Welcome to Morocco
Popular Countries: Algeria | Egypt | Ethiopia | Morocco | South Africa | Tunisia
Situated on the northwestern corner of Africa, Morocco is bordered with Algeria
to the east and southeast, Mauritania to the south and to the west by the
Atlantic Ocean.
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa with
a population of 33,241,259. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches
past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international
borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through
the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta
and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south. Morocco is the only African country
that is not currently a member of the African Union. However, it is a member
of the Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union, the Francophonie, Organization of
the Islamic Conference, Mediterranean Dialogue group, and Group of 77, and
is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. On November 18, 2006, Morocco
celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence. Morocco recovered its
political independence from France on March 2, 1956 and on April 7 France
officially relinquished its protectorate. Through agreements with Spain in
1956 and 1958, Moroccan control over certain Spanish-ruled areas was restored,
though attempts to claim other Spanish colonial possessions through military
action were less successful. The internationalized city of Tangier was reintegrated
with the signing of the Tangier Protocol on October 29, 1956 (see Tangier
Crisis). Hassan II became King of Morocco on March 3, 1961. His early years
of rule would be marked by political unrest. The Spanish enclave of Ifni in
the south was reintegrated to the country in 1969. Morocco annexed Western
Sahara during the 1970s after demanding its reintegration from Spain since
independence, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains
unresolved. Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of
a bicameral legislature in 1997. Morocco was granted Major non-NATO ally status
by the United States in June 2004 and have signed free trade agreements with
the United States and the European Union.
Climate
The climate varies from area to area. The coast has a warm, Mediterranean
climate tempered on the eastern coast by southwest trade winds. Inland areas
have a hotter, drier, continental climate. In the south of the country, the
weather is very hot and dry throughout most of the year, with the nights coolest
in the months of December and January. Rain falls from November to March in
coastal areas. Mostly dry with high temperatures in summer. Cooler climate
in the mountains. Marrakech and Agadir enjoy an average temperature of 21°C
(70ºF) in the winter.
Population Stats
33,757,175 (growth rate: 1.5%);
birth rate: 21.6/1000;
infant mortality rate: 38.9/1000;
life expectancy: 71.2;
density per sq mi: 196
