Casablanca

Casablanca
الدار البيضاء (Arabic)
Al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ
Nickname: 
Casa
Casablanca
Location of Casablanca within Morocco
Casablanca
Casablanca (Africa)
Coordinates: 33°32′N 7°35′W / 33.533°N 7.583°W / 33.533; -7.583
CountryMorocco
RegionCasablanca-Settat
First settled7th century BC
Reconstructed1756
Founded byMohammed III
Government
  MayorNabila Rmili
Area
  City
380 km2 (148 sq mi)
Elevation
0 to 150 m (0 to 492 ft)
Population
 (2024)
  City
3,218,036
  Rank1st in Morocco
  Density8,800/km2 (22,700/sq mi)
  Metro
4,270,750
Demonym(s)Casablancan
Kazāwi (كازاوي)
Biḍāwi (بيضاوي)
casablancais
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
Postal code
20000-20200
Websitewww.casablancacity.ma

Casablanca (Arabic: الدار البيضاء, romanized: al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, lit.'the White House', IPA: [adˈdaːru ɫbajdˤaːʔ]) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic coast of the Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a population of about 3.22 million in the urban area, and over 4.27 million in Greater Casablanca, making it the most populous city in the Maghreb region, and the eighth-largest in the Arab world.

Casablanca is Morocco's chief port, with the Port of Casablanca being one of the largest artificial ports in Africa, and the third-largest port in North Africa, after Tanger-Med (40 km (25 mi) east of Tangier) and Port Said. Casablanca also hosts the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

Casablanca is a significant financial centre, ranking 54th globally in the September 2023 Global Financial Centres Index rankings, between Brussels and Rome. The Casablanca Stock Exchange is Africa's third-largest in terms of market capitalization, as of December 2022.

Major Moroccan companies and many of the largest American and European companies operating in the country have their headquarters and main industrial facilities in Casablanca. Recent industrial statistics show that Casablanca is the main industrial zone in the country.