Map of Morocco | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 446,550 km²
Land: 446,300 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

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

Coastline: 1,835 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Terrain: northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Elevation

Natural 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%

Irrigated land: 12,650 km² (1989 est.)

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: 29,168,848 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.09% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Moroccan(s)
Adjective: Moroccan

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

Languages: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 38% (female 5,486,176; male 5,659,410)
15-64 years: 58% (female 8,456,525; male 8,327,560)
65 years and over: 4% (female 641,236; male 597,941) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.09% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 27.93 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.97 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.08 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters
Current issues natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 45.8 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.98 years
Male: 67.03 years
Female: 71.02 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.69 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 50%
Male: 61%
Female: 38%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco
Conventional short form: Morocco
Local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
Local short form: Al Maghrib

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Rabat

Administrative divisions: 36 provinces and 5 wilayas*; Agadir, Al Hoceima, Assa-Zag, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Es Smara, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, 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, 3 March (1961) (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne)

Constitution: 10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992

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: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961)
Head of government: Prime Minister Abdellatif FILALI (since 29 May 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the King

Legislative branch: unicameral
Chamber of Representatives Majlis Nawab: two-thirds elected by direct, universal suffrage and one-third by an electoral college of government, professional, and labor representatives; direct, popular elections last held 15 June 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats (333 total, 222 directly elected) USFP 48, IP 43, MP 33, RNI 28, UC 27, PND 14, MNP 14, PPS 6, PDI 3, SAP 2, PA 2, OADP 2; indirect, special interest elections last held 17 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (333 total, 111 indirectly elected) UC 27, MP 18, RNI 13, MNP 11, PND 10, IP 7, Party of Shura and Istiqlal 6, USFP 4, PPS 4, CDT 4, UTM 3, UGTM 2, SAP 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed BENAISSA
In the us chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-7,979 through 7,982
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marc C. GINSBERG
From the us embassy: 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat
From the us mailing address: PSC 74, Box 003, APO AE 9,718
From the us telephone: [212] (7) 76 22 65
From the us FAX: [212] (7) 76 56 61
From the us consulates general: Casablanca

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: Morocco faces the typical problems of developing countries - restraining government spending, reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade, and keeping inflation within bounds. Since the early 1980s the government has pursued an economic program toward these objectives with the support of the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club of creditors. The economy has substantial assets to draw on:the world's largest phosphate reserves, diverse agricultural and fishing resources, a sizable tourist industry, a growing manufacturing sector, and remittances from Moroccans working abroad. A severe drought in 1992-93 depressed economic activity and held down exports. Real GDP contracted by 4.4% in 1992 and 1.1% in 1993. Despite these setbacks, initiatives to relax capital controls, strengthen the banking sector, and privatize state enterprises went forward in 1993-94. Favorable rainfall in 1994 boosted agricultural production by 40%. Servicing the large debt, high unemployment, and vulnerability to external economic forces remain long-term problems for Morocco.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,060 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 15% of GDP, 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.1% accounts for 28% of GDP

Labor force: 7.4 million
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation services: 26%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation other: 9% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 16% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $8.1 billion
Expenditures: $8.9 billion (1994 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%
Partners: EU 70%, Japan 5%, US 4%, Libya 3%, India 2% (1993)

Imports: $7.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%
Partners: EC 59%, US 8%, Saudi Arabia 5%, UAE 3%, Russia 2% (1993)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $20.5 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 2.892 (January 1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 2,620,000 kW
Production: 9.9 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 361 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 280,000 telephones; 10.5 telephones/1000 persons
Local: NA
Intercity: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat; secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan
International: 5 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.3 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1994)

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: 74
With paved runways over 3047 m: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 13
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 24

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 183,951 GRT/273,057 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, container 2, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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