Everything about Casablanca totally explained
Casablanca (
Spanish for "whitehouse" ;
Amazigh:
Anfa;
Standard Arabic:
الدار البيضاء;
Moroccan Arabic:
dar beïda) is a
city in western
Morocco, located on the
Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the
Greater Casablanca region.
With a
population of 3.1 million (3.85 million in the "greater Casablanca" (September 2005
census, unofficially up to 6 million according to inhabitants), Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief
port. It's also the biggest city in the
Maghreb and the sixth biggest city in the entire continent of
Africa. With a majority of the modern economic sector being based in the Casablanca region, and the Casablanca area being dominant in industrial and service sector activity, it's often and justifiably referred to as the economic capital, although Morocco's political
capital is
Rabat. It is also the primary naval base for the
Royal Moroccan Navy.
Casablanca is the leading city hosting headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historic position as the main industrial zone of the country. The
Port of Casablanca is considered as
Morocco's chief
port and as one of the largest artificial ports in the world. It is also the largest port of the
Maghreb and
North Africa.
History
Before the French Protectorate
The area which is today Casablanca was settled by
Berbers by at least the 7th century. A small independent kingdom, in the area then named
Anfa, arose in the area around that time in response to Arab
Muslim rule, and continued until it was conquered by the
Almoravids in 1068.
During 14th century, under the
Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. In the early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again, and emerged as a safe harbour for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the
Portuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468.
The Portuguese used the ruins of Anfa to build a military fortress in 1515. The town that grew up around it was called "Casabranca", meaning "White House" in Portuguese.
Between 1580-1640 was part of
Spain, and later part of Portugal again. They eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following an
earthquake which destroyed most of the town.
The town was finally reconstructed by
sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1756-1790), the grandson of
Moulay Ismail and ally of George Washington. The town was called
Dar el Beida (white house) in Arabic and
Casa Blanca in Spanish.
In the 19th century, the area's population began to grow as Casablanca became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in
Britain and shipping traffic increased (the British, in return, began importing Morocco's now famous national drink,
gunpowder tea). By the 1860s, there were around 5,000 residents, and the population grew to around 10,000 by the late 1880s. Casablanca remained a modestly-sized port, with a population reaching around 12,000 within a few years of the French conquest and arrival of
French colonialists in the town, at first administrators within a sovereign sultanate, in 1906. By 1921, this was to rise to 110,000, largely through the development of
bidonvilles.
French rule
In June 1907, the French attempted to build a
light railway near the port and passing through a graveyard. Residents attacked the French workers, and riots ensued. French troops were landed in order to restore order, which was achieved only after severe damage to the town. The French then took control of Casablanca. This effectively began the process of colonialisation, although French control of Casablanca wasn't formalised until 1910.
The famous
1942 film
Casablanca underlined the city's colonial status at the time -- depicting it as the scene of a power struggle between competing European powers, carried out with little reference to the local population. The film's vast cosmopolitan cast of characters (American, French, German, Czech, Norse, Bulgarian, Russian and some other nationalities) includes only a single (uncredited) Arab character, "Abdul" the doorman whose role is marginal.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Casablanca was a major centre of anti-French rioting. A terrorist bomb on
Christmas Day of 1953 caused terrible casualties.
The Casablanca Conference
Casablanca was an important strategic port during
World War II and hosted the
Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which
Churchill and
Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large
American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the
European Theater of Operations during
World War II.
Since independence
Morocco regained independence from France on the 2nd of March, 1956.
In 1930, Casablanca hosted a
Formula One Grand Prix. The race was held at the new
Anfa Racecourse. In 1958, the race was held at
Ain-Diab circuit -
(see Moroccan Grand Prix). In 1983, Casablanca hosted the
Mediterranean Games.
The city is now developing a
tourism industry. Casablanca has become the economic and business capital of Morocco, while
Rabat is the political capital.
In March 2000, women's groups organised demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country. 40,000 women attended, calling for a ban on
polygamy and the introduction of
divorce law (divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time). Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on
King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new
Mudawana, or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists.
On
May 16,
2003, 33 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were injured when Casablanca was hit by a
multiple suicide bomb attack carried out by Moroccans and claimed by some to have been linked to
al-Qaeda.
A string of suicide bombings struck the city in early
2007. A suspected militant blew himself up at a Casablanca internet cafe on
March 11,
2007. On
April 10, three suicide bombers blew themselves up during a police raid of their safe house.
