Class XIV international seminar trip Reports February 16-March 1, 2010

Central Intelligence Agency – The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

Over the years Morocco has relied more and more on imports to sustain its way of life. With their vast growth in population Morocco continues to run a trade deficit that forces it to borrow heavily to pay for its consumption. Morocco's main consumer goods imported include wheat, dairy products, cereals, tobacco, and Animal feeds. Their main capital goods imported include paper board, paper, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, plastics, rubber, power generating machinery and equipment, industrial machinery, office machines, telecommunications, vehicles, transport equipment, scientific and controlling instruments. Even though Morocco imports more than they export, they do export a variety of raw goods and finished goods. Over one third of their exports are made up of phosphates and phosphate byproducts. The other two thirds of Morocco's exports include fish and fish byproducts, vegetables and fruit, coffee, tea, cocoa, fertilizer, textile goods, clothing, and footwear. A lot of the capital goods that Morocco imports are produced in to finished products that Morocco exports. Some of these goods would be appliances, electrical parts, electrical machinery, prefabricated buildings, plumbing supplies, heating and light fixtures. The country of Morocco weighs heavily on the goods and consumer goods that it imports, but is able to transition a lot of those imports into exports.

As the world's 17th biggest exporter, Spain exports a multitude of both consumer and capital goods. Although a relatively small nation it is positioned in a climate which is fertile for many valuable crops. Some of its main consumer good exports will include vegetables and fruit, wine, fish and fish byproducts, fuel oil, and petroleum products. Spain is one of the world leaders in renewable energy, and one of its top exported capital goods are wind turbines and solar panels for generating power all over the world. Other capital goods exported would include pharmaceutical preparations, iron and steel products, oilfield and drilling equipment, industrial machinery, computers, synthetics, floor and wall tile, stone, sand, cement and lime. Over the past year and a half Spain has reduced some imports due to the recession it is experiencing. However its top consumer goods imports would be barley, oats, sorghum, soybeans, nuts, bakery products, rice, coal, and other food preparations. The capital goods that Spain imports will include military aircraft, civilian aircraft, pharmaceutical preparations, medicinal equipment, telecommunications equipment, industrial engines, and vehicle parts and accessories. Spain's international trade amounted to 43.4% of its overall GDP.

(a) United States/Spain Department of Commerce.

(b) Foreign Trade Statistics. Sept. 23, 2009

(c) IPR Strategic Business Information Database. July 29, 2008

(d) Spain's Top Imports and Exports. 2008
Tourist Trade: Suggestions for Spending Money in Spain/Morocco
Daniel Skipper
Spending money in a foreign country can be very confusing, especially when you are visiting two different countries with two different currencies like OALP Class XIV will be doing. With the added convenience of credit cards, this has become the preferred method of purchasing items abroad. Traveler’s checks are accepted but it is recommended that the amount per check does not exceed $100. The complication regarding traveler’s checks is that you must find a bank to exchange them and will most likely have to stand in long lines. ATM’s, more commonly known as “cash machines” in English in European countries, are very common in the areas we will be traveling. They have become increasing more popular as a means of getting cash, in part because of the preferential exchange rates. Credit cards are also widely used throughout Spain and Morocco. You must be sure to contact your bank and credit card company if you plan to use these methods of purchasing items abroad.

If you plan to make purchases at vendor booths and from individuals, cash will mostly likely be a necessity in Spain and Morocco. The Euro will generally be the only currency accepted in Spain. While in Morocco, vendors may accept the Dirham, the Euro, or the U.S. Dollar. You must keep exchange rates in your mind however if you do not plan to carry Dirhams and do not always assume other currencies will be accepted. As a rule of thumb regarding safety, it is not a good idea to pull out big wads of cash when you purchase something. If you withdrawal a large amount of money from the ATM when you first arrive, consider putting some in each pocket or use a money belt to make it appear that you don’t have as much money.

