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NAVIGATION
Kingdom of Morocco
Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Morocco's long struggle for 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
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 5 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km water: 250 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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1,835 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior |
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Terrain:
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northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.12%
permanent crops: 2.05% other: 77.83% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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12,910 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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31,167,783 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.68% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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23.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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46.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 69.73 years
female: 72.08 years (2002 est.) male: 67.49 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.97 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.03% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.7% male: 56.6% female: 31% (1995 est.) |