Page "Foreign relations of Morocco" Paragraph 5

Morocco's current relations with some countries are related to its colonial history.

Morocco was secretly partitioned by Spain and France and in 1912 Morocco became a protectorate.

Despite achieving independence in 1956, Morocco still has a strong relationship with its former colonizers.

Spain and France are currently the largest exporting and importing partners to Morocco.

French is still popularly spoken and remains the second language in Morocco whilst Spanish is also widespread, particularly in the northern regions.

France now is home to more than a million Moroccans legally residing in the country.

This is the largest population of Moroccans in a country, followed next by Spain.

These former colonizers remain influential in economic matters, such as development projects, investments, trade, and loans.