Conventional Long Form- Kingdom of Morocco
Capital- Rabat Government type- Constitutional Monarchy Date of Independence- March 2nd, 1956 (From France) National Holidays- Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999) Chief of State- King MOHAMMED VI Head of Government- Prime Minister Abdelillah BENKIRANE Executive Branch- Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister as well as Minister Delegates to each ministry appoined by the Palace Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch following legislative elections Legislative Branch/Powers- Bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Counsilors (or upper house) (270 seats - to be reduced to a maximum of 120; members elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members are elected every three years) and Chamber of Representatives (or lower house) (395 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) Judicial Branch- Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections) Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary Subordinate courts: courts of appeal; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication) Suffrage- Anyone 18 Years and older Ambassador in the U.S- Ambassador Mohammed Rachad BOUHLAL Location of thieir embassy in the U.S- 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
Locations of their consulates- New York
U.S Ambassador to them- Vacant Location of U.S embassy there- 2 Avenue de Mohamed El Fassi, Rabat Location of U.S Consulates- Casablanca Representative to UN- Mohammed Loulichki Symbolism of flag- Red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912 National Symbols- Pentacle symbol, Lion International Disputes- claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolved; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002 rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands; Morocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; the National Liberation Front's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco is a dormant dispute Number of refugees inside country- 874 Outside country- 1093 Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons- 0 Quantity of Stateless Persons- 0 Human trafficking issues- Morocco is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Moroccan adults and children are exploited for forced labor and forced prostitution in the Middle East and Europe; some Moroccan girls recruited to work as maids experience conditions of forced labor, while some Moroccan boys are forced to work as apprentices in the artisan and construction industries and in mechanic shops; women and children from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who voluntarily enter Morocco are subsequently coerced into prostitution or, less frequently, domestic service; women and children from Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria are also vulnerable to sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, forced labor in Morocco Illicit Drug trafficking/use- one of the world's largest producers of illicit hashish; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant consumer of cannabis. |