Morocco Hosts the World's Oldest University
The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco was founded in 859 CE — making it, by most academic assessments, the world's oldest continuously operating university. It was founded by a woman: Fatima al-Fihri, daughter of a wealthy merchant, who used her inheritance to build a mosque and school that grew into a comprehensive institution of learning. The university is still operational today, though its structure has evolved considerably from its 9th-century origins.
Morocco Has the Longest-Standing US Treaty
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, signed in 1786, is the oldest non-broken peace treaty in United States history. Morocco was the first country to recognize American independence, doing so in 1777 — before the formal end of the Revolutionary War. The original treaty still governs diplomatic relations between the two countries. Benjamin Franklin was involved in its negotiation. It has been in continuous force for over 230 years.
Goats Actually Climb Trees in Morocco
In the Souss-Massa region of Morocco, argan trees (Argania spinosa) are commonly climbed by local goats seeking the trees' fruit. Photographs of multiple goats perched in argan trees are a genuine Moroccan phenomenon — not staged for tourists, though the presence of tourists has made staged examples common enough to complicate matters. The goats eat the argan fruit pulp and excrete the hard inner nut, which is then collected and processed into argan oil. The argan oil industry partially relies on goat digestion.
Morocco Is the Only North African Country With No Sub-Saharan Border
Morocco is geographically positioned such that all of its land borders are with other North African or Iberian territories — Algeria to the east, Western Sahara to the south, and shared maritime borders with Spain. It is the only African country that is not a member of the African Union (having withdrawn in 1984 over the Western Sahara dispute and not rejoining until 2017). Morocco thus occupied a unique geopolitical position — an African country outside the African continental organization — for over three decades.
The Blue City Was Built for Spiritual Reasons
Chefchaouen, a mountain city in northern Morocco, is known globally for its strikingly blue-painted buildings and streets. The tradition of painting in blue has various proposed origins: one account suggests Jewish refugees who arrived in the 15th century introduced the tradition of painting in blue to symbolize the sky and heaven; another suggests blue was adopted to repel mosquitoes. The effect is visually striking enough that Chefchaouen has become one of the most photographed cities in Africa, with Instagram coordinates rather than street addresses becoming the primary navigation method for visitors.
Morocco Has the World's Largest Solar Farm
The Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Station, located in the Draa-Tafilalet region of Morocco, is one of the world's largest concentrated solar power plants. Morocco, which has almost no domestic oil or gas reserves, has committed to generating 52% of its electricity from renewables by 2030 — and is on track to export renewable energy to Europe via undersea cable. A country in the Sahara Desert is positioning itself as a major renewable energy exporter to a continent that has historically exported energy to it.