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Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is Morocco's largest city and the capital of the Grand Casablanca region, with 3.7 million inhabitants and an area of 1,615 km².
Casablanca is also the largest city in the Maghreb and has one of the largest artificial ports in the world. This city is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, although the national political capital is Rabat.
Casablanca is located on the Chaouia Plains which has historically been the breadbasket of Morocco. It has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate.
The Moroccan Constitution establishes a monarchy with a Parliament and an independent judiciary. With the 2011 constitutional reforms, the King of Morocco retains less executive powers whereas those of the prime minister have been enlarged.
The constitution grants the king honorific powers; he is both the secular political leader and the "Commander of the Faithful" as a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. He presides over the Council of Ministers; appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that has won the most seats in the parliamentary elections, and appoints the members of the government.
Since the constitutional reform of 1996, the bicameral legislature consists of two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives of Morocco has 325 members elected for a five-year term, 295 elected in multi-seat constituencies and 30 in national lists consisting only of women. The Assembly of Councillors has 270 members elected for a nine-year term by local councils.
Casablanca is a commune, part of the region of Casablanca-Settat. The commune is divided into eight districts or prefectures, which are themselves divided into 16 subdivisions or arrondissements and one municipality
The 1956 Moroccan independence brought several years of economic hardship for Casablanca, but the city soon revived through its focus on industry and commerce.
The Grand 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. About 33% of national industrial exports, MAD 27 billion, comes from the Grand Casablanca; 30% of the Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca.
The rapid commercial progress of Casablanca, especially the growth of its port, has established it as the economic capital of Morocco. It accounts for more than half of the bank transactions and industrial production of the country.
Casablanca’s industries include textiles, electronics, leather works, food canning, and the production of beer, spirits, soft drinks and tobacco.
Fishing is also important. The catch includes soles, red mullet, turbot, sea eels, crabs, and shrimps. The Casablanca and Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco. One of the most important exports is phosphate.
The Moroccan government has implemented policies to improve the infrastructure and make the town more livable.
The Casablanca Tramway is the rapid transit tram system in Casablanca. The network consists of two lines covering 47.5 km but there are further lines under construction.
Buses are the principal means of public transport. A network of petite and grande taxis provide service for travelers within the city and within the surrounding region, respectively.
Casablanca's main airport is Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco's busiest airport. Regular domestic flights serve Marrakech, Rabat, Agadir, Oujda, Tangier, Al Hoceima, and Laayoune, as well as other cities.
Casablanca is well-served by international flights to Europe, especially French and Spanish airports