the African continent, ranked beta world city along with Cape Town and Nairobi, all three preceded by Cairo (beta+) and Johannesburg (alpha-)13.
Geographic location
Casablanca is located on the Chaouia plain, a historically agricultural region and to this day one of the main centers of agricultural activity in the country14. Its position on the Atlantic coast allows it access to maritime resources (mainly relating to fishing). The only forest area surrounding the city is that of Bouskoura, which was planted in the 20th century and which consists mainly of eucalyptus, pines and palm trees [ref. necessary].
