Rabat

Rabat, capital city of Morocco, in Rabat-Salé Prefecture, on the Atlantic Coast at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, opposite Salé in the north-western part of the country. It is a port and has considerable industry, including the manufacture of textiles, processed food, and building materials. Government activities, tourism, and local crafts are also important to the city's economy.

Rabat is the site of Mohammed V University (1957); the National Conservatory of Music, Dance, and Dramatic Arts; institutes for the study of agriculture, public administration, and applied economics; the Museum of Antiquities, with archaeological exhibits; and a museum of Moroccan art. Of special interest in the area are the 12th-century Hassan Tower (a 55 m/180 ft minaret) and other parts of the mosque of Yakub al-Mansur (c. 1160-1199), now mostly in ruins.

The settlement was established in the 12th century as a military post (Arab. ribat). The modern importance of the city dates from 1912, when it was made the capital of the French dependency of Morocco. When Morocco became independent in 1956, Rabat continued as the nation's capital. Population 1,622,860 (2004).