vereignty is
unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; 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, and 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%; includes irrigated 1%

_#_Environment: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject
to earthquakes; desertification

_#_Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

_*_People
_#_Population: 26,181,889 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 76 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Moroccan(s); adjective--Moroccan

_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish
0.2%

_#_Religion: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

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

_#_Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry
15%, other 9% (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
_#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco

_#_Type: constitutional monarchy

_#_Capital: Rabat

_#_Administrative divisions: 37 provinces (aqalim,
singular--iqlim) and 5 municipalities* (wilayat,
singular--wilayah); 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, O