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Morocco

Morocco

Morocco officially the Kingdom of Morocco is a country located in North Africa. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south via its Western Saharan territories.

Country name:

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

Nationality:

  • noun: Moroccan(s)
  • adjective: Moroccan

Capital:

  • name: Rabat
  • geographic coordinates: 34 01 N, 6 49 W
  • time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Independence:

  • 2 March 1956 (from France)

Population:

  • 34,343,219 (July 2008 est.)
  • Population growth rate: 1.505% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

  • 0.1% (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:

  • 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:

  • definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  • total population: 52.3%
  • male: 65.7%
  • female: 39.6% (2004 census)

Government type:

  • constitutional monarchy

Location:

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

Area - comparative:

  • slightly larger than California

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

Climate:

  • Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Natural resources:

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

Economy - overview:

Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to reduce unemployment - nearing 20% in urban areas - despite the Moroccan Government's ongoing efforts to diversify the economy. Morocco's GDP growth rate slowed to 2.1% in 2007 as a result of a draught that severely reduced agricultural output and necessitated wheat imports at rising world prices. Continued dependence on foreign energy and Morocco's inability to develop small and medium size enterprises also contributed to the slowdown. Moroccan authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs are key to domestic security and development. In 2005, Morocco launched the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), a $2 billion social development plan to address poverty and unemployment and to improve the living conditions of the country's urban slums. Moroccan authorities are implementing reform efforts to open the economy to international investors. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account transactions. In 2000, Morocco entered an Association Agreement with the EU and, in 2006, entered a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US. Long-term challenges include improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, and closing the income gap between the rich and the poor, which the government hopes to achieve by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in textiles.

GDP - real growth rate:

  • 2.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

  • $4,100 (2007 est.)

Background:

In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were 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, which first met in 1997. Improvements in human rights have occurred and there is a largely free press. Despite the continuing reforms, ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch.

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

For more info please contact:
African Studies
(310) 825-3686
africa@international.ucla.edu

African Studies Center

Date Posted: 9/8/2008