Map of Morocco | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Morocco's long struggle for independence from France ended in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km

Coastline: 1,835 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains

Elevation

Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 28% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 41% other; includes 1% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar


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Population: 25,648,241 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Moroccan(s; adjective--Moroccan

Ethnic groups: 99.1% Arab-Berber, 0.7% non-Moroccan, 0.2% Jewish

Languages: Arabic (official; several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education

Religions: 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian, 0.2% Jewish

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 31 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 28%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Rabat

Administrative divisions: 36 provinces (provinces, singular--province) and 2 municipalities* (wilayas, singular--wilaya; Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit

Dependent areas

Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)

Constitution: 10 March 1972

Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 21

Executive branch: Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961; Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)

Legislative branch: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, Arab League, CCC, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Ali BENGELLOUN; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20,009; telephone (202) 462-7,979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 9,284; telephone p212o (7) 622-65; there are US Consulates General in Casablanca and Tangier

Flag description: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: After registering a robust 10% growth in 1988, the economy slowed in 1989 because of higher prices for food and oil imports, lower worker remittances, and a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid prices that cost Rabat $500 million. To meet the foreign payments shortfall, Rabat has been drawing down foreign exchange reserves. Servicing the $22 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987

Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1989 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 15% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $5.1 billion; expenditures $6.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1988)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%
Partners: EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%

Imports: $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 10%
Partners: EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $22.2 billion (1989)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 7.1% of GDP (1987)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 75 total, 68 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,931 GRT/513,762 DWT; includes 11 cargo, 2 container, 14 refrigerated cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 12 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls two coastal presidios or places of sovereignty (Ceuta, Melilla)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.