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: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m |
Natural resources: | phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt |
Land use: | arable land: 19% permanent crops: 2% other: 79% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 14,450 sq km (2003) |
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, 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 |