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: northern coast and interior are mountainous with large
areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal
plains
lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

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 raw sewage; siltation
of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters
natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and
subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

People
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Population: 29,779,156 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 5,696,731; female 5,522,077)
15-64 years: 58% (male 8,577,918; female 8,700,521)
65 years and over: 4% (male 613,712; female 668,197) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.05% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 27.39 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.77 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 43.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.52 years
male: 67.53 years
female: 71.61 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan

Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%

Relig