Morocco unveiled an autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara to the United Nations in 2007. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients such as saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Far from being isolated from other historical artistic currents around them, the Berbers of Morocco (and across North Africa) adapted the forms and ideas of Islamic architecture to their own conditions and in turn contributed to the formation of Western Islamic art, particularly during their political domination of the region over the centuries of Almoravid, Almohad, and Marinid rule.[163][164]. Compulsory military service in Morocco has been officially suspended since September 2006, and Morocco's reserve obligation lasts until age 50. Morocco is a country located in Northwest Africa, right on the edge of the African continent, bordering Algerian to the east, Mauritania to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Morocco was the first nation to recognise the fledgling United States as an independent nation in 1777. The internationally recognised borders of the country lie between latitudes 27° and 36°N, and longitudes 1° and 14°W. Over 10 million Moroccans are French-speakers (a third of the population). [101], As of 2006[update], activity and adventure tourism in the Atlas and Rif Mountains are the fastest growth area in Moroccan tourism. Prime Minister Youssoufi's government was the first ever government drawn primarily from opposition parties, and also represents the first opportunity for a coalition of socialists, left-of-centre, and nationalist parties to be included in the government until October 2002. Morocco is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer. Many countries from the Persian Gulf and Maghreb regions are getting more involved in large-scale development projects in Morocco. During the 2011–2012 Moroccan protests, thousands of people rallied in Rabat and other cities calling for political reform and a new constitution curbing the powers of the king. The aim was to give universities greater financial autonomy from the government to make them more responsive to research needs and better able to forge links with the private sector, in the hope that this would nurture a culture of entrepreneurship in academia. The spelling of this landmark differs depending on preference, so it is sometimes written as Tubkal as well. Morocco-Egypt relations refers to the bilateral relations between the kingdom of Morocco and the Arab Republic of Egypt.Since independence, the two nations have maintained warm relations. [191] In 2017, Morocco ranked 16th out of 29 countries on the Global Youth Wellbeing Index. With the 2011 constitutional reforms, the King of Morocco retains less executive powers whereas those of the prime minister have been enlarged.[71][72]. Morocco is located at 40°56′44″N 87°27′15″W / 40.94556°N 87.45417°W / 40.94556; -87.45417 (40.975650, -87.423193). [87], Homosexual acts as well as pre-marital sex are illegal in Morocco, and can be punishable by six months to three years of imprisonment. Moroccan music is of Arabic, Berber and sub-Saharan origins. [18], The full Arabic name al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah (المملكة المغربية) translates to "Kingdom of the West"; although "the West" in Arabic is الغرب Al-Gharb. In May 2009, Morocco's prime minister, Abbas El Fassi, announced greater support for science during a meeting at the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research. The Moroccan coastal plains experience remarkably moderate temperatures even in summer, owing to the effect of the cold Canary Current off its Atlantic coast. Most of the southeast portion of the country is in the Sahara Desert and as such is generally sparsely populated and unproductive economically. The regions from Essaouira to Agadir receive between 250 mm and 400 mm. [22] The modern Berber name for Marrakesh is Mṛṛakc (in the Berber Latin script). In 2016, the 'Noor Power Station' opened in Ouarzazate. The country is also known as the Kingdom of Morocco and is located in the northwestern part of the African continent. [128] Also prior to independence, Morocco was home to 250,000 Spaniards. [151], According to a 2012 study by the Government of Spain, 98% of Moroccans spoke Moroccan Arabic, 63% spoke French, 43% Amazigh, 14% spoke English, and 10% spoke Spanish.[152]. [183] Morocco has also some of prestigious postgraduate schools, including: l'Institut National des Postes et Télécommunication (INPT), École Nationale Supérieure d'Électricité et de Mecanique (ENSEM), EMI, ISCAE, INSEA, National School of Mineral Industry, École Hassania des Travaux Publics, Les Écoles nationales de commerce et de gestion, École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca.