Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco
conventional short form:
Morocco
local long form:
Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah
local short form:
Al Maghrib
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name:
Rabat
geographic coordinates:
34 01 N, 6 49 W
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1 hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in September
Administrative divisions:
15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
note:
Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western Sahara
Independence:
2 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday:
Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)
Constitution:
several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution (2011)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of civil law based on French law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts by Supreme Court
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
Executive branch:
chief of state:
King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
head of government:
Prime Minister Abdelillah BENKIRANE (since 29 November 2011)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister as well as Minister Delegates to each ministry appoined by the Palace
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the winning party following legislative elections
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Counselors or Majlis al-Mustacharin (270 seats - to be reduced to a maximum of 120; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
Chamber of Counselors - last held on 3 October 2009 (next pending legislation by the 2011 constitution); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
election results:
Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PJD 107, PI 60, RNI 52, PAM 47, USFP 39, MP 32, UC 23, PPS 18, other 17
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections)
judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary
subordinate courts:
courts of appeal; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication)
Political parties and leaders:
Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI]
Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI]
Alliance des Libert'es (Alliance of Liberties) or ADL [Ali BELHAJ]
An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF]
Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Mustapha BAKKOURY, secretary general]
Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI [Abdelwahed MAACH]
Citizens' Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]
Citizenship and Development Initiative or ICD [Mohamed BENHAMOU]
Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohammed ABIED]
Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]
Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Touhami EL KHIARI]
Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN]
Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI]
Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]
Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]
Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Hamid CHABAT]
Labor Party or LP [Abdelkrim BENATIK]
Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]
National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]
National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]
National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]
National Rally of Independents or RNI [Salaheddine MEZOUAR]
National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM]
Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelillah BENKIRANE]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]
Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH]
Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]
Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV [Mohamed KHALIDI]
Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]
Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH]
Socialist Democratic Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]
Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR]
Unified Socialist Left Party or PGSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]
General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]
Justice and Charity Organization or JCO
Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]
National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]
Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mohammed Rachad BOUHLAL (since 22 December 2011)
chancery:
1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 462-7979
FAX:
[1] (202) 462-7643
consulate(s) general:
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Matthew LUSSENHOP (since July 2013)
embassy:
2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat
mailing address:
Unit 9400, Box 021, DPO AE 09718
telephone:
[212] (537) 76 22 65
FAX:
[212] (537) 76 56 61
consulate(s) general:
Casablanca
Flag description:
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; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912
National symbol(s):
pentacle symbol; lion
National anthem:
name:
"Hymne Cherifien" (Hymn of the Sharif)
lyrics/music: Ali Squalli HOUSSAINI/Leo MORGAN
note: music adopted 1956, lyrics adopted 1970