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

Geographic coordinates: 32 00 N, 5 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 446,550 sq km

land: 446,300 sq km

water: 250 sq km

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

Coastline: 1,835 km

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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m

highest point: Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m

Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc,
fish, salt

Land use: arable land: 21%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 47%

forests and woodland: 20%

other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 12,580 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and
subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Morocco People

Population: 30,645,305 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.39% (male 5,368,784; female 5,170,891)

15-64 years: 60.93% (male 9,270,095; female 9,402,561)

65 years and over: 4.68% (male 646,567; female 786,407) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.71% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 24.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s