For the first time, French schoolbooks for the 2024-2025 academic year will include a complete map of Morocco, including the Sahara region, after France earlier recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.
Most French textbooks now feature the full map, stretching from Tangier to Lagouira. It didn’t take long for the Moroccan diaspora in France to notice that detail as many shared images of the map in the updated schoolbooks online.
The change signifies a pivotal moment in France-Morocco relations and reinforces the Republic’s recognition of the Moroccan Sahara.
After decades of ambiguity, France shifted its position on the Sahara in July, joining a growing number of countries aligning with Morocco as United Nations mediation efforts remain stalled.
During the 25th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne in July, President Emmanuel Macron endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan for the Sahara, calling it the “only basis” for resolving the conflict.
This statement, along with the inclusion of the complete map in French textbooks, underscores France’s commitment to deepening ties with Morocco and educating younger generations about the Kingdom’s geographical and political reality.