|
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Area: |
total:
446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km
water: 250 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly
larger than California |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
2,017.9 km
border countries: Algeria
1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta)
6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 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
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
sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
northern
mountains geologically unstable and
subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location along Strait of Gibraltar |
| Population: |
30,645,305
(July 2001 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.71%
(2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.16
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.94
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.15
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82
male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
48.11
deaths/1,000 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.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.03%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab-Berber
99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% |
| Religions: |
Muslim
98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2% |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), Berber dialects, French often
the language of business, government, and
diplomacy |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.7%
male: 56.6%
female: 31% (1995 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 |
| 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
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 |
| 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: |
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: |
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)
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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Association
of Popular Trade Unions or ADP [leader
NA]; Democratic Confederation of Labor or
CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; Democratic National
Trade Union or USND [leader NA];
Democratic Trade Union or SD [leader NA];
General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM
[Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Labor Union
Commissions or CS [leader NA]; Moroccan
National Workers Union or UNMT [leader
NA]; Moroccan Union of Workers or UTM [Mahjoub
BENSEDIQ]; Party of Shura and Istiqla [Abdelwaheb
MAASH] |
| 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
chancery: 1601 21st Street
NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979
through 7982
FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161
consulate(s) general: New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador Ms.
Margaret DeB. TUTWILER (since 11 Jul.
2001)
embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed
El Fassi, Rabat
mailing address: PSC 74, Box
3, APO AE 90718
telephone: [212] (37) 76 22
65
FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61
consulate(s) 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 |
| 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $105 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0.8%
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $3,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
15%
industry: 33%
services: 52% (1999 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) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2%
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
11
million (1997 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture
50%, services 35%, industry 15% (1999
est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
23%
(1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$9.6 billion
expenditures: $8.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $2.1
billion (2001 est.) |
| Industries: |
phosphate
rock mining and processing, food
processing, leather goods, textiles,
construction, tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
0.5%
(1999 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
13.695
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 89.19%
hydro: 10.81%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
13.441
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
705
million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
barley,
wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives;
livestock |
| Exports: |
$7.6
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
phosphates
and fertilizers, food and beverages,
minerals |
| Exports
- partners: |
France
35%, Spain 9%, UK 8%, Germany 7%, US 5%
(1999) |
| Imports: |
$12.2
billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
semiprocessed
goods, machinery and equipment, food and
beverages, consumer goods, fuel |
| Imports
- partners: |
France
32%, Spain 12%, Italy 7%, Germany 6%, UK
6% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$18.4
billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$565.6
million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Moroccan
dirham (MAD) |
| 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) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1.391
million (1998) |
| Telephones
- 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM
27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998) |
| Radios: |
6.64
million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
35
(plus 66 repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: |
3.1
million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ma |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
8
(2000) |
| Internet
users: |
120,000
(1999) |
| Railways: |
total:
1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km
1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified; 540
km double-track) (2001) |
| Highways: |
total:
57,847 km
paved: 30,254 km (including
327 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,593 km (1998) |
| Pipelines: |
crude
oil 362 km; petroleum products 491 km
(abandoned); natural gas 241 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Agadir,
El Jadida, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar,
Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Rabat, Safi,
Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and
Melilla |
| 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.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
26
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
43
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|
