Endroit : Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara Drapeau: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf; design dates to ht tp s:/ /w w w. ci a. g ov /ci a/ p u bli ca ti o ns /fa ct b o ok /p ri nt /m o. ht ml

Morocco has a mediterranean climate, becoming more extreme in the interior of the country. The Atlas Mountains run down the backbone of the country, from the south west to the north east Morocco has many rivers. Although unimportant for navigation, the rivers are used for irrigation and for generating electric power. The chief rivers are the Moulouya, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea, and the Sebou, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Dry valleys called wadis fill with water during the rainy season and can flow torrentially during the rainy winter months. The wadis generally run into the Sahara. Cuvier’s Gazelle Dama Gazelle Northern Right Whale Addax (Addax nasomaculatus). (Not listed in 1996 in Morocco.) Hoogstraal's Gerbil (Gerbillus hoogstraali). (Endemic to Morocco.) Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus). Occidental Gerbil (Gerbillus occiduus). (Endemic to Morocco.)

Conflits - internationaux : claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; 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; 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 Type De Gouvernement: Constitutional Monarchy chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Driss JETTOU (since 9 October 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections Système légal: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court

GDP - real growth rate:6.7% (2006 est.) Labor force:11.25 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 40% industry: 15% services: 45% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 7.7% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line:19% (2005 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 30.9% ( ) Public debt:70.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $18.21 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $17.9 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $706 million (2004) Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams per US dollar (2006), (2005), (2004), (2003), (2002)

Land use: arable land: 21% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 47% forests and woodland: 20% other : 11% (1993 est.) products: barley, wheat, vegetables, olives; livestock Wine Citrus

Morocco’s natural resources are phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt 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 phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 43.7% male : 56.6% female: 31% (1995 est.) Net migration rate: migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) Nationality: noun : Moroccan(s) adjective: Moroccan Ethnic groups: Arab- Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Birth rate: births/1,000 population (2002 est.) Death rate: 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) Population: 31,167,783 (July 2002 est.) Population growth rate: 1.68% (2002 est.) Infant mortality rate: deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: years male : years female: years (2002 est.) Répartition par âge: 0-14 years : 33.8% (male 5,364,948; female 5,166,666) years: 61.5% (male 9,518,503; female 9,640,292) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 661,054; female 816,320) (2002 est.)