Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and its economic capital, a Moroccan Atlantic port whose modern form dates almost entirely from the twentieth century, built on the site of a much older settlement that was destroyed and abandoned more than once before its final rebuilding.

Where Is Casablanca Located?

Casablanca sits on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, on a wide coastal shelf that also provides good fishing grounds. As of a 2011 estimate, the city held about 3,046,000 people, making it Morocco’s largest urban center. Rabat, not Casablanca, is Morocco’s political capital and seat of government; Casablanca’s importance is economic rather than administrative.^[1]

A Brief History of Casablanca

A Amazigh (Berber) village called Anfa stood on the site as early as the twelfth century, and by the fifteenth century it had become a base used by pirates operating against shipping along the coast. The Portuguese captured and destroyed Anfa in 1468, then returned to resettle the area in 1515. An earthquake in 1755 led to the town being abandoned once again.^[1]

Arabs rebuilt the town in the late eighteenth century and reopened its port to foreign trade, drawing Spanish and other European merchants, French traders especially. Morocco became a French protectorate in 1912, a status that lasted until independence in 1956, and during this period Casablanca expanded significantly and became Morocco’s chief port, the role that underlies its modern economic importance.^[1]

Economy Today

Casablanca functions as Morocco’s economic capital, accounting for more than half of the country’s bank transactions and industrial production. Its industries include textiles, electronics, leather goods, food canning, and the production of liquor and soft drinks, alongside its continuing importance as a fishing and trading port.^[1]

What Is Casablanca Known For?

Casablanca’s most recognizable landmark is the Hassan II Mosque, built partly on land reclaimed from the Atlantic along the city’s coastline and described by Encyclopaedia Britannica as one of the largest and most ornate mosques in the world. Its dramatic setting, with the mosque’s prayer hall opening toward the ocean, has made it the defining image of the modern city.^[2]

Why Casablanca Matters

Casablanca matters as the clearest example in Morocco of a historic coastal settlement reshaped almost entirely by its twentieth-century growth into the country’s leading port and financial center, a role distinct from the political authority held by Rabat. Its layered past, from the Berber village of Anfa through Portuguese and French control to its present role as Morocco’s economic engine, makes it a useful case study in how colonial-era port development can permanently reshape a city’s function.

Key Takeaways

• A Berber village called Anfa existed on the site by the 12th century and later became a pirate base.^[1]
• The Portuguese destroyed Anfa in 1468 and resettled the site in 1515; an earthquake emptied it again in 1755.^[1]
• Casablanca expanded into Morocco’s chief port during the French protectorate period (1912-1956).^[1]
• Casablanca is Morocco’s economic capital, handling more than half the country’s banking and industrial activity; Rabat is the political capital.^[1]
• The Hassan II Mosque, built partly on reclaimed Atlantic coastline, is the city’s most iconic landmark.^[2]

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica for Students | “Casablanca” | Undated | https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Casablanca/273544 | Accessed 2026-10-21
• Encyclopaedia Britannica for Students | “Hasan II mosque” | Undated | https://kids.britannica.com/students/assembly/view/138818 | Accessed 2026-10-21

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed October 21, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue