Morocco
Independent since 1952, after the end of the French and Spanish protectorates and the International Zone of Tangiers, the Kingdom of Morocco is located at the far northwestern end of the Maghreb region in North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. Its population is estimated to be 36.7 million people and is mainly composed of two ethno-linguistic groups, Imaziɣen and Arabs. Morocco is also home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. The country’s official languages are Arabic and Tamaziɣt.
Morocco’s political stability and its economic growth forecast make it stand out in the Maghreb region. For Italy, it is a strategic country and the intensification of relations between Rome and Rabat represents an opportunity for the entire Mediterranean area.
Italy is the third destination in Europe for Moroccan migrants, with the Moroccan community in Italy estimated at 450,000 people and growing. According to the World Bank, remittances from Moroccans living abroad reached 6.57 percent of the country’s GDP - its largest source of revenues after tourism.
Italy is Morocco’s sixth trade partner for both imports and exports, and it enjoys a positive trade balance. Over 252 Italian companies are currently present in the country. In 2019, Italy and Morocco signed a multidimensional strategic partnership. Some of the commitments taken include: political, diplomatic and intelligence cooperation; the management of regional and international challenges; the fight against international terrorism and crime; the consolidation of economic, trade and financial relations; the fight against irregular migration flows and human trafficking; and the strengthening of cultural and scientific cooperation.
Since 2008, the European Union has granted Morocco “advanced status", facilitating collaboration with European countries.
The Med-Or Monthly Report for the month of April is now available online.
The initiative was promoted by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), the Med-Or Foundation, the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and the Italian Embassy in Rabat.
Present at the event were the Italian Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, the Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Abdellatif Miraoui, and the Italian Ambassador to Rabat, Armando Barucco.
Med-Or Foundation attended the 12th edition of the international conference “The Atlantic Dialogues” organized by the think tank The Policy Center for the New South in Marrakech, Morocco.
| Head of state | King Mohammed VI |
| Head of Government | Aziz Akhannouch |
| Institutional Form | Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | Rabat |
| Legislative Power | Bicameral Parliament composed of a House of Councillors (10 Members) and a House of Representatives (395 Members) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (composed of 5 judicial panels organised into civil, family, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections) |
| Ambassador to Italy | Youssef Balla |
| Total Area kmq | 716.550 km2 |
| Land | 716.300 km2 |
| Weather | Mediterranean in the north, hot and dry desert in the south |
| Natural resources | Phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt |
| Economic summary | Kingdom of Morocco recently strengthened economic relations with Europe because of a developed, diversified and open market, foreign investments and low labour costs. Morocco has increased the investments in seaport, transport and industrial infrastructure | |
| GDP | € 130.3 billion (2023) | |
| Exports | € 38.5 billion (2023) |
|
| Export partner | Spain 21.7%, France 19%, Italy 4.96%, India 4.32%, Brazil 3.61%, United States 3.5% (2020) | |
| Imports | € 64.2 billion (2023) |
|
| Import partner | Spain 19.5%, China 11.2%, Germany 5.26%, United States 5.2%, Türkiye 5.09%, Italy 4.73% (2020) | |
| Trade With Italy | € 4,760 billion (2023) |
| Population | 36.738.229 (2022) |
| Population Growth | 0,91% (2022 est.) |
| Ethnicities | Arab-Berber 99%, others 1% |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Berber (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (the language of business, government, and diplomacy) |
| Religions | Muslims 99% (official; practically all Sunnis, <0.1% Shia), others 1% (includes Christians, Jews, and Baha'i); note - Jews about 6,000 |
| Urbanization | 64,6% (2022 est.) |
| Literacy | 73.8% |
Independent since 1952, after the end of the French and Spanish protectorates and the International Zone of Tangiers, the Kingdom of Morocco is located at the far northwestern end of the Maghreb region in North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. Its population is estimated to be 36.7 million people and is mainly composed of two ethno-linguistic groups, Imaziɣen and Arabs. Morocco is also home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. The country’s official languages are Arabic and Tamaziɣt.
Morocco’s political stability and its economic growth forecast make it stand out in the Maghreb region. For Italy, it is a strategic country and the intensification of relations between Rome and Rabat represents an opportunity for the entire Mediterranean area.
Italy is the third destination in Europe for Moroccan migrants, with the Moroccan community in Italy estimated at 450,000 people and growing. According to the World Bank, remittances from Moroccans living abroad reached 6.57 percent of the country’s GDP - its largest source of revenues after tourism.
Italy is Morocco’s sixth trade partner for both imports and exports, and it enjoys a positive trade balance. Over 252 Italian companies are currently present in the country. In 2019, Italy and Morocco signed a multidimensional strategic partnership. Some of the commitments taken include: political, diplomatic and intelligence cooperation; the management of regional and international challenges; the fight against international terrorism and crime; the consolidation of economic, trade and financial relations; the fight against irregular migration flows and human trafficking; and the strengthening of cultural and scientific cooperation.
Since 2008, the European Union has granted Morocco “advanced status", facilitating collaboration with European countries.