Two days later, police set up barricades around the city and detained two more men who had escaped the raid. On
April 14, two brothers blew themselves up in downtown Casablanca, one near the American Consulate, and one a few blocks away near the American Language Center. Only one person was injured aside from the bombers, but the Consulate was closed for more than a month.
Economy
The
Greater Casablanca region is considered the locomotive of the development of the
Moroccan economy. It attracts 32% of the country’s production units and 56% of
industrial labor. The region uses 30% of the national electricity production. With MAD 93 billion, the region contributes to 44% of the Industrial production of the Kingdom. 33% of national industrial exportations, MAD 27 billions, which is comparably with US $ 3.6 billion, come from the Greater Casablanca. 30% of Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca.
One of the most important Casablancan exports is phosphorate. Other industries include fishing, fish canning, sawmilling, furniture making, building materials, glass, textiles, electronics, leather work, processed food, beer, spirits, soft drinks, and cigarettes.
The
Casablanca and
Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco.
Demographics
The population of Grand Casablanca was estimated in 2005 at 3.85 million. 98% of them live in urban areas. Around 25% of them are under 15 and 9% are over 60 years old. The population of the city is about 11% of the total
population of Morocco.
Greater Casablanca is also the largest
urban area in the
Maghreb.
The number of inhabitants is however disputed by the locals, who point to a number between 5 and 6 million, citing recent drought years as a reason for many people moving into the city to find work.
Jews in Casablanca
There was a
Sephardic Jewish community in
Anfa up to its destruction by the Portuguese in 1468. Jews were slow to return to the town, but by 1750 the Rabbi Elijah
Synagogue was built as the first Jewish temple in Casablanca. It was destroyed along with much of the town in the
earthquake of 1755.
Montreal, Canada
Shanghai, People's Republic of China (since 1986)
Izmir, Turkey (1999)
Partner cities
Paris, France (since 2004)
Education
Colleges and Universities
University of Casablanca
University of Hassan II (Ain Chock)
École Hassania des Travaux Publics
ISCAE
K through 12
Casablanca American School
George Washington Academy
Nelson C. Brown High School
École Normale Hébraïque
Babar land
Lycée Lyautey
Sports
Raja Casablanca
Wydad Casablanca
People born in Casablanca
Zakaria Aboub - Moroccan footballer.
Karim Alami - Moroccan Tennis player.
Shlomo Amar - Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel.
Amine - French-Moroccan songwriter.
Hicham Arazi - Moroccan Tennis player.
Salaheddine Bassir - Moroccan footballer.
Stephanie Beacham - English Actress.
Larbi Benbarek - Moroccan footballer.
Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes - French footballer.
Merieme Chadid - Moroccan astronomer.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac - French fashion designer.
Gad Elmaleh - French-Moroccan comedian.
Nawal El Moutawakel - Olympic champion.
Sofia Essaïdi - French-Moroccan songwriter.
Guy Forget - French Tennis player.
Imad Kotbi - Moroccan radio presenter.
Laïla Marrakchi - Moroccan film director.
Hicham Mesbahi - Moroccan boxer.
Noureddine Naybet - Moroccan footballer.
Mostafa Nissaboury - Moroccan poet.
Hakim Noury - Moroccan film director.
Maurice Ohana - French composer.
Jean Reno - French Hollywood actor.
Alain Souchon - French songwriter.
Sidney Taurel - Naturalized American CEO of Eli Lilly and Company from 1998 to 2008
Richard Virenque - French cyclist.
Abdallah Zrika - Moroccan poet.
Casablanca in fiction
Casablanca is the setting of the eponymous film from 1942 starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The film has achieved worldwide popularity since then, having also won three Oscars and been nominated in five additional categories.
The city is featured in The Mysterious Caravan, Volume 54 in the original Hardy Boys series.
Casablanca is one of the key locations in the 2006 video game Dreamfall, as it's where the primary protagonist of the game, Zoë Castillo, lives.
A Night in Casablanca (1946) was the twelfth Marx Brothers' movie. The film stars Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx. It was directed by Archie Mayo and written by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. The film contains the song "Who's Sorry Now?" with music by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It is sung in French by Lisette Verea playing the part of Beatrice Rheiner, and then later sung in English (see image). Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 is played twice, once by Chico on piano as an intro to the Beer Barrel Polka, and again by Harpo on the harp.
Images
Image:Logo casa.gif|Logo of Casablanca
Image:Casablanca 7.58684W 33.56662N.jpg|Satellite image
Further Information
Get more info on 'Casablanca'.
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