Morocco

Morocco Background

Morocco's long struggle for independence from France ended in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was 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.

Morocco Information

• Population: 32,209,101 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Moroccan(s) adjective: Moroccan
• Location:: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
• Religions:: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
• Ethnic Groups:: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
• 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
• Area: total: 446,550 sq km land: 446,300 sq km water: 250 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,835 km
• 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
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 2.17% other: 78.22% (2001)
• Environmental 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 Resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
• Highways: total: 57,707 km paved: 32,547 km (including 481 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,160 km (2000)
• Railways: total: 1,907 km standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Agadir, El Jadida, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Rabat, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
• Airports: 64 (2003 est.)