Morocco
General Information for Morocco
Geo-political:
Capital City: Rabat. 34° 01.00′ N, 006° 49.00′ W
Nationality: (noun) Moroccan(s), (adjective) Moroccan.
Population: 35,561,654 (July 2020).
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 212.
Number of Internal Airports: 55 (2013).
Major Languages Spoken: Arabic (official), Berber languages , Tachelhit, Tarifit (Tamazight (official; ) and
French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy).
Economy:
Currency: 1 Moroccan Dirham (MAD) of 100 Centimes.
Exchange Rates:
(as of November 2020)
USD 1.00 = MAD 9.23
MAD 1.00 = USD 0.11
Exchange rates under licence from
XE.com
Main Industries: Automotive parts, phosphate mining, processing, aerospace, food processing, leather
goods, textiles, construction, energy and tourism.
Agricultural Products: Barley, wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, vegetables, olives, livestock and wine.
Imports: Crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas, electricity,
transistors and plastics.
Exports: Clothing, textiles, automobiles, electric components, inorganic chemicals, transistors,
crude minerals, fertilizers (, phosphates), petroleum products, citrus fruits, vegetables
and fish.
Commodities: Crude: Production 160 bbl/d. Imports 61,160 bbl/d. Reserves 684,000 bbl. Products: Production 66,230 bbl/d.
Exports 9,504 bbl/d. Imports 229,300 bbl/d. LNG: Production 87,780,000 cu.m.. Imports 1,133,000,000 cu.m..
Reserves 1,444,000,000 cu.m..
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Contiguous Zone: Contiguous Zone: 24 n.m. Continental Shelf: 200 m. Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 1,835 km.
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior.
Natural Resources: Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish and salt.
Natural Hazards: Northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes, periodic droughts,
windstorms, flash floods and landslides.
Terrain: Mountainous northern coast (Rif Mountains) and interior (Atlas Mountains) bordered
by large plateaus with intermontane valleys, and fertile coastal plains.
Average Temperatures:
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 17° C | 9° C |
| June | 27° C | 11° C |
| September | 26° C | 16° C |
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION:
Pre-arrival documentation and notifications can be submitted through the maritime
single window ``Portnet''. Access is available to registered users at
www.portnet.ma
MEDICAL:
Public health facilities in Morocco struggle to provide adequate medical care. Private
clinics are available. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible
funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
REGULATIONS:
Port regulations are available (in French) from L’Agence Nationale des Ports.
www.anp.org.ma/fr/publications/lois-reglementations
HOLIDAYS:
National Holidays:
1 January (New Year's Day); 11 January; 1 May (Labour Day); 30 July (Throne Day);
14 August (Oued Eddahab); 20 August (Revolution Day); 21 August (Youth Day); 6 November
(Anniversary of the Green March); 18 November (Independence Day).
Religious Holidays:
2–3 February (Aid al Adha); 24 February (1st Moharram); 4–5 May (Aid al Maoulid);
25–26 November (Aid al Fitr).
WEATHER/TIDES:
Natural Disasters:
Morocco is in an earthquake zone and earthquakes, usually minor ones, occur occasionally.
The last major earthquake, in 2023, killed almost 3,000 people.
You should familiarise yourself with general safety procedures in the event of an
earthquake and take note of any earthquake-related instructions.
BANKS:
Most major credit cards are accepted in the larger urban centres throughout Morocco.
It is very difficult to change travellers’ cheques in Morocco. ATMs are widely available
in cities and most main towns.
You can take up to MAD2,000 (approx. USD200, EUR185) into or out of Morocco. The dirham
is a non-convertible currency and it cannot be easily exchanged for other currencies.
You must declare foreign currency worth MAD100,000 or more when you enter or leave
the country. There is no limit on the amount of foreign cash you can carry.
SHORE LEAVE:
Local laws reflect the fact that Morocco is an Islamic country. You should respect
local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times and be aware of your actions
to ensure that they do not offend other cultures or religious beliefs, especially
during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas.
Violent crime is not a major problem in Morocco, but it is growing. There are occasional
incidents involving theft at knife point in the major cities and along beaches. You
are advised to avoid those areas late at night and not to carry valuables with you
at any time in those parts of the city.
Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, continues to increase. Crime
and aggressive begging near ATM machines are increasing. Credit card fraud and scams
such as substituting inferior goods for those that were actually purchased are common.
Intimidation is sometimes used to force customers to purchase goods. You should remain
vigilant and alert to potential confidence tricks.
Licensed hotels and bars in tourist areas serve alcohol. Drinking alcohol in the street
and anywhere other than a licensed restaurant or bar is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Possessing, using or trafficking illegal drugs is a serious offence and can result
in a lengthy prison sentence and a heavy fine.
It is illegal to take photographs near sensitive political or military sites.
It is illegal to possess pornographic material. This includes printed and digital
material, cassettes and videocassettes and any type of material contrary to morality
and public order.
Many taxis booked through phone apps may be unregulated and unlicensed. Drivers may
not be registered with the authorities and their vehicles may not be insured to carry
passengers. The police may tell you to get out of an unlicensed taxi if they stop
it. You should:
- think carefully before using unregulated or unlicensed taxis
- avoid sharing taxis with strangers – if your driver tries to pick up other passengers, insist they do not do this.
Drivers of ``petits'' or ``grands taxis'' sometimes speed and do not follow other
driving rules, particularly in big cities.
REPATRIATION:
To enter Morocco, your passport must have an expiry date at least 3 months after the
date you arrive.
Make sure your passport is not damaged. The Moroccan authorities have denied entry
to some travellers with damaged passports.
Make sure the border official stamps your passport. Some travellers have had difficulties
leaving Morocco because their passport has no entry stamp.
To enter Morocco, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a polio vaccine
if you’re coming from a polio-affected country.
The authorities have closed land and sea borders between Morocco and Algeria. They
patrol and closely monitor them. Do not attempt to cross the border as it is illegal
to cross without authorisation.
