Country Facts - Morocco

The People

Nationality

Moroccan(s)

Ethnic Composition

Arab-Berber	99.1%
Other	0.7%
Jewish	0.2%

Religious Composition

Muslim	98.7%
Christian	1.1%
Jewish	.2%

Languages Spoken

Arabic is the official language of the country. Several Berber dialects are also spoken, as well as French, which is often the language of business and government.

Education and Literacy

Education now surpasses national defense as the largest item in the government's budget. Schooling is free and compulsory through primary school. Females leave school younger than males. The overall adult literacy of Morocco is 43.7 percent. About 56.6 percent of males are literate compared to only 31 percent of females. Most university students benefit from government stipends.

Labor Force

Total: 11 million

By occupation:

Agriculture	50%
Services	35%
Industry	15%

Geography

Land Mass Total

558,516 sq mi (446,550 sq km)

Land

172,317 sq mi (

446,300 sq km)

Water

96 sq mi (

250 sq km)

Land Boundaries

Total: 1,253 mi (2,017.9 km)
Border countries: Algeria 968 mi (1,559 km), Western Sahara 275 mi (443 km), Spain (Ceuta) 4 mi (6.3 km), Spain (Melilla) 6 mi (9.6 km)

Coastline

1,140 mi (1,835 km)

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 656 ft (200 m) depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior.

Terrain

Northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains.

Elevation extremes

Lowest: Sebkha Tah 180 ft (55 m)
Highest: Jebel Toubkal 13,664 mi (4,165 m)

Natural Resources

Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt.

Land use

Arable land	20%
Permanent crops	2%
Other	78%

(1998)

Natural hazards

Northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts.

Environment - current issues

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.

Geography Note

Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar.

Demographics

Population

31,167,783 (July 2002

)

Age structure

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)

Growth Rate

1.68% (2002)

Life Expectancy

69.73 years (2002)
female: 72.08 years
male: 67.49 years

GDP Per Capita

Purchasing power parity
US$3,700 (2001)

Infant Mortality

46.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)

Sex ratio

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)

Net migration rate

-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002)

Economy & Trade

Morocco faces the problems typical of developing countries - restraining government spending, reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade, and achieving sustainable economic growth. Following structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is now fully convertible for current account transactions, and reforms of the financial sector have been implemented. Droughts depressed activity in the key agricultural sector and contributed to a stagnant economy in 1999 and 2000. During that time, however, Morocco reported large foreign exchange inflows from the sale of a mobile telephone license and partial privatization of the state-owned telecommunications company. Favorable rainfall in 2001 led bounty in the agriculture sector and a GDP growth rate of 5 percent for the year. GDP growth reached 4 percent in 2002 with predictions of 4.3 percent and 5.6 percent for 2003 and 2004 respectively. The state has been privatizing in the telecom, sugar refining, and tobacco sectors and is hoping to add US$1.8 billion to its coffers through selling its stakes in these sectors. Tourism in Morocco has yet to recover from the post-September 11th downturn, and the future in that sector looks grim for the medium-term. Formidable long-term challenges include: servicing the external debt, preparing the economy for freer trade with the E.U., improving education, and attracting foreign investment to boost living standards and job prospects for Morocco's youth.

Unemployment

23% (1999)

Inflation Rate

1% (2001)

Industries

Phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism.

Exports

US$8.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001

)

Imports

US$12.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Total Trade

Purchasing power parity
GDP US$112 billion (2001)

Top Export Partners

France 26%, Spain 10%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Germany 5%, India 5%, US 5% (2000)

Top Import Partners

France 25%, Spain 11%, Germany 6%, Italy 6%, UK 5%, US 5% (2000)

Top Exports

Phosphates and fertilizers, food and beverages, and minerals.

Top Imports

Semiprocessed goods, machinery and equipment, food and beverages, consumer goods, and fuel.

Debt - external

US$19 billion (2001)

Economic aid

US$565.6 million (1995)

Fiscal Year:

Calendar year

Business Workweek

	Monday - Friday	Saturday - Sunday
Offices	8:30a.m. to 6p.m. During Ramadan, offices are typically open 9a.m. to 2p.m.	Closed
Retail	9:30a.m. to 1p.m., and 3p.m. to 7:30p.m. Many shops close on Fridays. In Tangier, shops may open an hour earlier.	Slightly shorter hours on the weekends and during Ramadan.
Banks	8:30a.m. to 11:30a.m., and 2:15p.m. to 4:30p.m.	Closed
Government	9a.m. to 4p.m. Many government offices are open for shorter hours during Ramadan.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Independence Manifesto Day	January 11	January 11	January 11
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)¹	February 12	February 2	January 21
Islamic New Year²	March 5	February 22	February 10
Labor Day	May 1	May 1	May 1
Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)³	May 14	May 2	April 21
King Mohammad's Birthday	August 14	August 14	August 14
National Day	August 20	August 20	August 20
Start of Ramadan*¹	October 27	October 15	October 4
Anniversary of the Green March	November 18	November 18	November 18
End of Ramadan (Eid Al Fatr) *²	November 26	November 14	November 3

¹	Culmination of the Haj or Holy Pilgrimage.
²	The lunar Islamic Hijara calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days per year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and annually moves 11 days backward through the seasons.
³	The Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twelfth day in the month of Rabi'l of the Islamic calendar.
*¹	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*²	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for 3 days.

Note: Avoid major holidays for business travel, most specifically Ramadan and Mouloud, the Prophet's birthday.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press