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Casablanca

The huge city of Casablanca is a busy fast-growing port with a European character. The population explosion, brought about chiefly by immigration from the countryside, has brought some social problems like crime and prostitution, and resulted in the proliferation of shantytowns. The gap between the haves and the have-nots in Casablanca may be wide, but the city centre is impressive and modern, with wide avenues and well-kept skyscrapers. The people too are modern and there is little sign of traditional dress and modestly scarved women. The old city area is small, but like the medina of all Moroccan cities it serves as a bazaar venue. The canny shopkeepers, however, ensure that there are few bargains to be had here. The main attraction is the elaborately decorated Hassan II Mosque, the third largest religious monument in the world, perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Although beautifully and traditionally adorned the mosque also has high-tech features like a sliding roof and under-floor heating.