Main articles: Languages of Morocco, Arabic, and Berber languages About 26% of the population speaks a Berber language, in its Tarifit, Tamazight, or Tashelhit varieties. While the two official languages of Morocco are Standard Arabic and Standard Moroccan Berber, according to the 2014 general census, 92% of Moroccans speak Moroccan Arabic (Darija) as a native language. In any case, the linguistic and cultural identity of Morocco, just as its geography would predict, is the result of the encounter of three main circles: Arab, Berber, and Western Mediterranean European. The Arab conquerors having certainly encountered large romanized urban Punic population as they advanced. The two Semitic languages being close, both in syntax and vocabulary it is hard to tell them apart as to who influenced more the structure of the modern Moroccan Arabic dialect. It came in two waves: Canaanite, in its Punic, Carthaginian and Hebrew historic varieties, from the ninth century B.C and up to high antiquity, and Arabic, during the low Middle Ages, starting from the seventh century A.D. The Semitic influence, on the contrary, can be fairly documented by archaeological evidence. It is hardly possible to speculate about the origin of Berber languages as it is traced back to low antiquity and prehistoric times. It is though possible to broadly classify it into two main components: Arab and Berber. It generally tends to be horizontally diverse and vertically stratified. The linguistic landscape of Morocco is complex. All of the cultural super strata tend to rely on a multi-millennial aboriginal Berber substratum still strongly present and dating back to prehistoric times. In antiquity, starting from the second century A.D and up to the seventh, a rural Donatist Christianity was present, along an urban still-in-the-making Roman Catholicism. Another major influx of Andalusian culture was brought by Andalusians with them following their expulsion from Al-andalus to North Africa after the Reconquista. While Morocco started to be stably predominantly Sunni Muslim starting from 9th–10th century AD, in the Almoravids empire period, a very significant Andalusian culture was imported and contributed to the shaping of Moroccan culture. This sphere may include, among others, the fields of personal or collective behaviors, language, customs, knowledge, beliefs, arts, legislation, gastronomy, music, poetry, architecture, etc. It represents and is shaped by a convergence of influences throughout history. The culture of Morocco is a blend of Arab, Amazighs, Andalusian cultures, with African, Hebraic and Mediterranean influences. The culture of Morocco Stucco decoration in the Saadian Tombs of Marrakesh (16th century)
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