Morocco aroused five senses of Royal Flora Expo visitors on their Cultural Day in Thailand Chiang Mai, Thailand-November 20, 2006

Ambassador of Morocco to Thailand, H.E. Mr. El Hassane Zahid, and Moroccan Commissioner, Mr Mohammed Anechoum, shared information about their country and its culture, with over a thousand of audience, through presentations and cultural performances on "Morocco Cultural Day," November 18, 2006, in Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006, International Horticultural Exposition for His Majesty the King (November 1, 2006 - January 31, 2007, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.)

Morocco Government took part in the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 by building a permanent outdoor garden and bringing in cultural performances to entertain the expo's visitors during "Morocco Cultural Week" (November 15 - 18.)

During the Cultural Week, Morocco brought two main cultural performances as follows:

1. "Orchestra Chabab Al Andalus of Rabat." It is a Morocco orchestra which is conducted by 10 professional performers, using distinctive instruments from Morocco. The orchestra Chabab Al Andalus of Rabat was born on March 23rd, 1987, on the initiative of young music lovers from different horizons but having in common, an unconditional passion for the artistic heritage of Al Andalus 'Andalusia' and a concern of its safeguarding from the wastage.

2. "Qalaat Mgounga Troop" (The bee's dance) is a famous Morocco dancing recognized globally. It is a quadrille of dancers (men and women), brought by a central percussionist and deploying all in whole steps which exploit various ordering. The troop of Qalaat Mgounga is made up of a group of men and women who dance 'Ahidous' together. It is not only the preferred entertainment but it is especially their means of expression the most complete and the most alive. Such dance can be seen during festivals and even in summer after the harvest.

"Morocco Cultural Day" (November 18) was part of the Cultural Week. The day started off with Moroccan food and tea tasting for an exclusive group of guests. Afterwards, the Commissioner and the Ambassador of Morocco gave a presentation to familiarize the guests with their country. Subsequently, the guests paid a visit to the Morocco Outdoor Garden then joined over one thousand audience at the Grand Amphitheater of the expo for Moroccan cultural performances.

Founded 12 centuries ago, the Kingdom of Morocco is a country rich in an ancestral history. It is located at the extreme northwestern part of Africa. It is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It is separated from Spain by the Straits of Gibraltar, which are only 14 kilometers (8.75 miles) long. Its population is 30 million, almost half of them under 20 years of age.

Ruled by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the country's capital is called Rabat, made known in the 1942 classic "Casablanca," which is also the name of the biggest city and the economic capital of Morocco.

The country's principal economic sectors are tourism, industry, and agriculture. Agriculture plays a major economic and social role; it employs about half of the active population. The main products are livestock (bovines, ovine, and caprine), cultivation of palm dates and olive trees, citrus fruits and industrial crops (cotton, beet, and sugar crane.)

Morocco is also the number-one phosphates exporter in the world and the third largest producer. 20 mining products are extracted in Morocco. Minerals and metals with a very high level of production include silver, gold, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, and cobalt.

The country's industrial sector employs 43% of the labor force. Its production consists mainly of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid, textiles and clothing, leather goods, food processing, handicraft, and sea fisheries. The industrial exports account for 70% of total exports.

Textile sector represents 16% of industrial production and 40% of total manufacturing exports. The sector employs 43% of the industrial workforce.

Tourism is one of the promising sectors of Moroccan economy. Its contribution reaches up to 7.8% of the GDP in 2004. This sector witnessed an increase of 27% in arrivals and 10% in revenues. Nearly 5.5 million tourists visited Morocco in 2004.

The country's exports include clothing, fish, minerals, fertilizers, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables.

Morocco outdoor garden is built on a space of 1,000 square meters. The garden is divided into an interior garden and an exterior garden.

The interior garden features a patio and a garden called "Ryad." The patio is composed of two tents called "caïdales." The garden "Ryad" has a white-marble fountain in the center. It opens to the garden outside by three wrought-iron French window. The patio and the "Ryad" are closed and intimate and are surrounded by an ocher, four-meter-high wall called "Rampart."

The exterior garden consists of several floors of plantations, of paved passages and a fountain on the soil. It is a representation of the gardens commonly called "Jnanat" and "Arsat."

The fundamental elements reside in the lively and variegated colors of the ceramics, toned down by the shining light, fragrances, leafy shade, the play of omnipresent water, and the sound of Moroccan music.

With the rich elements of the Moroccan garden and the rich culture and tradition projected in Moroccan cultural performances, Morocco may have accomplished their goal of arousing the five senses of the visitors of the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006.

For photographs and more information of the "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006," please contact the expo's call center at +66 2686 7272 or e-mail: [email protected]. Admission tickets are available online at www.royalfloraexpo.com.