Something about Casablanca
The population of Greater Casablanca is estimated at more than 4.2 million (2014). 98% of them live in urban areas. 25% is under 15 and 8.7% is over 60 years. The population of the city is about 12% of the total population of Morocco. Greater Casablanca is also the largest urban area in the Maghreb. The population consists of three major ethnic groups. The most important group is that of the 'Roubie, descendants of Arab nomadic tribes, who were established in this area in the 13th century. The second important group are the Swassa, Berbers from the area of Agadir. A third, less large, group are the Fessions. The last two groups traditionally belong to the economically higher class of Casablanca, and thus of all of Morocco.

On the site of the current Casablanca was the Berber settlement Anfa. [2] The city would keep this name until the 16th century, after which it became known under its current name. The name Anfa remains in the name for the old, original part of Casablanca. It is the most prosperous, westernized part of the city. In addition, the larger Casablanca region is called Casa-Anfa.

In response to the arrival of the Islamic armies, an independent, Berber kingdom arose around the city in the 7th century, which opposed Arab influences. This small kingdom of the Barghawata survived until it was conquered by the Almoravids in the 11th century. In the 14th century Anfa was developed by the Merinides into an important port city. From the 15th century it became independent again and the city became a hotbed of pirates. For this reason the Portuguese destroyed the city in 1468. In 1515, the Portuguese rebuilt the city under the name "Casa Branca". The Portuguese remained until 1755 when they left the city after an earthquake. It was rebuilt by Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah as Dar el-Beida. The Spaniards were given the right to establish a commercial center and gave it its current name.

Yet it was only after the French colonization from 1912 that Casablanca outdid other Moroccan cities like Fez and Marrakech: Rabat became capital, and the axis Rabat-Casablanca was strongly developed by the French. Casablanca became the most important trading city in the country and the most important place for European establishment.

In January 1943, the Casablanca Conference was held in Casablanca, an important conference in which Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agreed that only the complete surrender of Nazi Germany would be accepted as the end of the Second World War.

On 16 May 2003, terrorist attacks took place in Casablanca, killing 45 people.

On 26 April 2008, 55 people died due to a fire in a mattress factory. The employees often could not escape the fire. The factory was secured against theft from the inside.

The Greater-Casablanca region is seen as the locomotive of the development of the Moroccan economy. It is responsible for 39% of national production and 60% of industrial workers. The region consumes 35% of national electricity production. With 86 billion MAD, the region provides 54% of industrial production. 41% of the country's industrial exports come from the Greater-Casablanca region. 30% of the Moroccan banking sector is located in Casablanca. For decades Casablanca has developed into a larger world city. This is partly due to the construction of many office buildings and a larger port.

The activities of the Casablanca and Mohammedia ports account for 55% of Moroccan international trade. 48% of passenger traffic in Morocco goes via Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport. [3]