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 erode; 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, which first met in 1997. The
country has made improvements in human rights under King MOHAMMED VI and
its press is moderately free, but the government occasionally takes
action against journalists who report on three broad subjects considered
to be taboo: the monarchy, Islam, and the status of Western Sahara.
Despite the continuing reforms, ultimate authority remains in the hands
of the monarch.
Geography ::Morocco
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
Map references:
Africa
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
Coastline:
1,835 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:
Current Weather
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:
Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
note:Morocco
claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which
is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions
Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by
Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued
Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western
Sahara
Independence:
2 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday:
Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)
Constitution:
10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended September 1996
note:the amendment of September 1996 was to create a bicameral legislature
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and
French and Spanish civil law systems; judicial review of legislative
acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
head of government:
Prime Minister Abbas EL FASSI (since 19 September 2007)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament
consists of the Chamber of Counselors (or upper house) (270 seats;
members elected indirectly by local councils, professional
organizations, and labor syndicates to serve nine-year terms; one-third
of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of
Representatives (or lower house) (325 seats; 295 members elected by
multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of women; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
Chamber
of Counselors - last held on 3 October 2009 (next to be held in 2012);
Chamber of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2007 (next to be
held in 2012)
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 - PI 52, PJD 46, MP 41, RNI 39, USFP 38, UC 27, PPS 17, FFD 9, MDS
9, Al Ahd 8, other 39
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
[Mohammed EL IDRISSI]; Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI];
Alliance des Libert'es (Alliance of Liberty) or ADL [Ali BELHAJ];
An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF]; Authenticity and
Modernity Party or PAM [Mohamed Cheikh BIADILLAH, Secretary General];
Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI
[Abdelwahed MAACH]; Citizens' Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI];
Citizenship and Development Initiative or ICD [Mohamed BENHAMOU];
Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohammed ABIED]; Democratic and Social
Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD
[Touhami EL KHIARI]; Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed
BENJELLOUN]; Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI]; Democratic
Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development Party or PED
[Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Abbas EL FASSI];
Justice and Development Party or PJD [Abdelilah BENKIRANE]; Labor Party
or PT [Abdelkrim BENATIK]; 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 [Mustapha EL MANSOURI]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP
[Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Progress
and Socialism Party or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI]; Reform and Development Party
or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV
[Mohamed KHALIDI]; Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR];
Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH]; Socialist Democratic Party or
PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP
[Abdelwahed RADI]; Unified Socialist Left Party or PGSU [Mohamed Ben
Said AIT IDDER]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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]
chancery:
1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 462-7979
FAX:
[1] (202) 265-0161
consulate(s) general:
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel L. KAPLAN
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
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; the pentacle represents the five pillars of
Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design
dates to 1912
Economy ::Morocco
Economy - overview:
Economic policies pursued since
2003 by King Mohammed VI have brought macroeconomic stability to the
country with generally low inflation, improved financial sector
performance, and steady progress in developing the services and
industrial sectors. The National Initiative for Human Development
(INDH), a $2 billion initiative launched by the King in 2005, has
improved social welfare through a successful rural electrification
program, an overhaul of the tourism and agriculture sectors, and the
gradual replacement of urban slums with decent housing. Despite the
INDH's success, Morocco continues to grapple with a high illiteracy
rate, a low education enrollment rate, and a high urban youth
unemployment rate of around 30%. Moroccan exports have dropped sharply
since mid-2008 as a result of the decline in global phosphates
prices--the bulk of Moroccan exports by value--and the global economic
slowdown. The recession in Europe--Morocco's main export market--also
prompted a decline in the flow of foreign tourists and remittances, two
primary sources of foreign currency. A record agricultural harvest,
strong government spending, and domestic consumption, however, combined
to offset losses from weak exports and helped GDP grow by 5.1% in 2009.
Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World
Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for
selected transactions. In 2006, Morocco entered a Free Trade Agreement
(FTA) with the US, and in 2008 entered into an advanced status in its
2000 Association Agreement with the EU. Morocco's primary economic
challenge is to accelerate and sustain growth in order to reduce high
levels of unemployment and underemployment. Long-term challenges include
improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, closing the
income gap between the rich and the poor, confronting corruption, and
expanding and diversifying exports beyond phosphates and low-value added
products.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$146.7 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
$139.6 billion (2008 est.)
$131.5 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$91.84 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2009 est.)
2
6.2% (2008 est.)
3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,600 (2009 est.)
45
$4,500 (2008 est.)
$4,300 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 19.2%
industry:
31.3%
services:
49.4% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
11.46 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 44.6%
industry:
19.8%
services:
35.5% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (2009 est.)
07
9.6% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line:
15% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, energy, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - production:
19.78 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - consumption:
20.78 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.429 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
4,310 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
187,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports:
17,420 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:
195,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Oil - proved reserves:
750,000 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production:
60 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
560 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
500 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.501 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance:
-$3.427 billion (2009 est.)
62
-$5.659 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:
$14.75 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
$20.33 billion (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing and textiles,
electric components, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals,
fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, citrus fruits,
vegetables, fish
Exports - partners:
Spain 19%, France 17.4%, Brazil 7%, US 4.5%, Belgium 4.4%, Italy 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$31.22 billion (2009 est.)
$39.83 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics
Imports - partners:
France 16.2%, Spain 13.6%, Italy 6.5%, China 6.1%, Germany 5.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Moldova 5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$23.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$22.72 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$20.06 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
$17.13 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$42.82 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$41.08 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$696 million (31 December 2009 est.)
$1.021 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar - 8.064 (2009), 7.526 (2008), 8.3563 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005)
Communications ::Morocco
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.991 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
Telephones - mobile cellular:
22.816 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 35
Telephone system:
general assessment: good
system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay
links; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national
network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural
service employs microwave radio relay; Internet available but expensive
domestic:
fixed-line teledensity is less than 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 65 per 100 persons in 2008
international:
country
code - 212; landing point for the Atlas Offshore, Estepona-Tetouan,
Euroafrica, Spain-Morocco, and SEA-ME-WE-3 fiber-optical
telecommunications undersea cables that provide connectivity to Asia,
the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 15, shortwave NA (2009)
Television broadcast stations:
8 (2009)
Internet country code:
.ma
Internet hosts:
276,521 (2009)
Internet users:
10.3 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 31
Transportation ::Morocco
Airports:
58 (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 32
over 3,047 m:
11
2,438 to 3,047 m:
7
1,524 to 2,437 m:
10
914 to 1,523 m:
4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 26
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
7
914 to 1,523 m:
10
under 914 m:
8 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 830 km; oil 439 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge:
1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 57,625 km
paved:
35,664 km (includes 639 km of expressways)
unpaved:
21,961 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 35
by type:
cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 8, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned:
16 (France 14, Germany 2)
registered in other countries:
4 (Gibraltar 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Agadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Safi
Military ::Morocco
Military branches:
Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees
Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Navy
(includes Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawyiya al
Malakiya Marakishiya; Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,167,760
females age 16-49:
8,599,418 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,960,026
females age 16-49:
7,307,491 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 300,262
female:
298,227 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
5% of GDP (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues ::Morocco
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; both
countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); discussions have not
progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on
resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002
rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the
Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of
illegal migration into Spain from North Africa
Illicit drugs:
one of the world's
largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly
directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America
destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis
