Page last updated on February 23,

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 ]
country comparison to the world: 58
land: 446,300 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 250 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 2,017.9 km
border countries: Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km, Spain (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Terrain:
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

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

Land use:
arable land: 19%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 2%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 79% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
14,570 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
29 cu km (2003)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 12.6 cu km/yr (10%/3%/87%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts

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