Independent for just more than 50 years, Morocco has, over time, been tread by many different feet. From the New Stone Age to the 21st century, Morocco's mountains, coast, plains, and desert have hosted settlers and nomads, invaders and conquerors. Today this is visible in the country's religion (indoctrinated by marauding Muslims in the 7th century), artisans and musicians (an oral and visual mix of Berber, Andalusian, Jewish, and Arabic), and, of course, its cuisine. Acceding to the throne upon his father's death in 1999, 44-year-old King Mohammed VI is repositioning Morocco as one of the major gateways between East and West -- a position it has held intermittently over the centuries. A young country in more ways than one -- more than half the population is under 40 -- Morocco is one of the world's current hot spots for investment, particularly tourism. This all-embracing focus on modernization has the potential to both uplift and alienate Moroccans. King Mohammed VI consistently walks a tightrope between his dual roles as the country's spiritual leader -- his dynasty, the Alaouites, claim to be direct descendents of the Prophet Mohammed -- and ruler of a nation that labors under an illiteracy rate of just more than 50% with one-fifth of its inhabitants still living below the poverty line.
