Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber, or mixed Arab-Berber stock. The Arabs invaded Morocco in the 7th and 11th centuries and established their culture there. Morocco's Jewish minority numbers about 7,000. Most of the 100,000 foreign residents are French or Spanish; many are teachers or technicians.
Population: 29,114,497 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 5,398,692; female 5,200,660)
15-64 years: 59% (male 8,525,344; female 8,682,277)
65 years and over: 5% (male 606,203; female 701,321) (July 1998
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.89% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 26.37 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 52.99 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth:
total population: 68.51 years
male: 66.49 years
female: 70.64 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Moroccan(s)
adjective: Moroccan
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.7%
male: 56.6%
female: 31% (1995 est.)
Arabic is the official and principal language, but French is widely used in government and commerce, except in the northern zone, where Spanish is spoken. In rural areas, any of three Berber dialects--which are not mutually intelligible--are spoken.
Most people live west of the Atlas Mountains, a range which insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca is the center of commerce and industry and the leading port; Rabat is the seat of government; Tangier is the gateway to Morocco from Spain and also a major port; "Arab" Fez is the cultural and religious center; and "Berber" Marrakech is a major tourist center.
Education is free and compulsory through primary school. Education now surpasses national defense as the largest item in the government's budget. Of Morocco's several universities, the most important is Muhammad V University in Rabat. Its students study medicine, law, liberal arts, and the sciences. Most university students benefit from government stipends. In Fez, Morocco's religious capital, students from around the world study Islamic law and theology at Karaouine University, which is more than 1,000 years old.