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:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
446,550 sq km
country comparison to the world: 58
land:
446,300 sq km
water:
250 sq km
slightly larger than California
total:
2,020.5 km
border countries:
Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km
note:
an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,835 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
More Climate Details
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
lowest point:
Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point:
Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
arable land:
17.79%
permanent crops:
2.6%
other:
79.61% (2011)
14,850 sq km (2004)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
29 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
12.61 cu km/yr (12%/4%/84%)
per capita:
428.1 cu m/yr (2005)
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
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
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
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar