Geography of Morocco

This article is about the geography of internationally recognized Moroccan territory. For the Geography of the Southern Provinces, see Geography of Western Sahara.

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True-colour image of Morocco from Terra spacecraft

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Topography of Morocco

Morocco is the northwesternmost country which spans from the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean on the north and the west respectively, into large mountainous areas in the interior, to the Sahara desert in the far south. Morocco is a Northern African country, located in the extreme northwest of Africa on the edge of continental Europe. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Morocco with a 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) span of water. Morocco borders the North Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the western Mediterranean Sea to the north, and has borders with Algeria and disputed Western Sahara.

The terrain of Morocco is largely mountainous. The Atlas Mountains stretch from the central north to the southwest. It expands to about 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) and is the dorsal spine of the country. To the north of the Atlas Mountains, there are the Rif Mountains, a chain that makes part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalusia, Spain. The massive range expands to about 250 kilometres (160 mi) from Tangier in the west to Nador eastward.

In the west of the country, along the Atlantic coast, the Moroccan Plateau stretches from Tangier to Essaouira and get inward to Saiss Plains near Fez and Tansift-Alhaouz near Marrakesh. These vast plains promotes fertile agricultural lands and support 15% of the local economy.

In the extreme southeast of the country, the lands are arid due to their proximity to the Sahara Desert. Palm trees oasis are developed in many regions, notably in Figuig and Zagora.

Geography statistics

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Morocco's and Western Sahara's cities and main towns

Coordinates:

32°00′N 5°00′W

Area:
total: 446,550km²
land: 446,302km² (or 712,200km²)
water: 250km²

Land boundaries:
total: 2,018.9km
border countries: Algeria 1 559km, Western Sahara 444km, Spain (Ceuta) 6.3km, Spain (Melilla) 9.6km

Coastline: 1835 km

Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Contiguous zone: 24 nmi (44.4 km; 27.6 mi)
Exclusive economic zone: 575,230 km² (222,100 sq mi) with 200 nmi (370.4 km)
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

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Köppen climate types in Morocco

Morocco's climate can be divided into two parts: The northwest and the southeast. In the southeast, the climate is arid and poorly populated. The northwest has a mild climate, and 95% of the Moroccan population lives in these regions.

The largely populated areas of the northwest of the country mostly have a Mediterranean climate, but since the country is heavily mountainous, continental and alpine influence is evident, as well as the oceanic influence along the Atlantic coastline. And finally, the semi-arid lands, that cover few regions in the northeast, the central-south, and the southwest.

Along the Mediterranean coast, the climate is typically Mediterranean and supports all types of typical Mediterranean vegetation. The summers are moderately hot and the winters are mild. Further away from the coast, into the Rif Mountain range, the climate starts to become more continental in character, with colder winters and hotter summers. At elevations above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), the climate is alpine with warm summers and cold winters. Rainfall is much higher on the west side than it is on the east side. The average annual precipitation is between 600 and 1,500 mm (24 and 59 in), and 300 and 700 mm (12 and 28 in) respectively. Snow is abundant at higher elevations.

1. Typical Mediterranean climate cities: Tangier, Tétouan, Al Hoceima, Nador
2. Typical continental-influenced cities: Chefchaouen, Issaguen, Targuist, Taza
3. Typical alpine-influenced cities: Bab Berred

Along the Atlantic coast, the climate is Mediterranean with oceanic influence. The imprint of the oceanic climate differs along the coastline from region to region. It is generally present from Asilah to Essaouira. The summers are warm to moderately hot, and winters are cooler than on the Mediterranean coast. Further away from the coastal lands, into the Atlas Mountain range, the climate starts to become more continental in character, with colder winters and hotter summers. At elevations above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), the climate is typically alpine, with warm summers and cold winters. Rainfall is generally high. The average annual precipitations is between 500 and 1,800 mm (20 and 71 in) on the north, but as you move southward, the average drops by about 100 to 200 mm (3.9 to 7.9 in). Snow is abundant at higher elevations. There are two ski stations, one in the middle-Atlas Mischliffen, and the other in the High-Atlas Oukaïmeden.

