Casablanca is located in northwest Africa, roughly in the middle of the Atlantic flatlands of Morocco, and is the largest city and economic center of Morocco. The city had a small Phoenician port in ancient times, but it was eventually deserted and was a cold village for a long time. With the arrival of European traders, the population began to increase in the second half of the 19th century, and by the beginning of the 20th century, the city had grown to nearly 20,000 people.