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
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 20%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 78% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 12,910 sq km (1998 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

NOTE: The information regarding Morocco on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Morocco Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Morocco Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.