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Morocco
Muslim World Study:
Morocco
Learn
about the geography, food, culture and more of this beautiful
country in Northern Africa:
Morocco Ebook (PowerPoint)
Contributed by Umm Nassim
Morocco World Fact Book Partial Entry
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Background:
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In 788, about a century after the Arab
conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began
to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi
monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603),
repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In
1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half
century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw
Morocco's sovereignty steadily eroded; in 1912, the French
imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted
independence struggle with France ended successfully in
1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish
possessions were 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. |
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the North
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Western Sahara |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 5 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km
water: 250 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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1,835 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
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Climate:
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Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in
the interior |
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Terrain:
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northern coast and interior are
mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus,
intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead,
zinc, fish, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land: 19.61%
permanent crops: 2.17%
other: 78.22% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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12,910 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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northern mountains geologically unstable
and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international
agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Strait of
Gibraltar |
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Population:
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32,725,847 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 32.1% (male
5,349,247/female 5,150,497)
15-64 years: 63% (male 10,259,808/female 10,346,608)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 708,921/female 910,766)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 23.61 years
male: 23.11 years
female: 24.13 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.57% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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22.29 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005
est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 41.62 deaths/1,000 live
births
male: 45.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.66 years
male: 68.35 years
female: 73.07 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.73 children born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS:
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15,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, and
hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in
some locations during the transmission season (typically
April through November) (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish
0.2% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), Berber dialects,
French often the language of business, government, and
diplomacy |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can
read and write
total population: 51.7%
male: 64.1%
female: 39.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of
Morocco
conventional short form: Morocco
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
local short form: Al Maghrib |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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Rabat |
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Administrative divisions:
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14 regions: Grand Casablanca,
Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane,
Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Marrakech-Tensift-Al
Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer,
Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al
Hoceima-Taounate
note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara,
the political status of which is considered undetermined by
the United States Government; one additional region, Oued
Eddahab-Lagouira, falls entirely within Western Sahara;
another region, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sahia El Hamra, falls
mostly within Western Sahara; a small portion of this
region, in the southwestern part of the country, falls
within Moroccan-administered territory as recognized by the
United States; the province of Guelmim-Es Smara lies in both
entities |
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Independence:
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2 March 1956 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMED VI
to the throne), 30 July (1999) |
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Constitution:
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10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992,
amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996
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Legal system:
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based on Islamic law and French and
Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal (as of January
2003) |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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; 295 by multi-seat
constituencies and 30 from national lists of women; members
elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges are appointed on
the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary,
presided over by the monarch) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and
leaders:
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Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT
[Noubir AMAOUI]; General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM
[Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM
[Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT
[Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub
BENSEDDIK] |
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International organization
participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz
MEKOUAR
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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the
US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Thomas T. RILEY
embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718
telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65
FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61
consulate(s) general: Casablanca |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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