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Ahhhhh, Morocco, the gateway to Africa.

Just reciting the names of its famous cities is enough to bring on a romantic, adventurous reverie: Tangier, Fez, Marrakesh, Casablanca.

South of Europe, separated from Spain and Portugal by the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco has long been a jumping-off point for invaders and tourists. (Not much of a difference, right? :-) Here's a very short history of the goings-on:

40 A.D.	Morocco comes under Roman rule.
7th century	Arabs rule Morocco, most people switch to Islam.
8th century	King Idris ibn Adballah unites the Berbers and Arabs in a monarchy that lasts 200 years.
Early 1800s	American and British forces combat Moroccan piracy in the Mediterranean.
Early 1900s	France begins exerting control over Morocco and takes over in 1912.
1943	Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt meet in Casablanca during World War II to discuss wartime strategy.
1947	Independence forces begin open warfare on French forces in Morocco. Morocco become independent on March 2, 1956

And since it's close to the Canary Islands, it seems that we'll be able to spend a bit of time in Morocco on our 1999 trip.