Casablanca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Casablanca —  City  — Flag Coat of arms of Casablanca Coat of arms Nickname(s): Kaza / Anfa Coordinates: 33°32′N 7°35′W / 33.533°N 7.583°W / 33.533; -7.583 Country  Morocco administrative region Grand Casablanca First settled 7th century BC reconstructed 1756 Government  • Mayor Mohammed Sajid Area  • City 386 km2 (149 sq mi)  • Metro 1,615 km2 (624 sq mi) Elevation 60 m (200 ft) Highest elevation 115 m (377 ft) Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft) Population (2010)  • City 3,500,000  • Rank 1st  • Metro 6,000,000 Time zone WET (UTC+0)  • Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1) Postal code 20000-20200 Website http://www.casablanca.ma/

Casablanca (Moroccan Arabic: الدار البيضاء, ed-dār el-Biḍā, lit: White house, original name in Berber: ⴰⵏⴼⴰ, Anfa) is the largest city of Morocco. It is located in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the major cities of Africa economically and one of the largest demographically.

Casablanca is Morocco's chief port and industrial center. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb region. The 2004 census, adjusted with recent numbers, recorded a population of about 3.5 million in the prefecture of Casablanca and about 5 million in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.

Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the largest port of North Africa. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.