Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and principal economic hub, located on the Atlantic coast in the Casablanca-Settat region. With a population exceeding four-million people in its metropolitan area, it serves as the country's commercial and industrial centre rather than its political capital, which is Rabat. The city is home to the Port of Casablanca, one of the largest artificial ports in the world and a critical gateway for Moroccan trade and imports. Casablanca dominates Morocco's economy, hosting the headquarters of major Moroccan companies and multinational corporations operating in North Africa, as well as the Casablanca Stock Exchange, the continent's third-largest bourse by market capitalisation. Key industries include finance, textiles, electronics assembly, automotive manufacturing and phosphate processing, reflecting Morocco's position as the world's leading phosphate exporter. The city's industrial zones and free-trade areas attract significant foreign investment, particularly from Europe and the Middle East. Casablanca also functions as a regional business and conference destination, with modern infrastructure supporting mining, technology and financial services sectors. Founded as a Berber settlement and later developed under French colonial rule in the early twentieth century, the city has grown into francophone Africa's largest urban economy and a strategic node linking European, African and Middle Eastern markets.