Casablanca
Casablanca, with some three million inhabitants, is the most populous city of Morocco and the second in Africa, after Cairo. It's the economic capital of the country with the most important port, commercial and industrial complexes. Originally a Berber enclave, it was conquered in the 12th century by the Arabs who went into the business of piracy. They were somewhat too successful in this enterprise and attracted the attention of the Portuguese, who disembarked here in 1575, rebuilt and fortified the city and named it "Casa Branca". After passing through the hands of the Spanish and then the French, who "protected" the city till 1956, when it reverted to the Moroccans. A modern metropolis surrounded by "bidonvilles", shanty towns for its industrial proletariat, not the most desirable tourist stop. The high spots here are pretty much limited to the nearby Ain Diab Beach resort, the port, the aquarium, the medina and the central shopping area