Morocco

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Morocco

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribyya/Kingdom of Morocco Area 458,730 sq km/177,115 sq mi (excluding Western Sahara) Capital Rabat Language Arabic (75%) (official), Berber dialects (25%), French, Spanish Religion Sunni Muslim; Christian and Jewish minorities Time difference GMT +/-0 Major holidays 1 January, 3 March, 1, 23 May, 9 July, 14 August, 6, 18 November; variable: Eid-ul-Adha (2 days), end of Ramadan (2 days), New Year (Muslim), Prophet's Birthday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fès, Oujda, Kenitra, Tétouan, Meknès Major ports Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir Physical features mountain ranges, including the Atlas Mountains northeast–southwest; fertile coastal plains in west Airports 27 air terminals, including 12 international airports; total passengers carried: 3.5 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 1,907 km/1,185 mi; total passenger journeys: 16.5 million (2003) Roads total road network: 57,698 km/35,852 mi, of which 56.4% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 44.7 per 1,000 people (2002 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Sayyid Muhammad VI ibn-Hassan from 1999 Head of government Driss Jettou from 2002 Political system emergent democracy Political executive dual executive Administrative divisions 43 provinces, nine wilayas, and 22 prefectures Political parties Constitutional Union (UC), right wing; National Rally of Independents (RNI), royalist; Popular Movement (MP), moderate, centrist; Istiqlal, nationalist, centrist; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), progressive socialist; National Democratic Party (PND), moderate, nationalist Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice Armed forces 200,800; plus 150,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 50,000 (2006 est) Conscription 18 months authorized; most enlisted personnel are volunteers Defence spend (% GDP) 4.3 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 6.5 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency dirham GDP (US$) 2,190 (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 7.3 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 52.3 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 4,360 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 10.8% (2004) Labour force 44% agriculture, 15% industry, 41% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 15.7 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners France, Spain, USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, India Resources phosphate rock and phosphoric acid, coal, iron ore, barytes, lead, copper, manganese, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, fish Industries phosphate products (chiefly fertilizers), petroleum refining, food processing, textiles, clothing, leather goods, paper and paper products, tourism Exports textiles, electronic components, phosphates and phosphoric acid, mineral products, seafoods and seafood products, citrus fruits. Principal market: France 37.5% (2005) Imports consumer goods, crude petroleum, textiles, raw materials, wheat, chemicals, food, beverages and tobacco, sawn wood. Principal source: France 30% (2005) Arable land 19% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, barley, sugar beet, citrus fruits, tomatoes, olives, dates, potatoes; fishing (seafoods)


POPULATION

Population 31,942,600 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 70 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 59 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 31%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 7% (2005 est) Ethnic groups majority indigenous Berbers (99%); sizeable Jewish minority Life expectancy 69 (men); 73 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 43 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 63% (men); 38% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 4.8 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.8 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 1,300 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 99 (urban); 56 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 4.3 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 39.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 243 (2001) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 168 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 2.4 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 14.6 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

10th–3rd centuries BC Phoenicians from Tyre settled along north coast. 1st century AD Northwest Africa became Roman province of Mauritania. 5th–6th centuries Invaded by Vandals and Visigoths. 682 Start of Arab conquest, followed by spread of Islam. 8th century King Idris I established small Arab kingdom. 1056–1146 The Almoravids, a Berber dynasty based at Marrakesh, built an empire embracing Morocco and parts of Algeria and Spain. 1122–1268 After a civil war, the Almohads, a rival Berber dynasty, overthrew the Almoravids; Almohads extended empire but later lost most of Spain. 1258–1358 Beni Merin dynasty supplanted Almohads. 14th century Moroccan Empire fragmented into separate kingdoms, based in Fès and Marrakesh. 15th century Spain and Portugal occupied Moroccan ports; expulsion of Muslims from Spain in 1492. 16th century Saadian dynasty restored unity of Morocco and resisted Turkish invasion. 1649 Foundation of current Alaouite dynasty of sultans; Morocco remained an independent and isolated kingdom. 1856 Under British pressure, the sultan opened Morocco to European commerce. 1860 Spain invaded Morocco, which was forced to cede southwestern region of Ifni. 1905 International crisis caused by German objections to increasing French influence in Morocco. 1911 Agadir Crisis: further German objections to French imperialism in Morocco overcome by territorial compensation in central Africa. 1912 Morocco divided into French and Spanish protectorates; sultan reduced to puppet ruler. 1921 Moroccan Riff rebels defeated large Spanish force at Anual. 1923 City of Tangier separated from Spanish Morocco and made neutral international zone. 1926 French forces crushed Riff revolt. 1944 Nationalist party, Istiqlal, founded to campaign for full independence. 1948 Consultative assemblies introduced. 1953–55 Anti-French riots. 1956 French and Spanish forces withdrew; Morocco regained effective independence under Sultan Muhammad V, who took title of king in 1957. 1961 Muhammad V succeeded by Hassan II. 1962 Constitution adopted. 1965–77 King Hassan suspended constitution and ruled by decree. 1969 Spanish overseas province of Ifni returned to Morocco. 1975 Spain withdrew from Western Sahara; territory divide between Morocco and Mauritania. 1976 Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, began guerrilla war in Western Sahara for independence as Sahrahwi Arab Democratic Republic. 1979 Mauritania withdrew from Western Sahara; territory annexed by Morocco. 1996 New two-chamber legislature approved. 1999 King Hassan II died; succeeded by son, Muhammad VI. 2000 King Muhammad initiated programme of social and political reform, including strengthening rights of women. 2002 Dispute with Spain over ownership of uninhabited island of Perejil; resolution brokered by USA. 2003 Coordinated Islamic terrorist attacks on targets in Casablanca. 2004 Over 500 people killed in earthquake in north of country; free-trade agreement signed with USA. 2007 More terrorist bombings in Casablanca. Nationalist Istiqlal party won parliamentary elections ahead of Islamist Justice and Development Party.


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