mission: Ambassador Edward M. GABRIEL
embassy: 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat
mailing address: PSC 74, Box 3, APO AE 09718
telephone: (7) 76 22 65
FAX: (7) 76 56 61
consulate(s) general: Casablanca

Flag description: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear
star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the
traditional color of Islam

@Morocco:Economy

Economy - overview: Morocco faces the problems typical of developing
countries - restraining government spending, reducing constraints on
private activity and foreign trade, and achieving sustainable economic
growth. Since the early 1980s the government has pursued an economic
program toward these objectives with the support of the IMF, the World
Bank, and the Paris Club of creditors. The dirham is now fully
convertible for current account transactions; reforms of the financial
sector have been implemented; and state enterprises are being
privatized. Drought conditions depressed activity in the key
agricultural sector, and contributed to an economic slowdown in 1999.
Favorable rainfalls have led Morocco to predict a growth of 6% for
2000. Formidable long-term challenges include: servicing the external
debt; preparing the economy for freer trade with the EU; and improving
education and attracting foreign investment to improve living
standards and job prospects for Morocco's youthful population.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $108 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 0% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 30%
services: 54% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: 13.1% (1990-91 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 30.5% (1990-91)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 11 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 50%, services 35%, industry
15% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 19% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $9.1 billion
expenditures: $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.7
billion (FY98/99 est.)

Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing,
leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1998 est.)

Electricity - production: 13.16 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 83.59%
hydro: 16.41%
nuclear: 0%
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