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.

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
Extremes lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
Extremes highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 28%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 41%

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

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Moroccan(s)
Adjective: Moroccan

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over: 4% (male 613,712; female 668,197) (July 1996 est.) 4% (male 597,941; female 641,236) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
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
International agreements note: Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.52 years (1996 est.), 68.98 years (1995 est.)
Male: 67.53 years (1996 est.), 67.03 years (1995 est.)
Female: 71.61 years (1996 est.), 71.02 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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

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

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

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, judges are appointed on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the king

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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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: 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%. In 1995, Morocco suffered from a drought said to be the worst in 30 years. Servicing the large debt, high unemployment, and vulnerability to external economic forces remain long-term problems for Morocco.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

Industrial production growth rate: 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.)

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

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports: total value. $4 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$7.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $20.5 billion (1994 est.)

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1_8.607 (January 1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990)

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

Telephone system: 270,100 telephones (1987 est.); 10.5 telephones/1000 persons
Domestic: 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; a nationawide GSM mobile phone system is being set up
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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.38 billion, 4.1% of GDP (1995), $1.3 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1994)

Airports: 63
With paved runways over 3047 m: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 12
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15 (1995 est.)

Heliports: :1 (1995 est.)

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

Merchant marine
Total: 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 175,962 GRT/257,449 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 7, container 2, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)

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