What Is the Capital of Morocco? Rabat

Q: Is Rabat the largest city in Morocco?

No. The largest urban area is Casablanca (3.9 million), while Rabat has about 2.0 million.

Q: What time zone is Rabat in?

Rabat is on UTC+1 — UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.

Q: Which capital is closest to Rabat?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Madrid (Spain) is the closest, 762 km away in a straight line.

Rabat at a glance

Name origin

Derives from the Arabic name Ribat el-Fath, from the words ribat (fortified monastery) and fath (conquest); the third Almohad sultan, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Manṣur, gave the name to a fort on the site in the 12th century.

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.

Coordinates

34 01 N, 6 49 W · IANA time zone Africa/Casablanca

Location of Morocco

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Mauritania

Largest cities in Morocco

1

Casablanca

3.9 million

2

Rabat Capital

2.0 million

3

Fes

1.3 million

4

Tangier

1.3 million

5

Marrakech

1.1 million

6

Agadir

979,000

Urban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capitals closest to Rabat

Straight-line distance between capitals.

Frequently asked questions about Rabat

What is the capital of Morocco?

The capital of Morocco is Rabat. About 2.0 million people live in the Rabat urban area — 5.1% of the country's population.

Is Rabat the largest city in Morocco?

No. The largest urban area is Casablanca (3.9 million), while Rabat has about 2.0 million.

What time zone is Rabat in?

Rabat is on UTC+1 — UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.

Where does the name Rabat come from?

Derives from the Arabic name Ribat el-Fath, from the words ribat (fortified monastery) and fath (conquest); the third Almohad sultan, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Manṣur, gave the name to a fort on the site in the 12th century.

Which capital is closest to Rabat?

Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Madrid (Spain) is the closest, 762 km away in a straight line.

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).

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