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| Morocco's topography is quite varied. In the west a coastal plain from 30 to 50 km wide stretches along the Atlantic coast. The Mediterranean coast in the north is rimmed by the Rif, a mountain range reaching 2,457 m at Tidiguin Peak. Most of Morocco's interior is composed of mountains and plateaus. The major mountain system, the Atlas Mountains, consists of three parallel ranges situated in the center of the country and extending for about 2,400 km. The Anti-Atlas in the southwest gives way to the High Atlas, where Jebel Toubkal, the nation's highest peak, rises to 4,165 m; the Middle Atlas is located northeast of the High Atlas. Rolling plateaus east of the mountains gradually lead into the Sahara, located in southeastern and southern Morocco. The Satellight database only covers the extreme north of Morocco. | |
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| A Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters prevails in most of the northern lowlands of Morocco. Average temperatures in Rabat are 23°C in August and 12°C in January. By comparison, temperatures in the region between the coastal strip and the mountains have a greater range and are higher in summer and lower in winter; average temperatures in Marrakech are 29°C in August and 11°C in January. The Atlas ranges have cool summers and cold winters; at Chaib Tarquist, in the Middle Atlas, temperatures average 22° C in July and 7°C in January. Rainfall is most plentiful in the north and decreases southward. Tangier, located near the Strait of Gibraltar, receives 890 mm annually, whereas Agadir, located along the southern Atlantic coast, receives only 230 mm. Precipitation in the Atlas Mountains averages more than 1,000 mm annually, some of it in the form of snow. In the Sahara rainfall is unpredictable and amounts to an annual average of 100 mm. | |
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| Total population is 29,779,156 (World Factbook, July 1996 est.). Morocco's population has increased steadily; the birthrate in the late 1980s was 36 births per 1,000 inhabitants. As a result, more than 40% of the total population are under 15 years of age. Migration from rural to urban areas has increased the percentage of urban inhabitants. Morocco's capital is Rabat and the historic cities are Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes. Casablanca is the country's largest city and leading port. All these cities are not covered by the Satellight database. Tangier was an international port city from 1925 to 1956 and became part of Morocco again after independence. | |
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| More information is available at Amadeus or the Electric Library Back to Country Info Main Page
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