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UK Gov agency recognises Greater Morocco? UK Gov agency recognises Greater Morocco?
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Morocco Topics specific to Morocco, including Western Sahara west of the berm
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  #1  
Old 31 Aug 2021
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UK Gov agency recognises Greater Morocco?
Or just a map-making typo by people who may not understand the political implications?
See image below or here: UK ONS World Map
(The US State Dept acknowledged 'Greater Morocco' about a year ago.)

Elsewhere, the mapping convention has long been a conveniently ambiguous dashed line along N27° 40" (Tah village on the N1; there's even a monument there).

Meanwhile, on the UK FCO country summary pages, as far as I can tell (and unlike neighbouring countries or disputed WS) Morocco does not get a handy map depicting its territory.
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Last edited by Chris Scott; 31 Aug 2021 at 18:40.
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Old 31 Aug 2021
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Or just a map-making typo by people who may not understand the political implications?
I suspect solidarity with Washington is probably a higher priority than upsetting anyone with an interest in maintaining the previous arrangement. What's the EU position on, well what do I call it now - WS, Greater Morocco, or just Morocco?

Does that mean the (beginning of the) end for the UN mandate there?
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Old 31 Aug 2021
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The Moroccan press have been making a big deal out of this sort of thing over the last few days, BBC have published a similar undivided map which MWN has reported several times over the weekend.

Seems to be more than just a mapping error, our new ambassador is keen to promote increased trade, and has stated to the Moroccans that the Poole Tanger ferry will start in September. Also there are a few UK based oil/gas companies getting permits for extraction in Morocco.

Since the Trump administration recognised Morocco's claim on the WS in return for increased ties with Israel, more and more countries are accepting Morocco's claim on the region.

Of course it could all be coincidence

PS the Politically correct name for the WS in Morocco is either the Southern Provinces or the Moroccan Sahara
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Old 31 Aug 2021
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Interesting.
Here's the BBC page.
I guess when the UK FCO follows suit it will be a done deal.
That won't bode well for Algerian visas for Brits.

One problem with not depicting the PFZ is that less clued-up tourists will make big plans until they blunder into the Berm.
I've heard of that happening before.

Poole ferry sounds promising.
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Old 31 Aug 2021
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FCO-Western Sahara
Chris
If you look at the FCO Page for Morocco then go into the Western Sahara section and the PDF to download the map you will see the caveat at the bottom.

Please note Briefing Maps are not to taken as necessarily representing the views of the UK government on boundaries or political status. This map has been designed for briefing purposes only
and should not be used for determining the precise location of places or features, or considered an authority on the delimitation of international boundaries or on the spelling of place and feature names.
©Crown Copyright 2020

So there we go...
Kind regards
James
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Old 31 Aug 2021
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You are right James, but I imagine every FCO country 'briefing map' pdf has the same disclaimer. So does the US State Dept website (below), though it shows 'Greater Morocco'. Most international maps have these disclaimers.

My point was that it seems odd that Morocco's FCO page does not have a map at all. A diplomatic decision?
(I can't be bothered to go through the entire FCO country list to see if it's the only one ;-)

We may know soon enough.
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Old 1 Sep 2021
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One problem with not depicting the PFZ is that less clued-up tourists will make big plans until they blunder into the Berm.
Hi Chris:

I doubt that that will be a big problem. A few years ago, I rode all the way down to the Mauritania border. I was curious about seeing "the berm" and looked at various ways of getting there - none of the routes were particularly attractive, and there's not much on the eastern side of WS except for the berm.

My guess is that anyone who has not done their research and heads off towards the Algeria - WS border will be gently re-directed by the Moroccan military long before they reach the berm.

As for the map... I think that sometimes various countries use maps like this (with a disclaimer) to diplomatically float out their opinion of how things are evolving and how they view the current situation without the headaches associated with a formal announcement or formal recognition. My guess is that is what the UK has done - they are informally recognizing the reality on the ground.

Michael
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Old 1 Sep 2021
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Yes, mostly we get cordially redirected away from the Berm (and certainly the Alg border, further north), but I know of at least one group of experienced desert travellers who (iirc) followed pistes which strayed too close and got caught near Guelta Zemmour. They were taken to GZ (big base on the Berm), held overnight, interrogated, then escorted back out.
If you're not used to that sort of thing it can be quite intimidating.

That is why travellers rely on accurate maps.
A map like below, in fact! - which explains how the territory is actually divided and administered on either side of the Berm. That is the reality on the ground and where a dashed line might more usefully be drawn if the acceptance of 'Greater Morocco' becomes the norm. (The N27° 40" line is/was a way to show a disputed territory is in the eyes of the UN, among others.)
You'd think depicting the Berm line would not be that controversial, even with Morocco, who have clearly settled on and in the territory to the west for years.

But as we've seen in recent years, if this goes too far too fast the Polisario may respond again at the main crossing into Mauritania where you pass through the Berm line and across a band of PFZ territory into RIM.

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Old 1 Sep 2021
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The vision of "Greater Morocco" that worries the neighbours extends quite far beyond the berm. Don't think even the 'merrkans are ready for that.
Last edited by priffe; 1 Sep 2021 at 08:53.
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Old 1 Sep 2021
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Back to the FCO website having a map/not having a map. It seems after looking at a few countries they publish a map if theres travel advisories in place but otherwise don't bother.

Surprised to see they currently Advise against all but essential travel in the Moroccan WS due to COVID! (an advisory which would catch some tourists out with their Travel Insurance)
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Old 3 Sep 2021
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Map circa 1880-1890 (click to open large version in new tab)

Morocco lost a lot of ground to Algeria when the borders were redefined before the end of the French Protectorate. The red line is my approximation of the current border and the huge area in the south east (Tuat, or Touat-Gourara-Tidikelt) was forcibly annexed by France in 1901. Using the justification that “a territory without water is uninhabitable and its boundaries are superfluous”, huge swathes of Morocco’s historic but sparsely inhabited arid regions were redefined in 1952 as part of Algeria, which at that time was an integral part of France.



If anyone is interested in the detail of this map, I wrote about it at https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTo...y-Morocco.html
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Old 3 Sep 2021
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Very, very very interesting map, especially its South border.
Tnx for sharing, Tim!

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