Casablanca (Spanish for white (blanca) house (casa); nicknamed by locals: Casa; Old name in Amazigh: Anfa is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Greater Casablanca region.With a population of 3.1 million (3.85 million in the "greater Casablanca" (September 2005 census), Casablanca is Morocco's biggest city as well as its chief port. It's also the largest city in the Maghreb and the sixth biggest city in the entire continent of Africa. Casablanca is counted the economic capital of Morocco because it is the heart of Moroccan business. The political capital is Rabat. It is also the main naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.Casablanca is the major city hosting headquarters and important industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and outside companies established in Morocco.
A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres.Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was planned to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II , in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building.The Parc de la Ligue Arabe is the city's largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur, which is disused, but is a brilliant example of Mauresque architecture.
The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate ) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of other Moroccan towns, such as Fes and Marrakech . However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in that project have been the western walls of the medina, its skala, or bastion , and its colonial-period clock tower.The city is served by Anfa Airport and Mohammed V International Airport, and its port is one of the largest artificial ports in the world.
Industrial statistics demonstrate Casablanca retains its historic position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is considered as Morocco's chief port and as one of the largest artificial ports in the world. It is also the largest port of the Maghreb and North Africa.The French period New Town of Casablanca was designed by the French architect Henri Prost and was a model of a new town at that time. The important streets of the New Town (Ville Nouvelle in French) radiate south and east from Place des Nations Unies, where the main market of Anfa had been. The New Town is possibly the most majestic in Morocco. Former administrative constructions and modern hotels populate the area. Their style is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco styles.Casablanca is home to the Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is located on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers.
A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres.Work on the mosque was started in 1980, and was planned to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II , in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 1993. Authorities spent an estimated $800 million in the construction of the building.The Parc de la Ligue Arabe is the city's largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur, which is disused, but is a brilliant example of Mauresque architecture.The Old Medina (the part of town pre-dating the French protectorate ) attracts fewer tourists than the medinas of other Moroccan towns, such as Fes and Marrakech . However, it has undergone some restoration in recent years. Included in that project have been the western walls of the medina, its skala, or bastion , and its colonial-period clock tower.The city is served by Anfa Airport and Mohammed V International Airport, and its port is one of the largest artificial ports in the world. 
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