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Morocco

Ruler: King Muhammed VI (1999)
Prime Minister: Abbas El Fassi (2007)
Land area: 172,317 sq mi (446,301 sq km); total area: 172,413 sq mi (446,550 sq km)
Population (2010 est.): 31,627,428 (growth rate: 1.0%); birth rate: 19.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 28.6/1000; life expectancy: 75.6; density per sq km: 76
Capital (2003 est.): Rabat, 1,636,600
Largest cities: Casablanca, 3,397,000; Fez, 941,800; Marrakech, 755,200
Monetary unit: Dirham
National name: al-Mamlaka al-Maghrebia
Languages: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often used for business, government, and diplomacy
Ethnicity/race: Arab-Berber 99.1%, Jewish 0.2%, other 0.7%
Religions: Islam 99%, Christian 1%
National Holiday: Throne Day, July 30
Literacy rate: 52.3% (2004 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2009 est.): $146.7 billion; per capita $4,600. Real growth rate: 5.1%. Inflation: 2%. Unemployment: 9.9%. Arable land: 19%. Agriculture: barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock. Labor force: 11.35 million; agriculture 40%, services 45%, industry 15% (2003 est.). Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism. Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt. Exports: $15.61 billion (2009 est.): clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits, vegetables. Imports: $31.83 billion (2009 est.): crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics. Major trading partners: France, Spain, UK, Italy, India, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China (2006).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.266 million (2006); mobile cellular: 16.005 million (2006). Radio broadcast stations: AM 27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998). Radios: 6.64 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995). Televisions: 3.1 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 137,187 (2007). Internet users: 6.1 million (2006).
Transportation: Railways: total: 1,907 km (2006). Highways: total: 57,493 km; paved: 32,716 km (includes 507 km of expressways); unpaved: 24,777 km (2004). Ports and harbors: Agadir, El Jadida, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Rabat, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla. Airports: 60 (2007)

Fun Facts

• Morocco, about one-tenth larger than California
• The most popular sport in Morocco is Football.
• Green tea with mint and sweetened with sugar their popular beverage.
• The second-largest film set in the world located in Morocco.
• Souk El Had is an Agadir’s largest regional market with around 6,000 small shops.
• Morocco is the largest producer and exporter of sardines in the world.