Play

Casablanca

City in MoroccoCasablanca lies on Morocco's Atlantic coast, on the Chaouia plain in the central-western part of the country.

What it's known for

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its economic and business centre, and its port is one of the largest artificial ports in Africa. In January 1943, Churchill and Roosevelt met in the city for the Casablanca Conference during the Second World War.

Fun facts

  1. Its Arabic name, ad-Dar al-Bayda, means 'the White House', and Portuguese sailors translated it as Casa Branca, which led to the name Casablanca.
  2. The Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, stands on a promontory over the Atlantic, with a 210 m minaret and a roof that can slide open.
  3. The famous 1942 film 'Casablanca' was shot almost entirely at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, not in Morocco.

Finding it on the globe

Follow Morocco's Atlantic coast southwest from Rabat: Casablanca is the large port city you reach after about 90 km, well north of Marrakesh.

Easy to mix up

Casablanca is often taken for the capital, but Morocco's capital is Rabat, a short way up the coast to the northeast.

Sources: Wikipedia: Casablanca, Wikipedia: Hassan II Mosque, Wikipedia: Casablanca (film), Wikipedia: Rabat