Morocco




                                 Geography


Location:
     Northern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean
     Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     446,550 sq km
land area:
     446,300 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
     total 2,002 km, Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline:
     1,835 km
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
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
Climate:
     Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain:
     mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
Natural resources:
     phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use:
arable land:
     18%
permanent crops:
     1%
meadows and pastures:
     28%
forest and woodland:
     12%
other:
     41%
Irrigated land:
     12,650 sq km (1989 est.)




Environment:
current issues:
     land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming
     of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water
     supplies contaminated by untreated sewage; siltation of reservoirs;
     oil pollution of coastal waters
natural hazards:
     northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship
     Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
     Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
     Protection
Note:
     strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar


                                  People


Population:
     28,558,635 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.12% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     28.59 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6.26 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     49.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     68.23 years
male:
     66.36 years
female:
     70.2 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     3.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Moroccan(s)
adjective:
     Moroccan
Ethnic divisions:
     Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:
     Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages:
     Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of
     business, government, and diplomacy
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     50%




male:
     61%
female:
     38%
Labor force:
     7.4 million
by occupation:
     agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Kingdom of Morocco
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
local short form:
     Al Maghrib
Digraph:
     MO
Type:
     constitutional monarchy
Capital:
     Rabat
Administrative divisions:
     37 provinces and 5 municipalities* (wilayas, singular - wilaya);
     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
Independence:
     2 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday:
     National Day, 3 March (1961) (anniversary of King Hassan II's
     accession to the throne)
Constitution:
     10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992
Legal system:
     based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial
     review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
Suffrage:
     21 years of age; universal
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




Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab):
     elections last held 15 June 1993 (direct popular vote) and 17
     September 1993 (indirect special interest vote); next to be held NA
     1999; results - seats (333 total), direct popular vote (222 seats)
     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 vote (111 seats) 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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
opposition:
     Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), leader NA; 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, Mahjoubi AHARDANE
independents:
     National Rally of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; Democracy and
     Istiqlal Party (PDI), leader NA; Action Party (PA), leader NA;
     Non-Obedience Candidates (SAP), leader NA
labor unions and community organizations (indirect
elections:
     Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), leader NA; General Union of
     Moroccan Workers (UGTM), leader NA; Moroccan Union of Workers (UTM),
     leader NA; Party of Shura and Istiqlal, leader NA
Member of:
     ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA,
     FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
     ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
     LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
     UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Mohamed BENAISSA
chancery:
     1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009;
telephone:
     (202) 462-7979 through 7982
FAX:
     (202) 265-0161
consulate(s) general:
     New York
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
FAX:
     [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


                                  Economy


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 large remittances from Moroccans
     working abroad. However, a severe drought in 1992-93 has depressed
     economic activity and held down experts. Real GDP contracted by 2.9%
     in 1992, and growth for 1993 is estimated at only 2%. Despite these
     setbacks, initiatives to relax capital controls, strengthen the
     banking sector, and privatize state enterprises went forward in 1993.
     Servicing the large debt, high unemployment, and vulnerability to
     external economic forces remain long-term problems for Morocco.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $70.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $2,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     4.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     16% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $7.5 billion
expenditures:
     $7.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1992
     est.)
Exports:
     $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%,
     phosphates 17%
partners:
     EC 64%, India 6%, Japan 4%, US 3%
Imports:
     $8.4 billion (c.i.f., 1992)




commodities:
     capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel
     and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%
partners:
     EC 63%, US 6%, Saudi Arabia 4%, FSU 4%, Japan 1%
External debt:
     $21.3 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 0.1% (year NA); accounts for 31% of GDP (1991)
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,384,000 kW
production:
     8.864 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     317 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods,
     textiles, construction, tourism
Agriculture:
     accounts for 14% 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
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; occasional transit point for cocaine from
     South America destined for Western Europe.
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)
Currency:
     1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.669 (January 1994), 9.299 (1993),
     8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km
     electrified)
Highways:
total:
     59,198 km




paved:
     27,740 km
unpaved:
     gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, unimproved earth 31,458 km
Pipelines:
     crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km; natural gas
     241 km
Ports:
     Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi,
     Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
Merchant marine:
     47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 226,369 GRT/335,089 DWT, cargo
     9, chemical tanker 11, container 3, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo
     12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 2
Airports:
total:
     73
usable:
     64
with permanent-surface runways:
     26
with runways over 3,659 m:
     2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     25
Telecommunications:
     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; 280,000 telephones
     (10.5 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations - 20 AM, 7 FM,
     26 TV and 26 repeaters; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations -
     2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; microwave radio relay to
     Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave to
     Algeria; microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt,
     Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force,
     Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 7,076,261; fit for military service 4,494,641; reach
     military age (18) annually 317,093 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1993 budget)