1. Typical oceanic-influenced cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, Larache
2. Typical continental-influenced cities: Fez, Meknès, Khenifra, Beni Mellal
3. Typical alpine-influenced cities: Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, Imouzzer Kandar

The southern regions of the northwest are semi-arid. Rainfall is lower, and is between 250 and 350 mm (9.8 and 13.8 in) annually. Although temperature ranges generally do not change in comparison with the upper provinces, a slight increase in high averages is not to be dismissed. Largely due to the lower latitudes where they fall.

Typical cities with such climate are Agadir and Marrakesh.

Climate change

As of 2020, Morocco has been hit with unseasonal heatwaves.

Physical geography

Anti-Atlas mountain range

The northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains. The northern mountains are geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes.

Morocco occupies a strategic location along the Strait of Gibraltar, the waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Sebkha Tah −55 m
Highest point: Toubkal mountain 4,165 m

Longest river: Draa River (1,100 km)

Land use and natural resources

Natural resources: Phosphates, Iron ore, Manganese, Lead, Zinc, Fish, Salt

Land use:
Arable land: 17.5%
Permanent crops: 2.9%
Permanent pastures: 47.1%
Forests: 11.5%
Other: 21.61% (2011)

Irrigated land: 14,850 km² (2004)

Total renewable water resources: 29 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Environment

Ecoregions

Main article: List of ecoregions in Morocco

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

• Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe
• Mediterranean woodlands and forests
• Mediterranean Acacia-Argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets

Temperate coniferous forests

• Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests

Montane grasslands and shrublands

• Mediterranean High Atlas juniper steppe

Deserts and xeric shrublands

• North Saharan steppe and woodlands

Freshwater ecoregions

• Permanent Maghreb
• Temporary Maghreb

Marine ecoregions

• Alboran Sea
• Saharan Upwelling

Current environmental 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.

International environmental agreements

Morocco is 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 (MARPOL 73/78), Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Tree cover extent and loss

Global Forest Watch publishes annual estimates of tree cover loss and 2000 tree cover extent derived from time-series analysis of Landsat satellite imagery in the Global Forest Change dataset. In this framework, tree cover refers to vegetation taller than 5 m (including natural forests and tree plantations), and tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover canopy for a given year, regardless of cause.

For Morocco, country statistics report cumulative tree cover loss of 60,012 ha (600.12 km²) from 2001 to 2024 (about 9.3% of its 2000 tree cover area). For tree cover density greater than 30%, country statistics report a 2000 tree cover extent of 648,566 ha (6,485.66 km²). The charts and table below display this data. In simple terms, the annual loss number is the area where tree cover disappeared in that year, and the extent number shows what remains of the 2000 tree cover baseline after subtracting cumulative loss. Forest regrowth is not included in the dataset.

Annual tree cover extent and loss

Year	Tree cover extent (km2)	Annual tree cover loss (km2)
2001	6,466.98	18.68
2002	6,427.76	39.22
2003	6,407.33	20.43
2004	6,392.92	14.41
2005	6,377.66	15.26
2006	6,355.44	22.22
2007	6,330.31	25.13
2008	6,296.22	34.09
2009	6,284.25	11.97
2010	6,274.36	9.89
2011	6,240.44	33.92
2012	6,223.54	16.90
2013	6,215.18	8.36
2014	6,198.36	16.82
2015	6,188.84	9.52
2016	6,168.43	20.41
2017	6,144.76	23.67
2018	6,123.98	20.78
2019	6,111.47	12.51
2020	6,075.27	36.20
2021	6,059.88	15.39
2022	5,939.71	120.17
2023	5,899.65	40.06
2024	5,885.54	14.11

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Morocco, the points that are farther north, east or west than any other location.

• Northernmost point – Pointe Leona, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region
• Easternmost point – unnamed point on the border with Algeria immediately east of the town of Iche, Oriental region
• Westernmost point – the point at which the border with Western Sahara enters the Atlantic Ocean, Guelmim-Oued Noun region
  • Note: Morocco does not have a southernmost point, its southern border with Western Sahara following latitude 27° 40′ north.

See also

• Climate of Morocco
• List of rivers of Morocco

External links

• European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the world Soil Maps of Morocco
• CIA Factbook: Morocco