While we travel and begin collecting things to bring home to our family members or purchase as keepsakes, we must also consider how much money we are spending. One of the easiest ways to reduce how much money we spend is to bargain. Bargaining in Spain is not uncommon but it is not the general rule. Bargaining is a means of business in Morocco. It is very common to only pay one half of the initial price marked on an item that you buy from a vendor. It is very likely that many people in our group may purchase the same item and all pay different prices. If you do not like to bargain but would like to pay a lower price for something, find someone else in the group that enjoys bargaining and see if they will do it for you.

While tipping is customary in the United States, these customs do not always hold true in other countries. In both Spain and Morocco, it is not customary to leave a large tip. It is typical that Spaniards leave change as a tip but waiting staff might expect a 5-8 percent tip from an American customer. Moroccans typically tip the same as Spaniards, but it is expected that tourists tip 10 percent. If you are assisted with your baggage at a hotel, it is common to tip 5 dirham per piece of luggage. Regardless of country, it is customary to tip according to the value of your service.

Americans have been very blessed with a very cheap, safe food supply. We spend approximately 10 percent of our total income on food consumed at home and away from home. In Spain, this percentage is between 17 and 20 percent and in Morocco it is 40 to 45 percent. Therefore, along with exchange rates, we will most likely pay more for food products while in these countries than we are typically accustomed to in the U.S. The table below focuses on a few common items that we purchase in the U.S. on a regular basis. These prices were pulled from a variety of travel blogs from individuals that have recently visited, or are currently, visiting Spain.

	Spain ($1 = 0.70 €)		Morocco ($1 = 7.85 Dh)
Cup of Coffee	2.00 €	$2.86	10 Dh	$1.27
Bottle of Water	1.50 €	$2.14	6 Dh	$0.76
Coca-Cola	2.00 €	$2.86	6 Dh	$0.76
Bread	3.00 €	$4.29	2 Dh	$0.25
Lunch Out	6.00-15.00 €	$8.57-$21.43	25-65 Dh	$3.18-$8.28
Glass of Beer Out	2.00 €	$2.86	10-25 Dh	$1.27-$3.18
Bottle of Wine	8.00-12.00 €	$11.43-$17.14	94 Dh	$12.00

REFERNCES:

Corrigan, Damian. Tipping in Spain-Should you Tip in Spain? http://gospain.about.com/od/spanishlife/qt/tippinginspain.htm (last visited January 13, 2010).

This report is written to help inform the OALP Class XIV in conjunction with their international trip in Feb 2010.

Growing up I would hear preconceived ideas of references to Oklahoma such as Indians living in tepees and kids ride horses to school. Similarly, when first hearing we are going to Spain and Morocco, I am sure all of us had some preconceived ideas. Would we be traveling by camel or crowded buses with chickens aboard? Would we be able to communicate with our families easily? Would we be able to afford the costs of travel and communication on our trip?

I certainly had weird thoughts concerning Morocco, camels for instance. However, while visiting with a couple in Nashville recently, I was surprised to learn they are traveling to Morocco on vacation. Languages spoken in Morocco are Arabic (official language), French and Berber. Berber, the name given to the Moroccan people by the Romans in the 4^th century B.C., means “barbarian”.

Tangier is our first stop in Morocco. The ferry ride from Algeciras, Spain, to Tangier will take 60-70 minutes and normally cost $40 US. The main options of travel and examples are as follows (per Lonely Planet, $1 US = 8.5 Dirham):

1. 
   Bus--$10 US to Rabat (4 ½ hrs)
   
2. 
   Taxi--$3.40 US per hour; $0.80-$1 for rides in town
   
3. 
   Train--$13 US to Casablanca (5 ½ hrs); $20 US to Fes (9 hrs)
   

One afternoon will be spent in Fez (1 million pop). Local bus travel cost $0.40. We are cautioned to be careful of the “false guides” wanting to show you around. Exploring the Moroccan Sahara by camel is one of the country’s signature activities. Cost is $34 US for one day or $40 overnight. Air travel is another means of travel in Morocco with five airports. Mohammad V International is the largest located in Casablanca. There are 10 airlines with Royal Air Moroc being the dominant. Bicycle another option for travel with no rules or special roads; additional they can be taken onto trains and buses. Cars can be rented but are expensive and risky. Cost is $395 US/week (unsure of insurance) or $57/day. If you travel by camel, you will want to enjoy the bathhouse ritual at a Hammams at $1.20 US or $1.70 extra for a massage. In Meknes, the bathhouse is Hammam Zitouna in the heart of the medina.

