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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 00 N, 5 00 W
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Map references:
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africa
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Area:
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total: 446,550 sq km
land: 446,300 sq km
water: 250 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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1,835 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
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Terrain:
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northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sebkha Tah -55 m
highest point: Jbel Toubkal 4,165 m
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
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Land use:
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arable land: 19.61%
permanent crops: 2.17%
other: 78.22% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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12,910 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
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