Morocco (Kingdom of Morocco)

Morocco Kingdom of Morocco
Status	Independent State
Capital	Rabat
Land Area	446 300km21
Location	Africa, Mediterranean
Population	32.6m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	74.31yrs (2017)3
GNI	$7 195 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	MA, MAR, 5045
Internet Domain	.ma6
Currency	Dirham (MAD)7
Telephone	+2128

1. Overview
2. Morocco National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
9. Links

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1. Overview

“In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Although Morocco is not the UN-recognized Administering Power for the Western Sahara, it exercises de facto administrative control there. The UN assists with direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, but the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. Morocco enjoys a moderately free press, but the government has taken action against journalists who they perceive to be challenging the monarchy, Islam, or the status of Western Sahara. Influenced by protests elsewhere in the region, in February 2011 thousands of Moroccans began weekly rallies in multiple cities across the country to demand greater democracy and end to government corruption. Overall the response of Moroccan security forces was subdued compared to the violence elsewhere in the region. King MOHAMMED VI responded quickly with a reform program that included a new constitution and early elections. The constitution was passed by popular referendum in July 2011; some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In early elections in November 2012, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party, won the largest number of seats, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. In January 2012, Morocco assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Morocco is an exotic gateway to Africa; its mountains, desert and coast are populated by Berbers and nomads, and its ancient medina lanes lead to souqs and riads. From Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor-made for travellers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly coloured and patterned rugs you´ll lust after in the souqs. The mountains offer simple, breathtaking pleasures: night skies glistening in the thin air, or views over a fluffy cloudbank. On lower ground there are rugged coastlines, waterfalls and caves in forested hills, and the mighty desert. The varied terrain may inform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco´s Berbers, Arabs and Saharawis.

The trick to travelling in Morocco is to leave enough time to watch the world go by with the locals when there´s so much else to fit in: hiking up North Africa´s highest peak, camel trekking, shopping in the souqs, getting lost in the medina, and sweating in the hammam. Between the activities, you can sleep in the famous riads, relax on panoramic terraces and grand squares, and mop up tajines flavoured with saffron and argan.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Morocco National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
120	Kyrgyzstan	120
121	Iraq	121
122	Cape Verde	122
123	Morocco	123
124	Nicaragua	124
125	Guatemala	125
126	Namibia	125
127	Guyana	127
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	84.0
2	Sweden	83.9
3	Finland	83.5
	...
87	Jordan	53.3
88	Bahamas	53.3
89	Cuba	53.0
90	Morocco	52.8
91	Oman	52.8
92	Bolivia	52.8
93	Dominican Rep.	52.7
94	Turkmenistan	52.5
	World Avg	53.8
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #Morocco #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
101	Venezuela	15.6
102	Kazakhstan	15.6
103	Ecuador	16.0
104	Morocco	16.1
105	Suriname	16.2
106	Grenada	16.2
107	Brunei	16.2
108	El Salvador	17.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
71	San Marino	9.9
72	Burkina Faso	9.7
73	Slovakia	9.6
74	Morocco	9.3
75	Sri Lanka	9.1
76	Somalia	8.7
77	Kuwait	8.5
78	Ecuador	8.3
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
30	Grenada	2.18
31	Costa Rica	1.81
32	Qatar	2.20
33	Morocco	2.20
34	Brazil	1.80
35	Guyana	2.21
36	Netherlands	1.79
37	Vietnam	1.77
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
184	Madagascar	0.2
185	Myanmar (Burma)	0.2
186	N. Korea	0.2
187	Morocco	0.2
188	Cuba	0.1
189	Peru	0.1
190	Vietnam	0.1
191	Indonesia	0.1
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
83	Venezuela	74.39
84	Latvia	74.34
85	Bulgaria	74.32
86	Morocco	74.31
87	Colombia	74.23
88	Jordan	74.18
89	St Kitts & Nevis	73.98
90	Samoa	73.67
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
37	Canada	34.7m
38	Iraq	33.7m
39	Afghanistan	33.4m
40	Morocco	32.6m
41	Nepal	31.0m
42	Venezuela	29.9m
43	Peru	29.7m
44	Malaysia	29.3m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Morocco's population is predicted to rise to 37.5 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.20. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #morocco #politics #tolerance

Morocco is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Morocco does better than average in eliminating modern slavery₁₈, its Global Peace Index rating₁₉ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₀. But unfortunately Morocco gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in commentary from Human Rights Watch₂₁, fighting corruption₂₂, opposing gender inequality₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄ and in supporting press freedom₂₅. And finally, it falls into the bottom 20 in fighting anti-semitic opinions₂₆ and in LGBT equality₂₇. Morocco occasionally takes to beating and repressing protestors₂₈. Free speech is limited for two inappropriate reasons: (1) to protect the interests of the Moroccan leaders and interests (i.e. insulting the king, or criticizing Morocco's claim over Western Sahara), and (2) religious concepts (Islam). Homosexuality is outlawed, both entrenching and reflecting cultural prejudice and intolerance about other people's private lives₂₈. Organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are hindered and effectively banned from operating₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Morocco

5. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #morocco #religion

Religiosity (2009)29
Pos.		Lower is better %29
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
100	Afghanistan	97
101	Comoros	97
102	Egypt	97
103	Morocco	97
104	Thailand	97
105	Mauritania	98
106	Djibouti	98
107	Somaliland	98
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)30
Pos.		Higher is better30
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
130	Malawi	0
131	Chad	0
132	Nepal	0
133	Morocco	0
134	Mauritania	0
135	Mali	0
136	Senegal	0
137	Oman	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₁:

Christian	0.1%
Muslim	99%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 99% (official), Christian 1%, Jewish about 6,000₃₂.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Morocco is better at protecting Islam than human rights, and makes "insulting Islam" a criminal offence₂₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Morocco: 5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

6. The Internet

#internet #Morocco #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)33
Pos.		Higher is better33
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
83	Romania	58%
84	Venezuela	58%
85	Seychelles	58%
86	Morocco	58%
87	Colombia	57%
88	Costa Rica	56%
89	Kazakhstan	56%
90	US Virgin Islands	54%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)34
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio34
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
130	Namibia	0.0
131	Tonga	0.0
132	Myanmar (Burma)	0.0
133	Morocco	0.0
134	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.0
135	Honduras	0.0
136	Syria	0.0
137	Nicaragua	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #health #Morocco #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)23
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100023
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
83	UAE	29.7
84	Grenada	30.5
85	Trinidad & Tobago	31.5
86	Morocco	31.7
87	Botswana	32.3
88	Romania	34.6
89	Bulgaria	37.7
90	Tajikistan	38.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)35
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita35
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
19	Myanmar (Burma)	0.7
20	Bhutan	0.7
21	Oman	0.9
22	Morocco	0.9
23	Brunei	0.9
24	Iran	1.0
25	Algeria	1.0
26	Eritrea	1.1
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)36
Pos.		Lower is better Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
59	Cyprus	59
60	Guinea	60
61	Sierra Leone	61
62	Honduras	62
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)37
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %37
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
21	Mauritius	97.6
22	Fiji	97.6
23	Kuwait	97.5
24	Morocco	97.5
25	Monaco	97.3
26	Cook Islands	97.3
27	Greece	97.3
28	Turkmenistan	97.2
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)38
Pos.		Lower is better38
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
100	Equatorial Guinea	649
101	Singapore	652
102	Bangladesh	665
103	Morocco	671
104	New Zealand	680
105	Kyrgyzstan	683
106	Qatar	698
107	UAE	715
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries