Geography : 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
country comparison to the world: 58
land: 446,300 sq km
water: 250 sq km
Area - comparative:

slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:

total: 2,020.5 km
border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km
note: an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera
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: 17.79%
permanent crops: 2.6%
other: 79.61% (2011)
Irrigated land:

14,850 sq km (2004)
Total renewable water resources:

29 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 12.61 cu km / yr (12% / 4% / 84%)
per capita: 428.1 cu m / yr (2005)
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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:

strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar