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.

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

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

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

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

Birth rate: 31 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1990)

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

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

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)

Literacy: 28%

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

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

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

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

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.

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)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

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%

Debt external: $22.2 billion (1989)

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)

Electricity
Capacity: 2,140,000 kW capacity; 7,760 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita (1989)

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

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

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

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

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)

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.