Compare Morocco (2005) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Compare Morocco (2005) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

	Morocco (2005)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Administrative divisions	14 regions: Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the United States Government; one additional region, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, falls entirely within Western Sahara; another region, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sahia El Hamra, falls mostly within Western Sahara; a small portion of this region, in the southwestern part of the country, falls within Moroccan-administered territory as recognized by the United States; the province of Guelmim-Es Smara lies in both entities	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 32.1% (male 5,349,247/female 5,150,497) 15-64 years: 63% (male 10,259,808/female 10,346,608) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 708,921/female 910,766) (2005 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock	-
Airports	63 (2004 est.)	1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 25 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 446,550 sq km land: 446,300 sq km water: 250 sq km	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly larger than California	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish 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. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily eroded; 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. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997. Parliamentary elections were held for the second time in September 2002 and municipal elections were held in September 2003.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	22.29 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $12.86 billion expenditures: $15.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.19 billion (2004 est.)	-
Capital	Rabat	-
Climate	Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	1,835 km	698 km
Constitution	10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996	-
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco conventional short form: Morocco local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah local short form: Al Maghrib	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate	5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-
Debt - external	$17.07 billion (2004 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas T. RILEY embassy: 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat mailing address: PSC 74, Box 021, APO AE 09718 telephone: [212] (37) 76 22 65 FAX: [212] (37) 76 56 61 consulate(s) general: Casablanca	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 through 7982 FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; 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; discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation setting limits on 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	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	ODA $218 million (2002)	-
Economy - overview	Morocco faces problems typical for developing countries: restraining government spending, reducing constraints on private activity and foreign trade, and achieving sustainable growth. Despite structural adjustment programs supported by the IMF, the World Bank, and the Paris Club, the dirham is only fully convertible for current account transactions. In 2004 Moroccan authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US and selling government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the largest state-owned bank. Favorable rainfall over the past two years has boosted agricultural output and GDP growth passed 4% in 2004. In 2005 the budget deficit is expected to rise sharply - from 1.9% of GDP in 2004 - because of substantial increases in wages and oil subsidies. Long-term challenges include preparing the economy for freer trade with the US and European Union, improving education and job prospects for Morocco's youth, and raising living standards.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	14.24 billion kWh (2002)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - imports	1.3 billion kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - production	13.91 billion kWh (2002)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%	-
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.574 (2003), 11.021 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000)	-
Executive branch	chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Driss JETTOU (since 9 October 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	NA	-
Exports - commodities	clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits, vegetables	-
Exports - partners	France 33.6%, Spain 17.4%, UK 7.7%, Italy 4.7%, US 4.1% (2004)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
Flag description	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; design dates to 1912	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 21.2% industry: 35.8% services: 43% (2004 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2004 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	4.4% (2004 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	32 00 N, 5 00 W	6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note	strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports	1 (2004 est.)	-
Highways	total: 57,694 km paved: 32,551 km (including 481 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,143 km (2002)	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 30.9% (1998-99)	-
Illicit drugs	illicit producer of hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe	-
Imports	NA	-
Imports - commodities	crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics	-
Imports - partners	France 18.2%, Spain 12.1%, Italy 6.6%, Germany 6%, Russia 5.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, China 4.2%, US 4.1% (2004)	-
Independence	2 March 1956 (from France)	-
Industrial production growth rate	NA	-
Industries	phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 41.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 45.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 37.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.1% (2004 est.)	-
International organization participation	ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	12,910 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the monarch)	-
Labor force	11.02 million (2004 est.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 40%, industry 15%, services 45% (2003 est.)	-
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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 2.17% other: 78.22% (2001)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy	-
Legal system	based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Chamber of Counselors (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third of the members are renewed every three years) and a lower house or Chamber of Representatives (325 seats; 295 by multi-seat constituencies and 30 from national lists of women; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Counselors - last held 6 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006); Chamber of Representatives - last held 27 September 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: Chamber of Counselors - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RNI 42, MDS 33, UC 28, MP 27, PND 21, PI 21, USFP 16, MNP 15, PA 13, FFD 12, other 42; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - USFP 50, PI 48, PJD 42, RNI 41, MP 27, MNP 18, UC 16, PND 12, PPS 11, UD 10, other 50	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 70.66 years male: 68.35 years female: 73.07 years (2005 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.7% male: 64.1% female: 39.4% (2003 est.)	-
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Africa	Political Map of the World
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	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine	total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 236,131 GRT/252,367 DWT by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, container 8, passenger/cargo 13, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 6 (France 1, Germany 2, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 1) (2005)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Royal Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine)	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$2,305.6 million (2003)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	5% (2004)	-
National holiday	Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)	-
Nationality	noun: Moroccan(s) adjective: Moroccan	-
Natural hazards	northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts	NA
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-
Pipelines	gas 695 km; oil 285 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	Action Party or PA [Muhammad EL IDRISSI]; Alliance of Liberties or ADL [Ali BELHAJ]; Annahj Addimocrati or Annahj [Abdellah EL HARIF]; Avant Garde Social Democratic Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN]; Citizen Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI]; Citizen's Initiatives for Development [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Constitutional Union or UC [Mohamed ABIED (interim)]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of Democratic Forces or FFD [Thami EL KHYARI]; Istiqlal Party (Independence Party) or PI [Abbas El FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Saad Eddine OTHMANI]; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE]; National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI]; National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA]; National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE]; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Ahmed OSMAN]; National Union of Popular Forces or UNFP [Abdellah IBRAHIM]; Parti Al Ahd or Al Ahd [Najib EL OUAZZANI, chairman]; Party of Progress and Socialism or PPS [Ismail ALAOUI]; Party of Renewal and Equity or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR]; Party of the Unified Socialist Left or GSU [Mohamed Ben Said AIT IDDER]; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER]; Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN]; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH]; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Mohammed El-YAZGHI]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]	-
Population	32,725,847 (July 2005 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960's and 1970's, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	19% (1999 est.)	-
Population growth rate	1.57% (2005 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	Agadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 1,907 km standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2004)	-
Religions	Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)	-
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system with all important capabilities; however, density is low with only 4.6 main lines available for each 100 persons domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay international: country code - 212; 7 submarine cables; 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 (1998)	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	1,219,200 (2003)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	7,332,800 (2003)	-
Television broadcast stations	35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995)	1 (1997)
Terrain	northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	2.73 children born/woman (2005 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	12.1% (2004 est.)	-
Waterways	-	none

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