independence from France ended
in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was 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 in 1997.

Geography Morocco

Location: Northern 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 territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive
economic zone: 200 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: 20% permanent crops: 2% other: 78% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 12,910 sq km (1998 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: Geography - note: strategic
location along Strait of Gibraltar

People Morocco

Population: 31,167,783 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.8% (male 5,364,948; female 5,166,666)
15-64 years: 61.5% (male 9,518,503; female 9,640,292) 65 years and over:
4.7% (male 661,054; female 816,320)