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. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997.


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Location: Northern Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N 5 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

Coastline: 1835 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: 12,580 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar


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Population: 30,122,350 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.74% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 13.1% (1990-91 est.)

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.74% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 24.6 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.21 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 49.72 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Rabat

Administrative divisions: 37 provinces and 2 wilayas*; 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 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: Throne Day or Sete de Throne 30 July (1999) (anniversary of King MOHAMED VI's accession to the throne)

Constitution: 10 March 1972 revised 4 September 1992 amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996

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

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils professional organizations and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third of the members are renewed every three years) and a lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are appointed on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary presided over by the monarch

Political parties and leaders: Action Party or PA [Ahmed ABAKIL]; Constitutional Union or UC [Abdellatif SEMLALI]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Thami KHIARI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Issa al-OUARDIGHI]; Democratic Party for Independence or PDI [Thami el-OUAZZANI Said BOUACHRINE]; Istiqlal Party or IP [Abbas EL-FASSI]; Labor Party or UT [leader NA]; National Democratic Party or PND [Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI]; National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHARDANE]; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; Organization of Democratic and Popular Action or OADP [Mohamed BENSAID]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Moulay Ismail al ALAOUI]; Popular Constitutional and Democratic Movement or MPCD [Dr. Abdelkarim al-KHATIB]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Social Democratic Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Abderrahmane YOUSSOUFI]

International organization participation: ABEDA ACCT (associate) AfDB AFESD AL AMF AMU CCC EBRD ECA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO (pending member) ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU NAM OAS (observer) OAU OIC OPCW OSCE (partner) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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 problems typical of developing countries - restraining government spending reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade and achieving sustainable economic growth. 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 dirham is now fully convertible for current account transactions; reforms of the financial sector have been implemented; and state enterprises are being privatized. Drought conditions depressed activity in the key agricultural sector and contributed to an economic slowdown in 1999. Favorable rainfalls have led Morocco to predict a growth of 6% for 2000. Formidable long-term challenges include: servicing the external debt; preparing the economy for freer trade with the EU; and improving education and attracting foreign investment to improve living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youthful population.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: barley wheat citrus wine vegetables olives; livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 11 million (1997 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation services: 35%
By occupation industry: 15% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 19% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 13.1% (1990-91 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: July 1 - June 30

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (1999 est.)

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: $7.1 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: phosphates and fertilizers food and beverages minerals (1998)
Partners: France 27% Spain 11% India 7% Japan 6% Italy 5% (1998)

Imports: $9.5 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: semiprocessed goods machinery and equipment food and beverages consumer goods fuel (1998)
Partners: France 22% Spain 10% US 7% Germany 6% Italy 6% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $19.1 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 10.051 (January 2000) 9.804 (1999) 9.604 (1998) 9.527 (1997) 8.716 (1996) 8.540 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 13.16 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 12.363 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 124 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.391 million (1998)
Mobile cellular: 116,645 (1998)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 27 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.361 billion (FY97/98)
Percent of gdp: 3.8% (FY97/98)

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: 70 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

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

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims and administers Western Sahara but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been 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