Location: |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
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Geographic coordinates: |
32 00 N, 5 00 W
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Area: |
total:
446,550 sq km
land:
446,300 sq km
water:
250 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than California
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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
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Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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Climate: |
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
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Terrain: |
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point:
Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m
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Natural resources: |
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
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Land use: |
arable land:
21%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
47%
forests and woodland:
20%
other:
11% (1993 est.)
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Irrigated land: |
12,580 sq km (1993 est.)
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Natural hazards: |
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
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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
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
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Geography - note: |
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
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