Morocco Geography Profile 2009

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 5 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km
water: 250 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

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

Coastline

1,835 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

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 point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

Natural resources

phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Land use

arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 79% (2005)

Irrigated land

14,450 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

29 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 12.6 cu km/yr (10%/3%/87%)
per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000)

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: 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
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar