Map of Morocco | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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
Total: 446,550 km²
Land: 446,300 km²
Water: 250 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Total: 2,017.9 km
Border countries: (3) Algeria 1,559 km; , Western Sahara 443 km; , Spain (Ceuta) 6.3 km; , Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline: 1835 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
Extremes lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
Extremes highest point: Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m

Natural resources: phosphates iron ore manganese lead zinc fish salt

Land use
Arable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 47%
Forests and woodland: 20%
Other: 11% (1993 est.)

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: 30,645,305 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.71% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 19% (1999 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Moroccan
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: 34.39% (male 5,368,784; female 5,170,891)
15-64 years: 60.93% (male 9,270,095; female 9,402,561)
65 years and over: 4.68% (male 646,567; female 786,407) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.71% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 24.16 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 48.11 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.43 years
Male: 67.2 years
Female: 71.76 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.05 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.03% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 43.7%
Male: 56.6%
Female: 31% (1995 est.)

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
Note: three additional provinces of Ad Dakhla (Oued Eddahab), Boujdour, and Es Smara as well as parts of Tan-Tan and Laayoune fall within Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara; decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature in March 1997 creating many new provinces/regions; specific details and scope of the reorganization not yet available

Dependent areas

Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMED VI to the throne) 30 July (1999)

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
Chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 23 July 1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Abderrahmane YOUSSOUFI (since 14 March 1998)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections

Legislative branch
Elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 15 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); Chamber of Representatives - last held 14 November 1997 (next to be held NA November 2002)
Election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - USFP 57, UC 50, RNI 46, MP 40, MDS 32, IP 32, MNP 19, PND 10, MPCD 9, PPS 9, FFD 9, PSD 5, OADP 4, PA 2, PDI 1
Note: CDT, UTM, UGTM, UNMT are all labor unions listed under Political pressure groups and leaders; see explanation in the description of Parliament

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 [Muhammad IDRISS]; Constitutional Union or UC [leader NA]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Thami KHIARI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Issa 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 AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; Organization of Democratic and Popular Action or OADP [Mohamed BEN SAID ait Idder]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Moulay Ismail ALAOUI]; Popular Constitutional and Democratic Movement or MPCD (has become Party of Justice and Development or PJD) [Dr. Abdelkarim KHATIB]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Social Democratic Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Abd ar-Rahman EL-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 ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MONUC NAM OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE (partner) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Abdullah MAAROUFI
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 Edward M. GABRIEL
From the us embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
From the us mailing address: PSC 74, Box 3, APO AE 90,718
From the us telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65
From the us fax: [212] (37) 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 problems typical of developing countries - restraining government spending reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade and achieving sustainable economic growth. Following structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF World Bank and the Paris Club the dirham is now fully convertible for current account transactions and reforms of the financial sector have been implemented. Drought conditions depressed activity in the key agricultural sector and contributed to a stagnant economy in 1999 and 2000. During that time however Morocco reported large foreign exchange inflows from the sale of a mobile telephone license and partial privatization of the state-owned telecommunications company. Favorable rainfalls have led Morocco to predict a growth of 1% for 2001. 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 boost living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youthful population.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.8% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15%
Industry: 33%
Services: 52% (1999 est.)

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: 0.5% (1999 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 23% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 19% (1999 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 30.9% (1998-99)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $9.6 billion
Expenditures: $8.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (2001 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2000 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: $7.6 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: phosphates and fertilizers food and beverages minerals
Partners: France 35% Spain 9% UK 8% Germany 7% US 5% (1999)

Imports: $12.2 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: semiprocessed goods machinery and equipment food and beverages consumer goods fuel
Partners: France 32% Spain 12% Italy 7% Germany 6% UK 6% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $18.4 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001) 10.626 (2000) 9.804 (1999) 9.604 (1998) 9.527 (1997) 8.716 (1996)


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Electricity
Production: 13.695 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 89.19%
Production by source hydro: 10.81%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 13.441 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 705 million kWh (1999)

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
General assessment: modern system with all important capabilities; however density is low with only 4.6 main lines available for each 100 persons
Domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay
International: 7 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (1998)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ma
Service providers isps: 8 (2000)
Users: 120,000 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.4 billion (FY99/00)
Percent of gdp: 4% (FY99/00)

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: 69 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 26
With paved runways over 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 43
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 20
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 1,907 km
Standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified; 540 km double track)

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 223,052 GRT/272,786 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 6, container 5, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.)

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