Morocco

constitutional monarchyIndependence 2 March 1956 (from France)

Morocco as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalRabat

Area446,550 km2

Populationas each edition published it

25.65 million July 1990 · 37.39m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.16% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4 children per woman 1990 · 2.24 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

78 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 17.8 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,060 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 0% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 446,550 km2

arable land 18%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 28%forest and woodland 12%other 41%includes 1% irrigated

Total area

446,550km2

land area: 446,300 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than California

Coastline

1,835km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,002km total

Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km

Disputes

claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved;
armed conflict in Western Sahara;
Spain controls two coastal presidios or places of sovereignty (Ceuta, Melilla)

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

Environment

northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification

Note

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

People

14 fields

Population

25,648,241

(July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

31Death

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 99.1%non-Moroccan 0.7%Jewish 0.2%

Religion

Muslim 98.7%Christian 1.1%Jewish 0.2%

Literacy

28%

Language

Arabic (official);
several Berber dialects;
French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education

Labor force

7,400,000; 50% agriculture, 26% services, 15% industry, 9% other (1985)

Organized labor

about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

Chamber of Representatives, 306 seats, elected 14 September 1984seats by party

(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83RNI 61MP 47Istiqlal 41USFP 36PND 24others 14

Administrative divisions

36 provinces (provinces, singular--province) and 2 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, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit

Legal system

based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

National holiday

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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis al Nuwab)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961); Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)

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 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, others 14

AfDB, Arab League, CCC, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Ali BENGELLOUN;
Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 462-7979;
there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador 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) 622-65;
there are US Consulates General in Casablanca and Tangier

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

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$21.9billion

per capita $880 (1988); real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1989)

Unemployment rate

15%

(1988)

External debt

$22.2billion

(1989)

Exports $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

food and beverages

30%semiprocessed goods

23%consumer goods

21%phosphates

17%

; partners--EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%

Imports $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

capital goods

24%semiprocessed goods

22%raw materials

16%fuel and lubricants

16%food and beverages

13%consumer goods

10%

; partners--EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%

Budget

Revenues

$5.1 billionExpenditures

$6.0 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1988)

Overview

After registering a robust 10% growth in 1988, the economy slowed in 1989 because of higher prices for food and oil imports, lower worker remittances, and a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid prices that cost Rabat $500 million. To meet the foreign payments shortfall, Rabat has been drawing down foreign exchange reserves.

Servicing the $22 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.

Industrial production

growth rate 4% (1989 est.)

Electricity

2,140,000 kW capacity; 7,760 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

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

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.

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.2 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.3 billion

Currency

Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 54 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 11container 2refrigerated cargo 14roll-on/roll-off cargo 5petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 3chemical tanker 12bulk 4short-sea passenger 354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,931 GRT/513,762 DWT

Airports, 75 total, 68 usable

permanent-surface runways

26runways over 3,659 m

2runways 2,440-3,659 m

14runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

59,198Railroads

1,893Pipelines

362

Highways: ; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth · Railroads: (246 km double track, 974 km electrified) · Pipelines: ; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas

Railroads

1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)

Highways

59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth

Pipelines

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

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