Morocco

Angela De Vega

Morocco

• Capital: Rabat• Language: Arab• Legislature - Parliament: Upper house

- House of Councilors, Lower house - House of Representatives

• Total area - 446,550 km2• Population - 32,644,370

Currency

• Moroccan dirham– $1= 9.55

Culture

• Hospitable • Very tolerant • Take of your shoes when entering the

house• Eat the given pastries that were

offered• If a foreigner were invited by them,

they must use their right hand since the left hand is used for the toilet.

Culture

• Kisses on the cheek is a form of greeting

• Declining to eat meat is considered rude

• Liver is the sign of love not the heart

• Women takes care of the household

People

• Ethnic Groups– Arab Berber: 99.1% – Jewish: 0.2%– Other: 0.7%

Berber• a member of an indigenous

people of North Africa. The majority of Berbers are settled farmers or (now) migrant

workers.• there are 12 to 15 million

Berber speakers in morocco.40 to 50% of the population

Religion

• Ramadan – It occurs 10 days

each year– No during

the day• Drinking• Eating• Smoking

• 99% are Islamic• Christian: 1.1%• Jewish: 0.2%• Pray 5 times a day• Fridays are holly

day and everything is close

Time

• 5 hour difference from U.S.

• Ex. – America: 9 a.m.– Morocco: 2 p.m.

Communication

• Official Language: Arabic

• Business Language: French

• Others: Berber,

Business Attire

• Need to dress formal and conservative–Men• Dark colored conservative suits

–Women• Elegant business suits• Must be carefully covered appropriately • Skirts and dresses must cover the knee and

sleeves must cover the arm• Avoid wearing expensive accessories

Business Meeting

• Its traditional to handshake as a greeting between individual sex

• No schedules on Fridays between 11:15 a.m.- 3 a.m.

• Be on time

Gifts

• Bring sweets pastries, dates, flowers for the hostess if invited by a Moroccan’s home

• Gifts are can't be opened when you just received

• Small gift for the children is seen as a token of affection

• Gifts are not usually brought to a first business meeting

NOT TO DO• Wearing revealing

clothing may not be obscene in and of itself but it may provoke some obscene reactions.

• Never eat communal food with your left hand.

• Eating or drinking in public during Ramadan is extremely rude.

Resources

• http://www.moroccan-moments.com/culture/• http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0855617.html• http://www.factrover.com/people/

Morocco_people.html• http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Morocco-

ETHNIC-GROUPS.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Demographics_of_Morocco• http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/

morocco/culture-etiquette/