Morocco (Arabic: المغرب, al-Maġrib; Tamazight:, Amerruk), officially the Kingdom of Morocco,[7] is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 36 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara. It is a part of the Maghreb region, in addition to Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, and Libya, with which it shares cultural, historical, and linguistic ties.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The King of Morocco holds vast executive powers, including dissolving parliament at will. Executive power is exercised by the government but more importantly by the king himself. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Assembly of Representatives and the Assembly of Councillors. The king can also issue decrees called dahirs which have the force of law. Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 7 September 2007, and were considered by some neutral observers to be mostly free and fair; although voter turnout was estimated to be 37%, the lowest in decades. The political capital is Rabat, and the largest city is Casablanca; other large cities include Marrakesh, Tetouan, Tangier, Salé, Fes, Agadir, Meknes and Oujda.
Every Moroccan speaks at least one of the two language Berber and Darija, as a mother tongue. Both languages have regional dialects and accents.
| Kingdom of Morocco المملكة المغربية al-Mamlaka al-Maġribiyyah (Arabic) Tageldit n Umerruk (Tamazight) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto: الله، الوطن، الملك (in Arabic) Allāh, al Waṭan, al Malik Akuc, Amur, Agellid (in Tamazight) God – Homeland – King | ||||||
Anthem: "Hymne Chérifien"
The fully green area shows the internationally recognized territory of Morocco. Although the latter controls de facto most of the striped area, which is the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Morocco administers this territory as its Southern Provinces.
| Capital | Rabat34°02′N 6°51′W / 34.033°N 6.85°W | |
| Largest city | Casablanca | |
|---|---|---|
Official language(s) Arabic,[1] Tamazight[2]
Ethnic groups Arab-Amazigh people 99.1%,[3] Jews 0.2%, others 0.7%[4]
Demonym Moroccan
Government Unitary, Parliamentary, Democratic and Constitutional Monarchy
- King Mohammed VI
- Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi
Legislature Parliament
- Upper House Assembly of Councillors
- Lower House Assembly of Representatives
Monarchy 110 BC
- Kingdom of Mauretania 110 BC – 40 AD
- Alaouite dynasty 1666–modern day
- Independence from France March 2, 1956
- Independence from Spain April 7, 1956
Area - Total 710,850 km2 (57th)
274,460 sq mi
- Water (%) 250 km² (0,056%)
Population
- 2009 estimate 36,200,000[5] (38th)
- 2004 census 29,680,069[5]
- Density 71.6/km2 (122nd)
185.5/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate
- Total $158.994 billion[6]
- Per capita $5,000[6]
GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate
- Total $100.323 billion[6]
- Per capita $3,249[6]
HDI (2010) 0.567 (medium) (114th)
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code MA
Internet TLD .ma
Calling code +212
*All data excludes the Western Sahara, much of which is under Moroccan de facto administrative control.
1 French is neither official nor national, but it is widely used in official government documents, and by the business community. Moroccan Arabic or Darija is a common native language, and it is spoken but not written. Classical Arabic is an official language, and it is used for education, reading, writing and administration and is broadcast on television in news only and is not spoken in daily life. Tamazight became an official language in July 2011.
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