Morocco is located in northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its strategic location has shaped the country’s history. Arab forces began occupying Morocco in the seventh century, bringing their civilization and Islam to the nation. Morocco's location and resources led to competition among European powers in the country in the 1800s. It became a French protectorate in 1912 until it gained independence in 1956. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. With its strategic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco has for several centuries served as one of the main trading points between Europe and Africa. The country enjoys the advantages of a skilled, but cheaper, labor force as well as a proximity to Western Europe that has attracted substantial foreign investments in its labor-intensive industries.