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True-color image of Morocco from Terra spacecraft

Topography of Morocco

Morocco's and Western Sahara's cities and main towns

The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara (desert). Morocco is a Northern African country, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and the annexed Western Sahara.

A large part of Morocco is mountainous. The Atlas Mountains are located mainly in the center and the south of the country. The Rif Mountains are located in the north of the country. Both ranges are mainly inhabited by the Berber people.

[edit] Geography statistics

Coordinates: 32°00′N 5°00′W / 32°N 5°W / 32; -5

Map references: Africa

Area (excluding the annexed Western Sahara):
total: 446 550 km²
land: 446 300 km²
water: 250 km²

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

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

Coastline: 1 835 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nmi (44.4 km; 27.6 mi)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)

[edit] Physical geography

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

Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jbel Toubkal 4165 m

[edit] Land use and natural resources

Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Land use:
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 47%
forests and woodland: 20%
other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 12 580 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts

[edit] Environment

[edit] Ecoregions

Main article: List of ecoregions in Morocco

[edit] Terrestrial ecoregions

[edit] Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

[edit] Freshwater ecoregions

[edit] Marine ecoregions

[edit] Current environmental 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