Short facts about the geography of Morocco

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:

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 1,559 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 exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  12 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:  21% permanent crops:  1% permanent pastures:  47% forests and woodland:  20% other:  11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

12,580 sq km (1993 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified:  Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Source: World Factbook