Geography
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The Kingdom of Morocco, located in north-western Africa, is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east and south-east by Algeria, on the south by Western Sahara, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The south-eastern boundary, in the Sahara, is not precisely defined. There are two Spanish exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, on the Mediterranean coast. The area of Morocco is 446 550 km2.
A coastal plain borders the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The land gradually rises from the Atlantic coast and forms a plateau that extends to the mountains. Rich farmland in the Coastal Lowlands is irrigated by water from the region's many shallow rivers.
The Atlas Mountain Chain extends across the middle of Morocco from south-west to north-east. The chain has three distinct ranges: The Anti Atlas in the south-west; the Grand Atlas, also called Haut Atlas, in the central area, and the Middle Atlas, or Moyen Atlas, in the north-east. The Rif, a group of mountains in the far north, are sometimes included in the Atlas chain. The highest mountain is Jebel Toubkal (4 165 m) in the Grand Atlas. The main rivers are the Moulouya and the Sebou.
The Sahara lies east and south of the Atlas Mountains. It is a barren region of sand dunes, rocks, stones, and scattered oases.
Along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, Morocco has a subtropical climate moderated by coastal influence. Temperatures average 19° C in January in Rabat and 25° C in August. Toward the interior, winters are colder and summers warmer. At high altitudes temperatures of less than -18° C are not uncommon, and the mountain peaks are often covered with snow. Precipitation falls mainly during the winter months and is heaviest in the north-west and lighter to the east and south. The average annual precipitation is about 955 mm in Tangier, 430 mm in Casablanca, 280 mm in Essaouira and less than 102 mm in the Sahara.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.