Cultural Demography
Most Moroccans are an ethnic and cultural blend of Arab and Berber stock. Over centuries of coexistence and intermarriage, the distinction between these two groups has become virtually negligible, except in the most remote regions.
Morocco's population also includes a small Jewish minority, which is the remnant of a significant pre-1948 population, as well as a small number of people from African and European countries. In addition, an indeterminate number of Sahrawi are counted among the Moroccan population. These people, native to the disputed territory of Western Sahara, when living in territories claimed by Morocco, are counted as Moroccans by the government without distinction.
The majority of Moroccans are Sunni Muslims, although Christianity and Judaism are often practiced by the non Arab-Berber minorities.
Arabic is the official and principal language but French is widely spoken, especially among the elite. In addition, Spanish is spoken in regions formerly administered by Spain. In some remote rural areas and mountain regions, any of three Berber dialects, which are not mutually intelligible, may be heard. There is a concerted effort to decrease the use of French. The use of Arabic, for all purposes, is actively encouraged while the teaching of English as a second language is favored.
Most people live west of the Atlas Mountains. Because it is concentrated in this region, the country's population is insulated from the Sahara Desert. Rabat, the capital city, is the seat of government; Casablanca is the center of commerce and industry as well as the leading port; Tangiers is the gateway to Morocco from Spain and is also a major port; Fès, Meknés and Marrakech are also historic, "imperial" cities and remain important as regional centers of government, commerce and tourism.
Human Development
In terms of health and welfare, Morocco's infant mortality rate is 38.22 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy at birth for the total population is 71.52 years of age (69.16 years for males and 74 years for females). The population growth rate is estimated at 1.57 percent, and the total fertility rate at 2.73 children per woman. The overall literacy rate is 51.7 percent - with males registering 64.1 percent and females 39.4 percent. Education is stressed by the government at all levels, and battling illiteracy is an important mission of the government.
About 5.5 percent of GDP in this country is spent on health expenditures; about 5.6 percent of GDP in this country is spent on education. Access to water and sanitation in this country is regarded to be average, with notable obstacles in rural areas.
A notable measure of human development is the Human Development Index (HDI), which is formulated by the United Nations Development Program. The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main areas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. In a ranking of 169 countries, the HDI places Morocco in the medium human development category, at 114th place. Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief,
www.countrywatch.com . See Bibliography for list of general research sources.