Back in 1907, when this was a centre of French colonial influence, there were just 20,000 people in Casablanca. In subsequent years the city grew rapidly, owing much to impulses given by the French colonial administrations, as is reflected in the design of the boulevards, which all converge on a square called the Place des Nation Unies. The most authentic place to revive the feeling of French colonial Morocco is Le Petit Poucet, a real 1920s café.