Morocco, located in northwestern Africa, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, is a true "phosphate kingdom". Heaven has blessed this land with abundant natural resources.
Over millions of years of geological movements, it has formed the world's largest reserves of high-quality phosphate, accounting for about three-quarters of the world's total reserves. The mined phosphate is of high quality and low price, and is favored by customers all over the world.
Phosphate-driven economic growth made Morocco prosperous in the 80s of the last century. Morocco's GDP is among the highest in Africa, thanks to the export of phosphates, and the wealth of minerals alone has enabled many Moroccans to live a decent life.
Especially in 1992, Morocco's per capita GDP was as high as 1,300 US dollars, which was three times that of China's income of just over 400 US dollars per person at that time. This data has impressed the world with Morocco, and it has also made many developing countries learn from the experience and hope to use their own resource advantages to become rich.
It can be said that the 80s of the last century were the heyday of Morocco. The abundant phosphate resources have made this "rich country" in North Africa and the Arab countries. Although this type of growth, which relied on the export of resources, had its limitations, it did improve the living standards of the Moroccan people at the time and laid the foundation for Morocco's subsequent development.
In 1956, the Kingdom of Morocco finally gained independence from its long colonial rule. The new Moroccan government understood that to be truly independent, it was necessary to gain control over the country's resources.
As a result, the Moroccan government decisively took back the management of phosphate resources and nationalized them.
Prior to this, phosphate resources had been controlled by Western capital for a long time, which had played a limited role in promoting Morocco's economic development. After nationalization, the Moroccan government began to invest heavily in the phosphate industry, build mining and transportation facilities, introduce advanced equipment, and increase mining capacity.
At the same time, it is also committed to promoting the deep processing of phosphate downstream to produce more chemical products with higher value.
At the same time, other industries in Morocco have also made great progress. The abundant marine resources have made a strong fishery, and seafood products have become an important source of export earnings.
Green mountains and rivers and historical monuments attract tourists, and the tourism industry is booming. All kinds of economic changes and progress have made the life of the Moroccan people more comfortable and more confident on the road to economic independence.
Nationalization reforms Morocco made better use of its own resources and allowed its people to be the masters of its own development. This laid the foundation for Morocco's subsequent economic diversification, which gradually put it on an independent path of development.
Morocco's experience is undoubtedly an important lesson for other countries that had also been subject to colonization.
Morocco is a vast land with amazing natural charms. The mountains stretch out and form a natural barrier. On the endless Atlantic coastline, golden sand beaches sparkle in the sun.
This magical land is also buried with unparalleled wealth - rich phosphate mineral resources. Millions of years ago, it was an ocean. Hordes of marine life thrive here, eventually depositing a thick layer of phosphate.
Today, there are 580 billion tonnes of proven phosphate reserves, accounting for more than two-thirds of the world's proven reserves. The status of this "phosphate kingdom" can be called the best in the world.
The tragedy of history, however, is that for too long, Moroccans have not been able to truly control their own resources. Before Morocco's independence, phosphate resources were firmly controlled by Western capitalists, and the vast number of Moroccan people could not enjoy the dividends of exploitation.
In 1956, the Moroccan people finally ushered in the dawn of independence. The nascent Moroccan government was facing economic difficulties, and the lives of the poor people were not improving in the slightest.
An old man dressed in white scorched cloth stood on the edge of a phosphate mine, staring at the wealth at his feet, a symbol of the country's hope, with determination in his eyes. It was time for these resources to benefit the entire Moroccan people! So the Moroccan government decisively nationalized the mines of Western capital.
They imported advanced equipment from abroad, recruited qualified personnel, and quadrupled phosphate production in just a few years! At the same time, Morocco began to vigorously develop the phosphate chemical industry, and export earnings brought considerable income to the national treasury.
Now that the reserves have been retained, Moroccans are finally on the road to moderate prosperity.
Time flies, and we come to the Kingdom of Morocco in the 80s of the 20th century. Today, the capital, Rabat, is thriving.
The wide avenue is lined with high-rise buildings, a variety of brand stores, and fashionable young people come and go. In the Old Town, artisans make fine porcelain and carpets; Fishermen transported their freshly caught seafood to the royal palace to prepare an Andalusian dinner for the king.
Behind this rapid growth is the growing economic strength of the phosphate industry. Orders from all over the world are pouring in, and dozens of large ships dock in Moroccan ports every day.
The Moroccan Phosphate Group in Rabat is also in talks with Air France for a new aircraft purchase...... Melodious music plays and a Moroccan couple dances, their faces filled with hope for the future.
Drive along Morocco's coastline roads and you'll see a thriving scene. The barren land is home to steel factories and car assembly plants, and export ships are constantly loading and unloading at the port.
In the modern Casablanca and the old cities of Fez and Marrakech, there is a well-off atmosphere everywhere.
Data shows that in 2019, Morocco's total GDP has exceeded 120 billion US dollars, and the per capita GDP has reached 3,300 US dollars, more than three times that of the 80s of the last century.
Among the Arab world and sub-Saharan African countries, Morocco ranks among the best in terms of economic strength and people's standard of living. It is the sustained and rapid growth of the economy that has kept Moroccan society stable.
When the Arab Spring swept North Africa and the Middle East in 2011, neighboring Libya and Tunisia were not spared, but wealthy Morocco was unscathed.
Looking back in the 21st century, the development and utilization of phosphate resources is a solid cornerstone for Morocco to become rich; The fishing, tourism and automobile industries are powerful boosters of sustained economic growth.
With this, the Moroccan people are smiling and moving towards a beautiful new life.