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,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
People Morocco
Population:
33,241,259 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.6% (male 5,343,976/female 5,145,019)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 10,505,018/female 10,580,599)
65 years and over: 5% (male 725,116/female 941,531) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.9 years
male: 23.4 years
female: 24.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.55% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
21.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)