Morocco Geography:
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:
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 1559 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
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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: Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m
Natural resources:
Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use:
arable land: 19.61%
permanent crops: 2.17%
other: 78.22%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
12,910 sq km (1998 est.)
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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar |
