Military Morocco
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) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,908,864
females age 18-49: 7,882,879 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,484,787
females age 18-49: 6,675,729 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 353,377
females age 18-49: 341,677 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.31 billion (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5% (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues Morocco
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