273 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
273 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
MOROCCO
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 446,550 km2; land area: 446,300 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than California
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Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western
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Sahara 443 km
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Coastline: 1,835 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is
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unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls five
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places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast
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of Morocco--the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco
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contests, and the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon
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de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
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Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
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Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
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Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead,
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zinc, fish, salt
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Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
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28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
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Environment: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject
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to earthquakes; desertification
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Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
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PEOPLE
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Population: 26,181,889 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
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Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 76 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Moroccan(s); adjective--Moroccan
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Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish
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0.2%
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Religion: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
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Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is
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language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
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Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry
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15%, other 9% (1985)
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Organized labor: about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union
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of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
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Type: constitutional monarchy
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Capital: Rabat
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Administrative divisions: 37 provinces (aqalim,
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singular--iqlim) and 5 municipalities* (wilayat,
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singular--wilayah); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben
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Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des
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Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane,
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Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech,
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Marrakech*, Meknes, Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*,
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Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata,
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Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
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Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)
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Constitution: 10 March 1972
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Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law
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system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of
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Supreme Court
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National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's
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accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
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Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis
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Nawab)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since
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30 September 1986)
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Political parties and leaders: Morocco has 15 political parties;
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the major ones are
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Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed BOUCETTA;
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Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim BOUABID;
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Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General;
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National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN;
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National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI;
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Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA;
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Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID
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Suffrage: universal at age 21
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Elections:
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Chamber of Representatives--last held on 14 September 1984 (were
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scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41,
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USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
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Communists: about 2,000
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Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC,
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EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
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IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
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OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
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WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT;
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Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202)
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462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York;
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US--Ambassador E. Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech,
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Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284);
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telephone 212 (7) 76-22-65; there are US Consulates General in
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Casablanca
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Flag: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known
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as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional
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color of Islam
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy recovered moderately in 1990 because
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of the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric
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acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, and lower prices for
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food imports. In addition, a dramatic increase in worker remittances,
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increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements
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helped ease foreign payments pressures. On the down side, higher oil
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import costs fueled inflation. Servicing the $21 billion foreign debt,
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high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces
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remain severe problems for the 1990s.
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GDP: $25.4 billion, per capita $990; real growth rate 2.5% (1990
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 16% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.3 billion, including
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capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1990 est.)
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Exports: $4.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%,
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consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%;
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partners--EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
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Imports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw
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materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%,
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consumer goods 9%;
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partners--EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
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External debt: $21 billion (1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts
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for an estimated 20% of GDP
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Electricity: 2,262,000 kW capacity; 8,140 million kWh produced,
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320 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing,
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leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
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Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not
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self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising
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predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives;
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fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
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Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on
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the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments
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of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point
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for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $7.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion;
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Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion
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Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams);
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1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.071 (January
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1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104
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(1986), 10.062 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double
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track, 974 km electrified)
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Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km
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gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
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Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products;
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241 km natural gas
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Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia,
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Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
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Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,169
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GRT/487,490 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo,
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6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
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11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
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Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways;
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2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and
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radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary
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centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000
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telephones; stations--14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite
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earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to
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Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave
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network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan
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Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,437,152; 4,092,027 fit for
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military service; 299,535 reach military age (18) annually; limited
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conscription
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Defense expenditures: $1.4 billion, 5.2% of GDP
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