Morocco

Airports

75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

28 major transport aircraft

Highways

59,198 km total; 27,740 km paved, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth

Merchant marine

51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,249 GRT/487,479 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 3 petroleum tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger

Pipelines

crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km; natural gas 241 km

Ports

Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla

Railroads

1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)

Telecommunications

good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat; secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 20 AM, 7 FM, 26 TV and 26 additional rebroadcast sites; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Branches

Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1992 budget)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 6,604,712; 4,196,449 fit for military service; 293,204 reach military age (18) annually; limited conscription

Agriculture

50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987

Budget

revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $7.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1992)

Currency

Moroccan dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion; $2.8 billion debt canceled by Saudi Arabia (1991); IMF standby agreement worth $13 million; World Bank, $450 million (1991)

Electricity

2,270,000 kW capacity; 8,170 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.889 (March 1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987)

Exports

$4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17% partners: EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%

External debt

$20 billion (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $27.3 billion, per capita $1,060; real growth rate 4.2% (1991)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of hashish; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.

Imports

$6.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9% partners: EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%

Industrial production

growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.1% (1991 )

Overview

The economy had recovered moderately in 1990 because of: the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, lower prices for food imports, a sharp increase in worker remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements. Economic performance in 1991 was mixed. A record harvest helped real GDP advance by 4.2%, although nonagricultural output grew by less than 1%. Inflation accelerated slightly as easier financial policies triggered rapid credit and monetary growth. Despite recovery of domestic demand, import volume growth slowed while export volume was adversely affected by phosphate marketing difficulties. In January 1992, Morocco reached a new 12-month standby arrangement for $129 million with the IMF. In February 1992, the Paris Club rescheduled $1.4 billion of Morocco's commercial debt. This is thought to be Morocco's last rescheduling. By 1993 the Moroccan authorities hope to be in a position to meet all debt service obligations without additional rescheduling. Servicing this large debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external economic forces remain severe long-term problems.

Unemployment rate

16% (1991)

Climate

Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Coastline

1,835 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than California

Disputes

claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; the UN is attempting to hold a referendum; the UN-administered cease-fire has been currently in effect since September 1991 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 as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas

Environment

northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification

Land area

446,300 km2

Land boundaries

2,002 km; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km

Land use

arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Note

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Terrain

mostly mountains with rich coastal plains

Total area

446,550 km2

Administrative divisions

37 provinces and 5 municipalities* (wilayas, singular - wilaya); 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, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit

Capital

Rabat

Communists

about 2,000

Constitution

10 March 1972

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador Frederick VREELAND; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or PSC 74, APO AE 09718; telephone [212] (7) 76-22-65; FAX [212] (7) 76-56-61; there is a US Consulate General in Casablanca

Elections

Chamber of Representatives: last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag

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

Independence

2 March 1956 (from France)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State: King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961) Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)

Legal system

based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)

Long-form name

Kingdom of Morocco

Member of

ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)

Political parties and leaders

Morocco has 15 political parties; the major ones are Istiqlal, M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP); Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General; National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS); Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID

Suffrage

universal at age 21

Type

constitutional monarchy

Birth rate

29 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%

Infant mortality rate

56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)

Languages

Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is often the language of business, government, and diplomacy

Life expectancy at birth

63 years male, 67 years female (1992)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun - Moroccan(s); adjective - Moroccan

Net migration rate

- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)

Population

26,708,587 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)

Religions

Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Total fertility rate

3.7 children born/woman (1992)