Morocco Geography 1997

Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the MediterraneanSea, 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
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Terrain northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of borderingplateaus, 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: 21%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 47%
forests and woodland: 20%
other : 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 12,580 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes;periodic droughts

Environment - current issues land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farmingof marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water suppliescontaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastalwaters

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

NOTE: The information regarding Morocco on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Morocco Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Morocco Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.