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. Lower house elections were last held in September 2002, while upper house elections were last held in September 2006.
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
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
Land use
arable land
19%
permanent crops
2%
other
79% (2005)
Irrigated land
14,450 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
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
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 claims another region, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, which falls entirely within Western Sahara
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 systems; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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
bicameral Parliament consists of a Chamber of Counselors (or upper house) (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for 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 for five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 6 October 2003 (election moved to 2007); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27 September 2002 (next to be held in 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, FFD 12, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 38
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]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD; 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 El 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]; 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 [Mohand LAENSER]; Popular Movement Union or UMP [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]
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]
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
Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to reduce unemployment that nears 20% in urban areas. Poverty has increased due to the volatile nature of GDP, Morocco's continued dependence on foreign energy, and its inability to promote the growth of small and medium size enterprises. However, GDP growth rebounded to 6.7% in 2006 due to high rainfall, which resulted in a strong second harvest. 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 and Morocco's financial sector is rudimentary. Moroccan authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs is key to domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US, which entered into force in January 2006, and sold government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the largest state-owned bank. Long-term challenges include preparing the economy for freer trade with the US and European Union, improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, and raising living standards, which the government hopes to achieve by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in textiles.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$152.5 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$58.07 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
9.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$4,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
13.3%
industry
31.2%
services
55.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
11.25 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
40%
industry
15%
services
45% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
7.7% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
19% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.6%
highest 10%
30.9% (1998-99)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
40 (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
21.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$15.85 billion
expenditures
$20.39 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.19 billion (2006 est.)
Public debt
70.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
4% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production
18.48 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
95.4%
hydro
4.6%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
18.89 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
1.7 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production
300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption
170,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2000 est.)
Oil - imports
147,800 bbl/day (2000 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
100 million bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
50 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
50 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
1.218 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
$389 million (2006 est.)
Exports
$11.72 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
Exports - partners
France 21.4%, Spain 20.5%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.7%, India 4.1% (2006)
Imports
$21.22 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics
Imports - partners
France 17.4%, Spain 13.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, China 6.8%, Italy 6.3%, Germany 5.9% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$18.21 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$17.9 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
ODA, $706 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Currency code
MAD
Exchange rates
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.574 (2003), 11.021 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
1.341 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
12.393 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
modern system with all important capabilities; however, density is low with only 4 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)
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 hosts
3,218 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
8 (2000)
Internet users
4.6 million (2005)
Airports
60 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
26
over 3,047 m
11
2,438 to 3,047 m
5
1,524 to 2,437 m
7
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
34
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
9
914 to 1,523 m
12
under 914 m
11 (2006)
Heliports
1 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 715 km; oil 285 km (2006)
Railways
total
1,907 km
standard gauge
1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways
total
57,493 km
paved
32,716 km (includes 507 km of expressways)
unpaved
24,777 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 382,781 GRT/285,435 DWT
by type
cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 9, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5
Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2007)
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 18-49
7,908,864
females age 18-49
7,882,879 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
6,484,787
females age 18-49
6,675,729 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
353,377
females age 18-49
341,677 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
5% (2003 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; 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
