Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
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The region constituting Morocco has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, over 300,000 years ago. The culture of Morocco is a rich blend of Arab, Berber, African, and European influences. Islam is the official and predominant religion, with Arabic and Berber serving as the official languages. French and the Moroccan dialect of Arabic are also widely spoken.
Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The executive branch is led by the King of Morocco and the prime minister, while legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.
Since independence, Morocco has remained relatively stable. It has the fifth-largest economy in Africa and wields significant influence in both Africa and the Arab world; it is considered a middle power in global affairs and holds membership in the Arab League, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the African Union.
Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean has drawn renewed European interest throughout its history. In 1912, France and Spain divided the country into respective protectorates, reserving an international zone in Tangier. In March 1956, Morocco regained its independence from France as the Kingdom of Morocco.
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Geography and Climate
Morocco is located in the northwest of Africa and has an area of around 446,550 square kilometers (including the Western Sahara it is 712,550 km²). It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The coastline, which is important for tourism, is 1,835 km long. The neighboring countries are Algeria in the northeast and Western Sahara in the south. The Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are also located on the Mediterranean coast.
The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara desert. A large part of Morocco is mountainous. The Atlas Mountains are located mainly in the centre and the south of the country. The Rif Mountains characterize the north-east. The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, extends to the south and southeast.
The climate in Morocco is subtropical, making it drier and warmer than many parts of the US or Central Europe. The average daytime temperatures range between 19 and 33 degrees Celsius, with temperatures sometimes rising to 39°C in certain regions. In the colder months, temperatures can drop to 8°C, depending on the region.
Demographics
The population of Morocco is around 38.08 million people, resulting in a population density of only 85.3 per km². This makes the country one of the most sparsely populated in Africa. However, around 65.6% of the population live in urban areas such as Casablanca and Rabat. Large parts of the desert areas are considered uninhabitable.
Key demographic data includes:
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- Population: Approximately 37 million
- Males/Females: 50.4% : 49.6%
- Life expectancy (females): Ø 77.6 years
The country's capital is Rabat, however, there are five other cities that are significantly larger than Rabat when it comes to the number of residents, the largest city of them being Casablanca. Overall, close to 67 percent of Morocco's inhabitants live in urban areas and cities, since a vast part of the country is comprised of desert and mountains. The fertility rate has remained at around 2.5 children per woman for the last ten years, which is much lower than other countries in Africa and slightly higher than most western European countries.
Economy
Morocco is a close neighbor to Western Europe and it has been able to use its location to its economic advantage. Important trade partners include Spain and France for both exports and imports. Additionally, low labor costs and the country’s market-oriented approach to its economy seem to have a positive effect on its economic growth which, after a drop in 2020, is expected to stabilize over the next few years.
According to the World Bank’s latest economic update, overall growth in Morocco is projected to increase to 3.6 percent in 2025. In 2024, Morocco’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth decelerated to 3.2 percent primarily due to the impacts of persistent drought conditions that impacted the agricultural sector.
Despite a confluence of severe shocks (the COVID-19 pandemic, a prolonged drought, a high commodity prices-led inflationary surge, and a devastating earthquake), Morocco has demonstrated remarkable economic resilience thanks to a robust macroeconomic policy framework and proactive government response.
Real GDP growth decelerated to 3.2 percent in 2024 from 3.4 percent in 2023 due to a 4.6 percent contraction in the agricultural sector amid the sixth consecutive year of drought. Conversely, non-agricultural growth accelerated to 3.9 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector, particularly in phosphates and construction, which helped offset the slowdown in services. Domestic demand is staging a strong recovery from the inflationary shock, with investment rising by 9.1 percent-supported by public infrastructure programs and robust FDI-while private consumption grew by 3.2 percent.
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Morocco’s external position remains strong. Despite fast-growing imports resulting from the recovery of domestic demand, solid manufacturing exports, tourism inflows, and remittances kept the current account deficit at close to 1.2 percent of GDP in 2024, largely financed with FDI. International reserves cover five months of imports, and Morocco retains good access to international financial markets and multilateral credit.
Presently, the industrial sector composes over 24 percent of the GDP, yet Morocco maintains a trade deficit , meaning it imports more goods than it exports. GDP per capita is quite low, but still higher than Sub-Saharan Africa's. Furthermore, unemployment in Morocco remains relatively high but stable, and poverty and illiteracy continue to be a problem.
Trade and Investment
The U.S. goods exports increasing to $5.3 billion, and imports from Morocco totaling $1.9 billion. This represents a significant increase of 37.3 percent ($1.4 billion) from the $3.9 billion in goods exported in 2023. Duties on most qualifying products were phased out by 2016.
Consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies manufacture some products locally and import others for distribution. investment, concentrated in the Casablanca Midparc and Aeropole trade zones. Agro-industrial companies have also invested heavily in the country. Oil and gas companies hold exploration concessions in Morocco and offshore, while other energy companies are pursuing new opportunities in renewable energy and liquified natural gas (LNG).
Health and Well-being
"Life expectancy" refers to the number of years a person can expect to live from birth. This measurement takes into account years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.* The lack of complete and reliable mortality data, especially for low income countries and particularly on mortality among adults and the elderly, necessitates the application of modelling to estimate life expectancy.
Understanding the reasons why people die helps with the understanding of how they lived, in order to improve health services and reduce preventable deaths in every country, responding effectively to changing circumstances. The leading causes of death are statistical estimates based on available data. Nations partners and inter-agency groups, as well as the Global Burden of Disease and other scientific studies.
The WHO Triple Billion targets measure impact on people's health to ensure that more people are enjoying better health and wellbeing, are benefitting from Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and are better protected from health emergencies. The estimates are underpinned by 46 outcome indicators. They include 39 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators and seven non-SDG indicators.
Historical Context
The Idrisid dynasty was established by Idris I in 788, and Morocco was subsequently ruled by a series of other independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties, when it controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb.
Centuries of Arab migration to the Maghreb since the 7th century shifted the demographic scope of the region. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with Portugal seizing some territory and the Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east.
The Alawi dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest.
The Polisario movement was formed in 1973, with the aim of establishing an independent state in the Spanish Sahara. On 6 November 1975, King Hassan asked for volunteers to cross into the Spanish Sahara. Some 350,000 civilians were reported as being involved in the "Green March". A month later, Spain agreed to leave the Spanish Sahara, soon to become Western Sahara, and to transfer it to joint Moroccan-Mauritanian control, despite the objections and threats of military intervention by Algeria.
In 1991, a UN-monitored ceasefire began in Western Sahara, but the territory's status remains undecided and ceasefire violations are reported. Political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature with Morocco's first opposition-led government coming to power.
| Aspect | Data |
|---|---|
| Population (2024) | 36.82 million |
| GDP Growth (2024) | 3.2% |
| Projected GDP Growth (2025) | 3.6% |
| Major Trade Partners | Spain, France, USA |
| Official Languages | Arabic, Berber |
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