About Morocco

Whenever you travel to a new country it is advisable to obtain some information about your destination so that you are better prepared when you arrive. It is for this reason that we have provided a general outline of Morocco for you below.

Please be advised that this information is meant for reference purposes only, and all data contained on this page may change without prior warning. For more up to date information about Morocco, please consult a travel expert before you depart.

Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco / Al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiyya

Capital: The administrative capital of Morocco is Rabat. Casablanca is the largest city and the main port of Morocco. Fes was the capital for several periods of Morocco’s past, including the period before 1912, when the French moved the administrative centre to Rabat, which remained the capital after independence in 1956.

Location: Morocco is situated on the North western coast of Africa, with coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. At the entrance to the Mediterranean, it has Algeria to the east, Spain to the North, and Mauritania lies to its south beyond Western Saharah. There are some Spanish enclaves on the northern coast of Morocco.

Size: Morocco has a total size of 446,550 km2 (of which 250 km2 water) and is the fifty-seventh largest country in the world, somewhat larger than California. This excludes the disputed Western Saharah region, much of which is controlled by Morocco.

Climate: Morocco has a mostly Mediterranean climate, becoming more extreme towards the interior. The Atlas Mountains separate the fertile coastal plains from the Sahara Desert to the southwest.

Population: 34,343,220 (July 2008 est.), making Morocco the third most populous Arab country, after Egypt and Sudan.

Life expectancy at birth: 71.52 years (male 69.16 years, female 74 years (2008 est.))
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS:  Around 0.1%; there are around 19,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Morocco (2005 estimate)

Major illnesses: Before going to Morocco it is a good idea to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A, Tetanus, and possibly also Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Rabies and Typhoid. Check with a health professional before you leave for up to date advice. The Moroccan minister of health announced in 2004 that several diseases had been eradicated thanks to its vaccination programs, in particular diphtheria, polio, tetanus and malaria. The risk of malaria in Morocco is very limited, although it is present in rural areas of Chefchaouen province. The usual precautions should be taken against insect bites.

Ethnic Groups: Arab-Berber 99.1 per cent, other 0.7 per cent, Jewish 0.2 per cent
Languages: Classical Arabic is the official language, but French is taught in schools and widely used in business, government and diplomacy. Moroccan Arabic is a very distinct Arab dialect spoken by a majority of the population, which differs from Modern Standard Arabic so as to be almost a different language. Around 40% of the population speaks Berber, or Tamazight, dialects, of which roughly three main strains can be distinguished in Morocco (Tarifit, Tashelhiyt and Central Morocco Tamazight). This is primarily spoken in rural areas. Spanish is spoken in parts of the north and English is becoming more popular.

Religion: Muslim 98.7% (mainly Sunni), Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

Government: Morocco is a constitutional monarchy in which the King still holds considerable powers. There is an elected bicameral parliament and opposition parties are legal.

Head of State: King Mohammed VI (since 30 July 1999)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi (since 19 September 2007)

Military: The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, with around 196,300 active-duty personnel and 150,000 reserves.

Economy: Morocco is the fifth largest economy in Africa, and has the second largest non-oil GDP of an Arab state. Although the economy is fairly stable, an estimated 19% of the population lives below the poverty line. The country is still dependent on foreign energy, medium and small enterprises are developing slowly, and unemployment, around 7.7% overall, reaches 20% in some urban areas. Around 36% of the population works in agriculture, leaving the country very vulnerable to droughts which can dramatically slow economic growth.
The largest industry in Morocco is phosphates, which employs about 2% of the population but accounts for around half of the nation’s income. Other key industries are fishing and tourism.
Morocco’s largest trade partners are France and Spain. It also has free trade agreements with the EU and with the US and a close relationship with both of these.
Morocco is also a major cannabis producer, with its production using about 1.5% of Morocco’s total arable land and representing around 0.5% of Morocco’s GDP.

GDP: Purchasing power parity approx. $125 billion; Official exchange rate approx $73.43 billion.

For more information about Morocco expat insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer in Morocco, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

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