There are four official languages spoken in Spain. Castilian has been the official language of Spain since 1714 as ruled by Phillip V. It was renamed Spanish in 1925. The second language is Catalan which dates back to the 12^th century and spoken by more than 5 million people. The third language is Galician. Galician-Portuguese originated in Galicia at the beginning of the Middle Ages which approximately two million people speak. The Euskera, or the Basque language, is spoken in northern Spain by approximately 700,000 people. Top ten useful words or phrases:

Travel in Spain is certainly better than in Morocco when it comes to trains, buses and cars, although I am not sure about camels. All travel is more expensive. Spain is well linked to other European countries by air, rail, and road. Air travel is getting cheaper due to competition and probably the cheapest and fastest for European travel. However, the high speed train system is a close second traveling at 180 mph. Citizens of the 25 Euro Union can travel with their national identity card. Others must have passports. By law you are required to have your passport with you at all times. Although passport checks are rare, police can ask for documentation.

Lonely Planet

Frommers

Wikipedia

Transportation in Spain is generally very good in the cities. Most cities have efficient buses, rail systems, and taxis’. However, taxis’ in Spain are expensive. It is important that you only use taxis’ that display special license. Most taxis’ are very high standard, as they are governed by strict legislation. They will display a green light when they are free. They can be flagged down or found at a taxi rank, and they are metered but have set prices for certain journeys. Tipping is customary of 5-10%. Intercity rail is available as well to get you to all major cities. The Spanish rail network is operated by a state owned company called Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Espanoles or short for (RENFE). They offer a wide range of services and fares, even though most do not run to small towns. There are also a huge variety of local, short distance trains called tranvias. Suburban commuter trains are second class only and stop at all stations. In addition, there are also Metro service lines in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia which are the fastest way to get around these cities and are unsurprisingly crowded during rush hours. Much like what we saw in Washington DC., Spain also offers local bus service and majority only run from 0600 to 2200. There are very few services that run until midnight. Most buses don’t have a lot of seat options only standing room for maximum capacity. Urban buses are quite slow and most towns have a terminal. Also, keep in mind that the bus may not always stop for you, unless you indicate you wish it to. There are reports that some taxi drivers, especially at airports, will try to rip off tourists by over charging them. Warning! Before you get into a taxi ask for an estimate or fixed price. In some cases, it may be in your best interest to get the driver to write down the charge before leaving. If you have a dispute with a taxi driver, it is best to tell him that you are going to call the police and this usually will be enough to settle the dispute. Coach travel is the most comfortable means of travel and is affordable. While train travel is fairly cheap, it is higher than bus travel. Unfortunately, the amount of time traveling is less by train than by bus, as most of us know this. Train travel between major cities can run from about 7 euro’s to 70 euro’s, thus traveling by bus will run from about 10 euro’s to 61 euro’s.

Transportation in Morocco consist basically in 4 ways Car/Taxi, Moped/Bicycle, bus, or by foot. The most popular is by car or taxi and usually consist rather quickly. Traveling by taxi can be nerve racking since it seems to be a contest of who can get there the fastest. The major cities sound much like New York Traffic during rush hour. There are two kinds of taxis Grand and Petits. Grand taxis are old Mercedes that will take you to another town for 40 or 50 dirham’s ($4-$5) and usually consist of 5 passengers. Petits taxis are tiny economy cars that are color coded by city and only cost 15 dirham’s to take you from one end of town to the other. It is also warned to watch taxi drivers at tourist spots, because they will do their best to rip you off which is both illegal and a sin against Islam. It is recommended, that you find a taxi in the street verses at a taxi stand. Most buses are within cities are not considered safe, due to high theft, and should therefore be avoided if possible. Most driving practices are very poor in Morocco. When traveling at night, lighting can be very poor, which makes driving conditions very poor. When walking, be very careful while crossing streets as drivers feel they have the right away. Morocco does have train travel between major cities. Most train travel in Morocco is convenient and is reasonably modern and cleaner than bus travels to major cities.

E-mail cybercafés and other internet points are available in most towns. And in most cases 1 to 3 euro’s will get you one hour of use. Your e-mail and all your normal systems will work in Spain.

The United States Embassy number is 91 587 22 00.

Visa: 900 97 44 45 MasterCard: 900 97 12 31 American Express: 900 37 56 37

Country codes USA AT&T: 99 00 11 USA Sprint: 99 00 13 USA MCI: 99 00 14 USA Worldcom: 99 00 17

English speaking operator dial: 1008 For international inquires dial: 025

Emergency Numbers For all emergencies: 112 Ambulance: 061 Fire: 080, or 085

In early December Spain’s Catalonia region and local government cast a ballot for a referndum to gain it’s independence from Spain. Apperently the region’s population has felt left out on many of the government programs and subsidies for community development yet it is a major draw of the county’s financial gain in industry and tourism. It also has a basic cultural divide that seperates itself from the country including language and ideology.

Even though all these bits of news have been compiled over the past month, their relevence continues on in the way they reflect the trends of their respective countries. In general, Spain is struggling to get back on it’s feet after the worldwide economic crash. They are making great advances and are in a particularly good place to have their prime minister lead the EU. Morocco on the other hand seems to be bursting with economic growth with the help of government investment. Both are progressing in agriculture development which will hopefully be something our class will see first hand.Regardless of how difficult times have been for Spain and Morocco, both nations have shown great determination in moving on and making strides to correct them.

CURRENT EVENTS OF SPAIN AND MOROCCO

Mechelle Hampton
On January 12, 2010 for the first time in a half a century, snow fell in parts of Spain as a wave of Arctic cold swept southwards. At the Madrid-Barajas airport, more than 270 flights were cancelled. Seville a southern Spanish city that normally enjoys temperatures around 59 degrees Fahrenheit was shivering. Spanish schools were cancelled for more than 160,000 children due to the ice and snow. Mobile phone service in the region collapsed briefly due to the number of citizens calling friends and family to report the rare snowfall.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Secretary Janet Napolitano has accepted the invitation of her Spanish colleague Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba to travel to Toledo, Spain to meet with her European counterparts to discuss aviation security standards and ways to reinforce international security measures.

According to Spanish Health Minister Toledo Jimenez, for the eighteen consecutive years Spain leads the world in organ donations in 2009. A new record was set for organ transplants, 4,028 from 1,605 donors. In 1989, Spain set up a network of transplant coordinators at the hospitals, who monitor emergency wards and identify potential donors. Since the implementation of this process, Spain has become a world leader in organ donation.

For most of 2009, Spain has suffered a drought; however, heavy rain since December has filled reservoirs to 15.8 percent above average levels for the past ten years and boosted hydropower. This is good news for farmers who grow maize in Spain’s harsh climate, a crop like many others including alfalfa, rice, and cotton which all require irrigation. Although wheat and barley do not require irrigation, the rainfall is necessary to replenish the groundwater needed for the crops to grow. With the rainfall levels, Spain will now be able to generate hydropower to irrigate crops rather than have to import gas. Spain is the world’s third largest importer of natural gas.

