Morocco
GDP
$298.6 billion
Imports
$44.13 billion
GDP Per Capita
$8,600
The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the?
17th century
Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode in?
1860
Internet users
19,611,643
Unemployment
19.9%
The French imposed a protectorate over the country in?
1912
A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in?
1956
The UN has monitored a cease-fire between Morocco and the Polisario Front - an organization advocating the territory's independence since?
1991
Independence from France
2 March 1956
Border countries
Algeria 1,900 km, Western Sahara 444 km, Spain (Ceuta) 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km and an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Cabinet
Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister in consultation with Parliament and appointed by the monarch
The UN
Does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Western Sahara. But Morocco still controls 75% of territory.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government.
In November 2011
Chief of State
King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
Formal name
Kingdom of Morocco
WEED!
Morocco is world's largest exporter of...weed!
Terrain
Mountainous northern coast (Rif Mountains) and interior (Atlas Mountains) bordered by large plateaus with intermontane valleys, and fertile coastal plains
Religions
Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i); note - Jewish about 6,000
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
Natural Hazards
Northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts; windstorms; flash floods; landslides
Government type
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Head of Government
Prime Minister Saad-Eddine al-OTHMANI (since 17 March 2017)
Constitutional Amendments
Proposed by the king, by the prime minister, or by members in either chamber of Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; the king can opt to submit self-initiated proposals directly to a referendum
Capital
Rabat
Royal Armed Forces
Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Royal Moroccan Navy (includes Coast Guard, Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawyiya al Malakiya Marakishiya; Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine)
Morocco held its first ever direct elections for regional councils in?
September 2015
Constitutional History
Several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution
Area comparison
Slightly more than three times the size of New York; slightly larger than California
Export Partners
Spain 23.2%, France 22.6%, Italy 4.5%, US 4.2%
Highest court
Supreme Court or Court of Cassation
The Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age in?
The 16th century
Morocco developed into a transit country for asylum seekers from sub-Saharan Africa and illegal labor migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia trying to reach Europe via southern Spain, Spain's Canary Islands, or Spain's North African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla in?
The 1990's
Population Distribution
The highest population density is found along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts; a number of densely populated agglomerations are found scattered through the Atlas Mountains
Elections/appointments
The monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the majority party following legislative elections
Current Environmental Issues
land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water and soil pollution due to dumping of industrial wastes into the ocean and inland water sources, and onto the land
Elevation
mean elevation: 909 m elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha Tah -59 m highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m
Natural Resources
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Irrigated land
14,850 sq km
Birth Rate
17.7 births/1,000 population
Labor Force
12 million
unemployment rate
10%
King Mohammed VI responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. WHEN?
2011 (memorize)
Infant mortality rate
21.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Median Age
29.3 years
Military Expenditure
3.28% of GDP
Geographic
32 00 N, 5 00 W
Country Population
33,986,655 (#40)
GDP Growth rate
4.2% (2017 est.)
Death Rate
4.9 deaths/1,000 population
Area
446,550 sq km
Literacy
68.5%
life expectancy
77.1 years
When did a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco?
788
Ethnic Groups
Arab-Berber 99%, other 1%
Language
Arabic (official), Berber languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)
Bicameral Parliament consists of
Chamber of Advisors (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms) Chamber of Representatives (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in the national constituency, 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 reserved for those under age 40
Agriculture
Barley, wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, vegetables, olives; livestock; wine
Party to? (environment)
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling Not ratified: Environmental Modification
Climate
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king.
Memorize
Land Use
agricultural land: 67.5% arable land 17.5%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 47.1% forest: 11.5% other: 21%
Industries
automotive parts, phosphate mining and processing, aerospace, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, energy, tourism
Disputes - international
claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002 rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and trafficking arms and drugs; the National Liberation Front's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco is a dormant dispute
Imports
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics