Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 5 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 446,550 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 446,300 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 250 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 59

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of New York; slightly larger than California
Area comparison map: slightly more than three times the size of New York; slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 2,362.5 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (3): Algeria 1,900 km, Western Sahara 444 km, Spain (Ceuta) 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km
note: an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera

Coastline:
1,835 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mountainous northern coast (Rif Mountains) and interior (Atlas Mountains) bordered by large plateaus with intermontane valleys, and fertile coastal plains

Elevation:
mean elevation: 909 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha Tah -59 m highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m

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

Land use:
agricultural land: 67.5% arable land 17.5%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 47.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 11.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 21% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
14,850 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the highest population density is found along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts; a number of densely populated agglomerations are found scattered through the Atlas Mountains

Natural hazards:
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts; windstorms; flash floods; landslides

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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar; the only African nation to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines