Morocco (2007) | Barbados (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, 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 US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco claims another region, Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, which falls entirely within Western Sahara |
11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 31% (male 5,339,730/female 5,140,482)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 10,750,240/female 10,815,470) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 740,686/female 970,567) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 21% (male 29,294; female 29,020)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 95,675; female 99,864) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,370; female 15,066) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, citrus, wine, vegetables, olives; livestock | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
Airports | 60 (2007) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 27
over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 33
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 11 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km water: 250 sq km |
total: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than California | 2.5 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 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. 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, which first met in 1997. Lower house elections were last held in September 2002, while upper house elections were last held in September 2006. | The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. |
Birth rate | 21.64 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.98 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $16.45 billion
expenditures: $18.98 billion (2006 est.) |
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Rabat
geographic coordinates: 34 01 N, 6 49 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Bridgetown |
Climate | Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior | tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
Coastline | 1,835 km | 97 km |
Constitution | 10 March 1972; revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996 | 30 November 1966 |
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: none
conventional short form: Barbados |
Currency | - | Barbadian dollar (BBD) |
Death rate | 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $16.63 billion (2006 est.) | $668 million (2003) |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER
embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Aziz MEKOUAR
chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 339-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
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 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 | Barbados intends to take its claim before UNCLOS arbitration that the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into its waters; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $651.8 million (2005) | $9.1 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Moroccan economic policies brought macroeconomic stability to the country in the early 1990s but have not spurred growth sufficient to reduce unemployment that nears 20% in urban areas. Poverty has increased due to the volatile nature of GDP, Morocco's continued dependence on foreign energy, and its inability to promote the growth of small and medium size enterprises. However, GDP growth rebounded to 6.7% in 2006 due to high rainfall, which resulted in a strong second harvest. 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 and Morocco's financial sector is rudimentary. Moroccan authorities understand that reducing poverty and providing jobs is key to domestic security and development. In 2004, Moroccan authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US, which entered into force in January 2006, and sold government shares in the state telecommunications company and in the largest state-owned bank. 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, which the government hopes to achieve by increasing tourist arrivals and boosting competitiveness in textiles. | Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth should be positive in 2004, the precise level largely dependent on economic conditions in the US and Europe. |
Electricity - consumption | 20.67 billion kWh (2005) | 725.4 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 802 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 21.37 billion kWh (2005) | 780 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 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 | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers |
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 |
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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% | black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
Exchange rates | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.574 (2003), 11.021 (2002) | Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King MOHAMED VI (since 30 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Abbas EL FASSI (since 19 September 2007) 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), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
Exports | 21,890 bbl/day (2004 est.) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits, vegetables | sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
Exports - partners | France 21.1%, Spain 20.2%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.6%, India 4% (2006) | US 18.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, UK 14%, Jamaica 7.8%, Saint Lucia 6.2%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.7% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $4.355 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 17.3%
industry: 37% services: 45.7% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $15,700 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 9.4% (2006 est.) | 2.2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 5 00 W | 13 10 N, 59 32 W |
Geography - note | strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar | easternmost Caribbean island |
Heliports | 1 (2007) | - |
Highways | - | total: 1,793 km
paved: 1,719 km unpaved: 74 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 30.9% (1999) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | 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 | one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center |
Imports | 186,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components |
Imports - partners | France 17.6%, Spain 13.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, China 6.9%, Italy 6.4%, Germany 6% (2006) | US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.6%, UK 6.2%, Japan 4.4% (2003) |
Independence | 2 March 1956 (from France) | 30 November 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4% (2004 est.) | -3.2% (2000 est.) |
Industries | phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export |
Infant mortality rate | total: 38.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 42.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 34.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2006 est.) | -0.5% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 14,450 sq km (2003) | 10 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) | Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) |
Labor force | 10.86 million (2006 est.) | 128,500 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 40%
industry: 15% services: 45% (2003 est.) |
agriculture 10%, industry 15%, services 75% (1996 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%
permanent crops: 2% other: 79% (2005) |
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy | English |
Legal system | based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law systems; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of a Chamber of Counselors (or upper house) (270 seats; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates for nine-year terms; one-third of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of Representatives (or lower house) (325 seats; 295 members elected 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 (election moved to 2007); Chamber of Representatives - last held 7 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012) 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 - PJD 10.9%, PI 10.7%, RNI 9.7%, MP 9.3%, USFP 8.9%, UC 7.3%, Al Ahd 5.5%, PPS 5.4%, FFD 4.5%, MDS 3.7%, other 24.1%; seats by party - PI 52, PJD 46, MP 41, RNI 41, USFP 38, UC 27, PPS 17, Al Ahd 14, FFD 9, MDS 9, other 31 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.22 years
male: 68.88 years female: 73.67 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 71.64 years
male: 69.51 years female: 73.81 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.3% male: 65.7% female: 39.6% (2004 census) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara | Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
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 |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 344,445 GRT/252,341 DWT
by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 8, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4 foreign-owned: 14 (France 13, Germany 1) (2007) |
total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 427,465 GRT/668,195 DWT
by type: bulk 11, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Canada 5, Greece 7, Hong Kong 7, Italy 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 9, United Kingdom 10 registered in other countries: 3 (2004 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Navy (includes Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2007) | Royal Barbados Defense Force (Troops Command and Coast Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5% (2003 est.) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 77,714 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 53,127 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999) | Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
Nationality | noun: Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan |
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
Natural hazards | northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
Natural resources | phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt | petroleum, fish, natural gas |
Net migration rate | -0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 715 km; oil 285 km (2006) | - |
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]; Democratic and Independence Party or PDI [Abdelwahed MAACH]; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE]; Democratic Forces Front or FFD; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Aissa OUARDIGHI]; Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI]; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN]; Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI]; Front of Democratic Forces or FFD [Thami EL KHYARI]; Independence Party (Istiqlal) or PI [Abbas el FASSI]; Justice and Development Party or PJD [Saad Eddine El OTHMANI]; Labor Party [Abdelkrim BENATIK]; 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]; 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 [Mohand LAENSER]; Popular Movement Union or UMP [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] | Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Clyde Mascoll] |
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] | Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE] |
Population | 33,757,175 (July 2007 est.) | 278,289 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 19% (2005 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.528% (2007 est.) | 0.36% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 27, FM 25, shortwave 6 (1998) | AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2006) |
- |
Religions | Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2% | Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.994 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.763 male(s)/female total population: 0.994 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003) | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system with all important capabilities; however, density is low with only 4 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: NA
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.266 million (2006) | 134,000 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 16.005 million (2006) | 140,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 35 (plus 66 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997) |
Terrain | northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region |
Total fertility rate | 2.62 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7.7% (2006 est.) | 10.7% (2003 est.) |