1995 Edition

Area

total area: 446,550 sq km land area: 446,300 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California

Climate

Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Coastline

1,835 km

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 natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

International disputes

claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; the UN is attempting to hold a referendum; the UN-administered cease-fire has been currently 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

Irrigated land

12,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,002 km, 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%

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Map references

Africa

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

Natural resources

phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Note

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Terrain

northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Age structure

0-14 years: 38% (female 5,486,176; male 5,659,410) 15-64 years: 58% (female 8,456,525; male 8,327,560) 65 years and over: 4% (female 641,236; male 597,941) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

27.93 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

5.97 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%

Infant mortality rate

45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

7.4 million by occupation: agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)

Languages

Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.98 years male: 67.03 years female: 71.02 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 50% male: 61% female: 38%

Nationality

noun: Moroccan(s) adjective: Moroccan

Net migration rate

-1.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

29,168,848 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.09% (1995 est.)

Religions

Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Total fertility rate

3.69 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

36 provinces and 5 wilayas*; Agadir, Al Hoceima, Assa-Zag, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Es Smara, 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

Capital

Rabat

Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)

two-thirds elected by direct, universal suffrage and one-third by an electoral college of government, professional, and labor representatives; direct, popular elections last held 15 June 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats (333 total, 222 directly elected) USFP 48, IP 43, MP 33, RNI 28, UC 27, PND 14, MNP 14, PPS 6, PDI 3, SAP 2, PA 2, OADP 2; indirect, special interest elections last held 17 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (333 total, 111 indirectly elected) UC 27, MP 18, RNI 13, MNP 11, PND 10, IP 7, Party of Shura and Istiqlal 6, USFP 4, PPS 4, CDT 4, UTM 3, UGTM 2, SAP 2

Constitution

10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992

Digraph

MO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed BENAISSA chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 through 7982

Executive branch

chief of state: King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961) head of government: Prime Minister Abdellatif FILALI (since 29 May 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the King

FAX

[1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York

[212] (7) 76 56 61 consulate(s) general: Casablanca

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

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

Member of

ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Names

conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco conventional short form: Morocco local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah local short form: Al Maghrib

National holiday

National Day, 3 March (1961) (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne)

Political parties and leaders

opposition: Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Mohammad al-YAZGHI; Istiqlal Party (IP), M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA; Organization of Democratic and Popular Action (OADP), leader NA pro-government: Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID; Popular Movement (MP), Mohamed LAENSER; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; National Popular Movement (MNP), Mahjoubi AHARDANE independents: National Rally of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; Democracy and Istiqlal Party (PDI), leader NA; Action Party (PA), Abdullah SENHAJI; Non-Obedience Candidates (SAP), leader NA labor unions and community organizations (indirect elections) only): Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), Nabir AMAOUI; General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM), Abderrazzak AFILAL; Moroccan Union of Workers (UTM), leader NA; Party of Shura and Istiqlal, leader NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Marc C. GINSBERG embassy: 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat mailing address: PSC 74, Box 003, APO AE 09718 telephone: [212] (7) 76 22 65

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GDP, 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

Budget

revenues: $8.1 billion expenditures: $8.9 billion (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $123.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion note: $2.8 billion debt canceled by Saudi Arabia (1991); IMF standby agreement worth $13 million; World Bank, $450 million (1991)

Electricity

capacity: 2,620,000 kW production: 9.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 361 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 2.892 (January 1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990)

Exports

$4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17% partners: EU 70%, Japan 5%, US 4%, Libya 3%, India 2% (1993)

External debt

$20.5 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Imports

$7.5 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9% partners: EC 59%, US 8%, Saudi Arabia 5%, UAE 3%, Russia 2% (1993)

Industrial production

growth rate 0.1% accounts for 28% of GDP

Industries

phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.4% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $87.5 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$3,060 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

8% (1994 est.)

Overview

Morocco faces the typical problems of developing countries - restraining government spending, reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade, and keeping inflation within bounds. Since the early 1980s the government has pursued an economic program toward these objectives with the support of the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club of creditors. The economy has substantial assets to draw on: the world's largest phosphate reserves, diverse agricultural and fishing resources, a sizable tourist industry, a growing manufacturing sector, and remittances from Moroccans working abroad. A severe drought in 1992-93 depressed economic activity and held down exports. Real GDP contracted by 4.4% in 1992 and 1.1% in 1993. Despite these setbacks, initiatives to relax capital controls, strengthen the banking sector, and privatize state enterprises went forward in 1993-94. Favorable rainfall in 1994 boosted agricultural production by 40%. Servicing the large debt, high unemployment, and vulnerability to external economic forces remain long-term problems for Morocco.

Unemployment rate

16% (1994 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 7, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

280,000 telephones; 10.5 telephones/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat; secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan international: 5 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Television

broadcast stations: 26 (repeaters 26) televisions: NA

Airports

total: 74 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 13 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 10 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 24

Highways

total: 59,474 km paved: 29,440 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, unimproved earth 30,034 km

Merchant marine

total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 183,951 GRT/273,057 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, container 2, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1

Pipelines

crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km; natural gas 241 km

Ports

Agadir, Al Jadida, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Rabat, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla

Railroads

total: 1,893 km standard gauge: 1,893 km 1.435-m gauge (974 km electrified; 246 km double track)

Branches

Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ MOZAMBIQUE

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 7,307,076; males fit for military service 4,637,453; males reach military age (18) annually 323,921 (1995 est.)