1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Coastline
1,835 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than California
Disputes
claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; 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, and the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Environment
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
Land boundaries
2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Land use
arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Note
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
Terrain
mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
Total area
446,550 km2; land area: 446,300 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
30 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Infant mortality rate
76 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)
Language
Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
Life expectancy at birth
63 years male, 66 years female (1991)
Literacy
50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Moroccan(s); adjective--Moroccan
Net migration rate
- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
Population
26,181,889 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
Religion
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Total fertility rate
3.8 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
37 provinces (aqalim, singular--iqlim) and 5 municipalities* (wilayat, singular--wilayah); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes, Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Capital
Rabat
Communists
about 2,000
Constitution
10 March 1972
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador E. Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284); telephone [212] (7) 76-22-65; there are US Consulates General in Casablanca
Elections
Chamber of Representatives--last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
Executive branch
monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
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
Independence
2 March 1956 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961); Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)
Legal system
based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
Long-form name
Kingdom of Morocco
Member of
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
Political parties and leaders
Morocco has 15 political parties; the major ones are Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim BOUABID; Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General; National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA; Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
Budget
revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1990 est.)
Currency
Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion
Electricity
2,262,000 kW capacity; 8,140 million kWh produced, 320 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.071 (January 1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
Exports
$4.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%; partners--EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
External debt
$21 billion (1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$25.4 billion, per capita $990; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.
Imports
$5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%; partners--EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
Industrial production
growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP
Industries
phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6.6% (1990 est.)
Overview
The economy recovered moderately in 1990 because of the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, and lower prices for food imports. In addition, a dramatic increase in worker remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements helped ease foreign payments pressures. On the down side, higher oil import costs fueled inflation. Servicing the $21 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.
Unemployment rate
16% (1990 est.)
Communications
Airports
75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
23 major transport aircraft
Highways
59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
Merchant marine
51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,169 GRT/487,490 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Pipelines
362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas
Ports
Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
Railroads
1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)
Telecommunications
good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
Defense expenditures
$1.4 billion, 5.2% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 6,437,152; 4,092,027 fit for military service; 299,535 reach military age (18) annually; limited conscription