Statistical information Morocco 1992

Morocco in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 446,550 km²
Land: 446,300 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: 2,002 km; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline: 1,835 km
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes:claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; the UN is attempting to hold a referendum; the UN-administered cease-fire has been currently in effect since September 1991 Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of
Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which Morocco contests as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
ElevationNatural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use: arable land: 18%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 26,708,587 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Moroccan(s; adjective - Moroccan
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages: Arabic (official; several Berber dialects; French is often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 29 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
Current issues note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 56 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Rabat
Administrative divisions:
37 provinces and 5 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, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset,
Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes,
Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem,
Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Dependent areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 21
Chamber of Representatives:last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61,
MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
Communists: about 2,000
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC,
EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; 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 Frederick VREELAND; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech,
Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or PSC 74, APO AE 9,718; telephone 212 (7) 76-22-65; FAX 212 (7) 76-56-61; there is a US
Consulate General in Casablanca
Diplomatic representationFlag 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overviewThe economy had recovered moderately in 1990 because of:the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, lower prices for food imports, a sharp increase in worker remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements. Economic performance in 1991 was mixed. A record harvest helped real GDP advance by 4.2%, although nonagricultural output grew by less than 1%. Inflation accelerated slightly as easier financial policies triggered rapid credit and monetary growth. Despite recovery of domestic demand, import volume growth slowed while export volume was adversely affected by phosphate marketing difficulties. In January 1992,
Morocco reached a new 12-month standby arrangement for $129 million with the
IMF. In February 1992, the Paris Club rescheduled $1.4 billion of Morocco's commercial debt. This is thought to be Morocco's last rescheduling. By 1993 the Moroccan authorities hope to be in a position to meet all debt service obligations without additional rescheduling. Servicing this large debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external economic forces remain severe long-term problems.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $27.3 billion, per capita $1,060; real growth rate 4.2% (1991)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture 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: growth rate 4% (1989 est.), accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP
Labor force: 7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)
Organized labor:about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of
Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1991)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $7.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1992)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%
Partners: EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports: $6.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%
Partners: EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.889 (March 1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 2,270,000 kW capacity; 8,170 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp:exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 4.2% of
GDP (1992 budget)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km; natural gas 241 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,249
GRT/487,479 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 3 petroleum tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Civil air: 28 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalsMorocco - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs:
illicit producer of hashish; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from
South America destined for Western Europe.