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. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in September 2003.

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

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: 19.61%
Permanent crops: 2.17%
Other: 78.22% (2001)

Irrigated land: 12,910 km² (1998 est.)

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

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Population: 32,209,101 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.61% (2004 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 5,355,388; female 5,156,762)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 10,013,466; female 10,112,060)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 692,465; female 878,960) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 23.3 years
Male: 22.8 years
Female: 23.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.61% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 22.79 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 5.71 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.98 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

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: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 43.25 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 47.09 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 39.21 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.35 years
Male: 68.06 years
Female: 72.74 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 51.7%
Male: 64.1%
Female: 39.4% (2003 est.)

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: 16 regions: Casablanca Chaouia-Ourdigha Doukkala-Abda Fes-Boulmane Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen Guelmim-Es Smara Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz Meknes-Tafilalet Oriental Oued Eddahab-Lagouira Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer Souss-Massa-Draa Tadla-Azilal Tangier-Tetouan Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)

Executive branch
Chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Driss JETTOU (since 9 October 2002)
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 6 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27 September 2002 (next to be held NA 2007)
Election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RNI 42, MDS 33, UC 28, MP 27, PND 21, PI 21, USFP 16, MNP 15, PA 13, FFD 12, other 42; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - USFP 50, PI 48, PJD 42, RNI 41, MP 27, MNP 18, UC 16, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 50

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 EL IDRISSI]; Alliance of Liberties or ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; Annahj Addimocrati or Annahj [Abdellah EL HARIF]; Avant Garde Social Democratic Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN]; Citizen Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]; Citizen's Initiatives for Development [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Constitutional Union or UC [Mohamed ABIED (interim)]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of Democratic Forces or FFD [Thami EL KHYARI]; Istiqlal Party (Independence Party) or PI [Abbas El FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Saad Eddine OTHMANI]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]; National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]; National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]; National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Parti Al Ahd or Al Ahd [Najib EL OUAZZANI chairman]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI]; Party of Renewal and Equity or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Party of the Unified Socialist Left or GSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Mohammed El-YAZGHI]

International organization participation: ABEDA ACCT AfDB AFESD AMF AMU EBRD FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU LAS MIGA MINUSTAH MONUC NAM OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE (partner) PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNOCI UPU WCL WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR
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 Thomas T. RILEY
From the us embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
From the us mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 9,718
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 Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf; design dates to 1912

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. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF the World Bank and the Paris Club the dirham is only fully convertible for current account transactions. Reforms of the financial sector are being contemplated. Droughts depressed activity in the key agricultural sector and contributed to a stagnant economy in 2002. Morocco reported large foreign exchange inflows from the sale of a mobile telephone license and partial privatization of the state-owned telecommunications company and the state tobacco company. Favorable rainfall in 2003 led to a growth of 6%. Formidable long-term challenges include: preparing the economy for freer trade with the EU and US improving education and attracting foreign investment to boost living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youth.

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.9%
Industry: 35.5%
Services: 41.5% (2003 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: NA

Labor force: 10.84 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 45% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 19% (2003 est.)

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

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 39.5 (1998-99)

Budget
Revenues: $13.8 billion
Expenditures: $14 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (2004 est.)

Public debt: 76.2% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.2% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $963 million (2003)

Exports: $8.466 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: clothing fish inorganic chemicals transistors crude minerals fertilizers (including phosphates) petroleum products fruits vegetables
Partners: France 26.5% Spain 16.7% UK 7.2% Germany 5.2% Italy 5% US 4% (2003)

Imports: $12.75 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: crude petroleum textile fabric telecommunications equipment wheat gas and electricity transistors plastics
Partners: France 20.6% Spain 12.4% Italy 7.1% Germany 5.2% Saudi Arabia 5% Russia 4.9% US 4.1% (2003)

Debt external: $17.32 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.5744 (2003) 11.0206 (2002) 11.303 (2001) 10.6256 (2000) 9.8044 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 13.35 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 14.61 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 2.2 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 50 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 50 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 665.4 million m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1,219,200 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 7,332,800 (2003)

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: country code - 212; 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)

Internet
Country code: .ma
Hosts: 3,627 (2004)
Users: 800,000 (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2,297 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 4.8% (2003)

Airports: 64 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 25
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: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 38
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 695 km; oil 285 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 1,907 km
Standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 236,131 GRT/252,367 DWT
By type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 7, container 7, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 2
Foreign owned: France 1, Germany 2, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 2, United Kingdom 1 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta Melilla and Penon de Velez de la Gomera the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in 2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee interdiction but agreed in 2003 to discuss a comprehensive maritime delimitation; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe