"text":"In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan 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 what is today called Western Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 80% 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 between Morocco and the Polisario Front - Western Sahara's liberation movement - and leads ongoing negotiations over the status of the territory. King MOHAMMED VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government."
"text":"northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts"
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"Environmental Modification"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar"
}
},
"People and Society":{
"Nationality":{
"noun":{
"text":"Moroccan(s)"
},
"adjective":{
"text":"Moroccan"
}
},
"Ethnic groups":{
"text":"Arab-Berber 99%, other 1%"
},
"Languages":{
"text":"Arabic (official), Berber languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)"
"text":"Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western Sahara; as of April 2015, Morocco’s parliament was examining legislation to reduce the number of regions from 16 to 12 under its “advanced regionalization” plan"
}
},
"Independence":{
"text":"2 March 1956 (from France)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution (2011)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"mixed legal system of civil law based on French law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts by Constitutional Court"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt"
},
"Suffrage":{
"text":"18 years of age; universal"
},
"Executive branch":{
"chief of state":{
"text":"King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Abdelillah BENKIRANE (since 29 November 2011)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister in consultation with Parliament and appointed by the monarch"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the majority party following legislative elections"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Advisors (90-120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in the national constituency, 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 reserved for young people"
},
"elections":{
"text":"Chamber of Advisors- last held on 3 October 2009 (next scheduled for fall 2015); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Chamber of Advisors- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PJD 107, PI 60, RNI 52, PAM 47, USFP 39, MP 32, UC 23, PPS 18, other 17"
}
},
"Judicial branch":{
"highest court(s)":{
"text":"Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of Judicial Power, a 20-member body presided by the monarch and including the Supreme Court president, the prosecutor general, representatives of the appeals and first instance courts - among them 1 woman magistrate, the president of the National Council of the Rights of Man, and 5 \"notable persons\" appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members - 6 designated by the monarch and 6 elected by Parliament; court president appointed by the monarch from among the court members; members serve 9-year non-renewable terms"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"courts of appeal; High Court of Justice; administrative and commercial courts; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication); first instance courts"
"text":"Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI] ++ Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI] ++ An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF] ++ Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Mustapha BAKKOURY] ++ Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI [Abdelwahed MAACH] ++ Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohamed SAJID] ++ Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE] ++ Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Mustapha BENALI] ++ Democratic Oath Party or SD ++ Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN] ++ Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN] ++ Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI] ++ Green Left Party ++ Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Hamid CHABAT] ++ Labor Party or PT [Abdelkrim BENATIK] ++ National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE] ++ National Rally of Independents or RNI [Salaheddine MEZOUAR] ++ Neo-Democrats Party [Mohamed DARIF] ++ Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelillah BENKIRANE] ++ Party of Liberty and Social Justice ++ Popular Movement or MP [Mohand LAENSER] ++ Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH] ++ Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR] ++ Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR] ++ Unified Socialist Party or GSU [Nabila MOUNIB]"
"text":"Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir EL AMAOUI] ++ General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Mohamed KAFI CHERRAT] ++ Justice and Charity Organization or JCO [Mohammed ben Abdesslam ABBADI] ++ Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Miriem BENSALAH-CHAQROUN] ++ National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Mohamed YATIM] ++ Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Miloudi EL MOUKHARIK]"
"text":"Ambassador Mohammed Rachad BOUHLAL (since 22 December 2011)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 462-7980"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 462-7643"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"New York"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Dwight L. BUSH, Sr. (since 8 April 2014)"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"Unit 9400, Box Front Office, DPO, AE 09718"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[212] 537 63 7777"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[212] 537 63 7201"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"Casablanca"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"pentacle symbol, lion; national colors: red, green"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Hymne Cherifien\" (Hymn of the Sharif)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Ali Squalli HOUSSAINI/Leo MORGAN"
},
"note":{
"text":"music adopted 1956, lyrics adopted 1970"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Morocco has capitalized on its proximity to Europe and relatively low labor costs to build a diverse, open, market-oriented economy. In the 1980s Morocco was a heavily indebted country before pursuing austerity measures and pro-market reforms, overseen by the IMF. Since taking the throne in 1999, King MOHAMMED VI has presided over a stable economy marked by steady growth, low inflation, and gradually falling unemployment, although poor harvests and economic difficulties in Europe contributed to an economic slowdown. Industrial development strategies and infrastructure improvements - most visibly illustrated by a new port and free trade zone near Tangier - are improving Morocco's competitiveness. Morocco also seeks to expand its renewable energy capacity with a goal of making renewable more than 40% of electricity output by 2020. Key sectors of the economy include agriculture, tourism, aerospace, phosphates, textiles, apparel, and subcomponents. To boost exports, Morocco entered into a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with the United States in 2006 and an Advanced Status agreement with the European Union in 2008. Despite Morocco's economic progress, the country suffers from high unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy, particularly in rural areas. In 2011 and 2012, high prices on fuel - which is subsidized and almost entirely imported - strained the government's budget and widened the country's current account deficit. In 2014, Morocco ended subsidies on diesel, gasoline, and fuel oil which have improved its budget deficit. Subsidies on sugar, butane gas, and flour remain. Morocco’s current account deficit has also benefit from the fall in oil prices. Key economic challenges for Morocco include reforming the education system and the judiciary, while increasing the competitiveness of the private sector."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"39.35 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"2.49 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"8 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"44.1 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"134 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay; Internet available but expensive"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"fixed-line teledensity is roughly 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 212; landing point for the Atlas Offshore, Estepona-Tetouan, Euroafrica, Spain-Morocco, and SEA-ME-WE-3 fiber-optic telecommunications undersea cables that provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"2 TV broadcast networks with state-run Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) operating one network and the state partially owning the other; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite dish; 3 radio broadcast networks with RTM operating one; the government-owned network includes 10 regional radio channels in addition to its national service (2007)"
"text":"Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Royal Moroccan Navy (includes Coast Guard, Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawyiya al Malakiya Marakishiya; Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2010)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation - 18 months (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"8,252,682"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"8,691,419 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"7,026,016"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"7,377,045 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"300,327"
},
"female":{
"text":"298,366 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"3.55% of GDP (2012) ++ 3.37% of GDP (2011) ++ 3.55% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002 rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; the National Liberation Front's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco is a dormant dispute"
},
"Trafficking in persons":{
"current situation":{
"text":"Morocco is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Moroccan adults and children are exploited for forced labor and forced prostitution in the Middle East and Europe; some Moroccan girls recruited to work as maids experience conditions of forced labor, while some Moroccan boys experience forced labor when working as apprentices in the artisan and construction industries and in mechanic shops; women and children from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who voluntarily enter Morocco are subsequently coerced into prostitution or, less frequently, forced domestic service"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"Tier 2 Watch List – Morocco does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; nevertheless, in 2013, the government did not demonstrate progress in investigating, prosecuting, convicting, and adequately punishing trafficking offenders and provided limited law enforcement data; the government did not develop or employ systematic procedures to proactively identify trafficking victims and provided limited to no social or protective services, relying heavily on NGOs to supply care ; Morocco continues to lack a single comprehensive anti-trafficking law (2014)"
}
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis"
