Morocco Travel Podcast with Youssef Benali

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Mauritania

Terrain

Mountainous northern coast (Rif Mountains) and interior (Atlas Mountains) bordered by large plateaus with intermontane valleys, and fertile coastal plains; the south is mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces

Climate

Mediterranean in the north, becoming more extreme in the interior; in the south, hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

Elevation

Highest point

Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

Lowest point

Sebkha Tah -59 m

Mean elevation

909 m

Area

Total

716,550 sq km

Land

716,300 sq km

Water

250 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than twice the size of California

Coastline

2,945 km

Land borders

Total

3,523.5 km

Border countries

Algeria 1,941 km; Mauritania 1,564 km; Spain (Ceuta) 8 km and Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km

Natural resources

Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Land use

Agricultural land

66.7% (2023 est.)

Arable land

15.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

4.3% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

47.1% (2023 est.)

Forest

12.8% (2023 est.)

Other

20.3% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

In the north, the mountains are geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts; windstorms; flash floods; landslides; in the south, a hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility

Note

Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar; the only African nation to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines; the waters off the Atlantic coast are particularly rich fishing areas

Population

Total

37,387,585 (2024 est.)

Male

18,664,263

Female

18,723,322

Nationality

Noun

Moroccan(s)

Adjective

Moroccan

Ethnic groups

Arab-Amazigh 99%, other 1%

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official), Tamazight languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)

Major-language sample(s)

كتاب ديال لحقائق متاع العالم، احسن مصدر متاع المعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

Religions

Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i); note - Jewish about 3,000-3,500 (2020 est.)

Median age

Total

30.9 years (2025 est.)

Male

30.1 years

Female

31 years

Life expectancy

Total population

74.2 years (2024 est.)

Male

72.5 years

Female

76 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

65.1% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

1.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

The highest population density is found along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts; a number of densely populated agglomerations are scattered through the Atlas Mountains, as shown in this population distribution map

Largest cities

3.893 million Casablanca, 1.959 million RABAT (capital), 1.290 million Fes, 1.314 million Tangier, 1.050 million Marrakech, 979,000 Agadir (2023)

Background

In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half-century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king.

Since Spain's 1976 withdrawal from Western Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 75% of this territory; however, the UN does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Western Sahara. The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire, which broke down in late 2020, between Morocco and the Polisario Front -- an organization advocating the territory’s independence -- and restarted negotiations over the status of the territory in 2018. In 2020, the US recognized Morocco's sovereignty over all of Western Sahara.

In 2011, King MOHAMMED VI responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the North Africa region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. Later that year, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) -- a moderate Islamist democratic party -- won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. In 2015, Morocco held its first direct elections for regional councils, which was one of the reforms included in the 2011 constitution. The PJD again won the largest number of seats in nationwide parliamentary elections in 2016, but it lost its plurality to the probusiness National Rally of Independents (RNI) in 2021. In 2020, Morocco signed a normalization agreement with Israel, similar to those that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan had concluded with Israel earlier that year.

Government

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

Rabat

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah

Independence

2 March 1956 (from France)

National day

Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)

Overview

Lower middle-income North African economy; ongoing recovery from recent drought and earthquake; rebounding via tourism, manufacturing, and raw materials processing; significant trade and investment with EU; reform programs include fiscal rebalancing, state enterprise governance and private sector investments

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$9,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$8,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$8,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

9.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

9.5% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

9.942 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

10.131 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

10.161 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

8.988 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

9.497 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Automotive parts, phosphate mining and processing, aerospace, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, energy, tourism

Agriculture

Wheat, milk, potatoes, sugar beets, tomatoes, barley, olives, apples, tangerines/mandarins, onions (2023)

Airports

48 (2025)

Railways

Total

2,067 km (2014)

Standard gauge

2,067 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified)

Ports

Total ports

12 (2024)

Large

3

Medium

1

Small

3

Very small

5

Ports with oil terminals

2

Key ports

Agadir, Casablanca, Tanger, Tangier-Mediterranean

Internet domain

.ma

Internet users

Percent of population 91% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

55.9 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

137 (2021 est.)

Environmental issues

In the north: land degradation and desertification, with soil erosion from farming, overgrazing, and vegetation removal; water and soil pollution from industrial-waste dumping; in the south: desertification; overgrazing; sparse water

Fresh water

29 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Global geoparks and regional networks

M'Goun (2023)