Spanish Agriculture Secretary praised the recent rains to fill the reservoirs, which are needed to irrigate cereal crops and beneficial to livestock. However, the heavy rains have killed 20% of the harvest of vegetables and 15% of the olive groves. Farmers along the Granada coast have lost over 2.5 million kilograms of tomato and cucumber due to the splitting of the fruits and botrytis, which is 20% of the crop. The entire crop of olives has been unable to be harvested due to the heavy rains. Not only are the crops suffering from the abundance of rainfall, but the agricultural infrastructure as well. Greenhouses, ditches, or what the Spanish call breakwaters, and rural roads are a few of the infrastructure being affected. This is a repeat of economic loss for the Spanish Agriculture Industry as in 2009, the number of farms declined by 17 percent, livestock prices are suffering in recent years, and the olive sector experienced a fall of 22 percent in prices. In Granada where fruits and vegetables are the primary horticultural sectors, prices fell 20 percent; losses are estimated to be more than 62 million Euros – mainly affecting the tomato, pepper, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon, and fruits such as lemon, tangerine, and oranges.

Twenty-five kilos of heroin were found among a shipment of bananas in Madrid, Spain. The heroin was found as employees of the Lidl Supermarket were unpacking the boxes of bananas. The Spanish National Police said the bananas were delivered in error to the Spanish capital’s wholesale market as the heroin was smuggled into the country in the shipment.

Spanish police seize a van loaded with explosives in the town of Bermillo de Sayago. The exact nature of the explosive material is not being released. Two terrorists were later arrested over the border in Portugal and two additional ETA are being detained on a separate operation in France. The suspects are Garikoitz Garcia Arrieta, the van driver, and Iratxe Yáñez Ortiz de Barrón, the woman who was driving the second vehicle. Both vehicles were carrying French plates, and detectives are investigating any connection with the two ETA members who were arrested in France on Saturday, when they were going to check on a weapons cache in Clermont-Ferrand, in central France.

Tourism like any other field is possible to be touched by any political, economic, and social world changes. For Morocco, the field is one of the most economic developments that the country relies on since the 60’s, beside agriculture and fishing. Yet tourism in Morocco is the only infrastructure, which is not stable due to its sensitivity to be influenced easily by surrounding factors. Tourism professionals in the international fair in Marrakech, Morocco Travel Market, discuss mainly three obstacles that lately Moroccan tourism suffers from: economic crisis, unemployment, and H1N1. Apparently, people forget about the fourth obstacle that frightens not only tourism in Morocco but in most of North African and Arab countries; it is terrorism. Nobody can deny that tourism in Mauritania is at its zero level because of terrorism and lack of security. Moroccan tourism did suffer from this global problem few years ago when 45 people in Casablanca were killed in three suicide bombings. Yet, it is a fact that Moroccan tourism is still touched by the hysteria of terrorism that North African and Arab countries sadly experience.

Lockheed Martin, a US Defense group has won a contract with Morocco worth $841.9m (£528.2m) to supply Morocco with twenty-four F-16 fighter aircrafts and support equipment. This contract makes the second contract in as many years. Lockheed beat France's Dassault Aviation, which makes the Rafaele jet fighter, to the contract.

Morocco will send relief aid worth $1 million to Haitians who are suffering from a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The national emergency aid including medical and pharmaceutical supplies will be airlifted as soon as possible, according to the foreign ministry.

Economic growth in Morocco will slow to 4.1 percent this year as the agriculture industry will have a weaker expansion offset by a pick-up in the demands for exports, according to the High Planning Commissioner Ahmed Lahlimi Alami. Non-agricultural industries will expand 5.9 percent, compared with 1.6 percent in 2009, while agricultural production increases 5.3 percent, down from 26.2 percent.

The European Union and Morocco have come to an agreement for the liberalization of products - exchanges in the food, agricultural and fishing sectors after a four-year long process. According to the European Commission this a step ahead in the project of Euro-Mediterranean free trade area, which is about trade relations between the EU 27 and Morocco. The agreement will have to be ratified by the Council of EU ministers, the Parliament and the Moroccan government before it can enforced in 2011. Complete liberalization is expected in the next ten years. The Spanish industry is concerned because it fears an invasion of Moroccan produce at low prices.