Moroccan Facts
Country Name: Kingdom of Morocco
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Mauritania and 14 km from southern Spain.
Total Land Area: 710,850 sq km
Coastline: 2.900 km Atlantic coast - 500 km Mediterranean coast.
Population: 28,481,000
Entry Requirements: Passport (Check passport validity and visa requirement for some countries). For UK passport holders, your passport must have at keast 6 months validity remaining in order to enter Morocco.
Transportation: Railway network 1.893 km, Highways and paved roads 59.474 km.
Currency: 1 Moroccan Dirham = 100 centimes.
Electricity: 220/240 volts.
Time Zone: Morocco is on Greenwich Mean Time "GMT".
Driving: On the right side.
Airports: Agadir, Al Hociema, Casablanca, Dakhla, Essaouira, Fes, Laâyoune, Marrakech, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Salé, Tangier and Tetouan.
Gastronomy: Moroccan cuisine is reputed to be one the top cuisines all over the world: Couscous, Mechoui, Pastilla, Tagines, pastries and the national drink, mint tea.
Climate: The climate varies according to the regions, the coast has a very mild climate in the summer and humid in the winter, average temperature from 16°C to 26°C. Inland is much warmer during the summer up to 33°C.
Terrain: Northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains.
Geography: Strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar.
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Rabat (pop. 646 000).
Main Cities: Casablanca (pop 3.30 million ), Fez, Marrakech, Settat, El Jadida, Oujda, Meknes, Tangier, Nador, Agadir, Laayoune, Kenitra.
Languages: Arabic is the country's official language. An important part of the population speaks French which is the first foreign language. English and Spanish are also widely spoken.
GDP Growth Rate: 2.1% (2007); 8% (2006); 1.8% (2005 est.)
Inflation Rate: 2.3% (2007); 2.5% (2006); 2.1% (2005 est.)
Tourism Figures: 2007 - 8.5 million visitor arrivals to Moroccan airports; 2006 - 7.14 million
Night Stays: 2007 - 13.7 million; 2006 - 13.3 million
