Morocco

In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. The country has made improvements in human rights under King MOHAMMED VI and its press is moderately free, but the government occasionally takes action against journalists who report on three broad subjects considered to be taboo: the monarchy, Islam, and the status of Western Sahara. Despite the continuing reforms, ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch.
==Economical characteristics==
* Currency: Moroccan dirham (ISO code: MAD)
* Central bank discount rate: 3.31% (31 December 2009)
* Commercial banks lending rate: 6.5% (31 December 2008 )
* Stock of money (M1): $69.25 billion (31 December 2008)
* Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $18.98 billion (31 December 2008)
===Statistics===
Statistic / Year 	1999 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	2008
GDP (million USD)World Bank. "Morocco: GDP", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-04. 	5 917 	6 102 	6 187 	6 824 	7 925 	10 251	11 508	14 211	18 599	
Govt. debt (% of GDP)World Bank. "Morocco: government debt", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-04. 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Govt. revenue (% of GDP)World Bank. "Morocco: government revenue", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-04. 	22.534	19.937	22.353	21.699	24.052	24.623	25.834	25.569	28.724	32.543
Govt. expenses (% of GDP)World Bank. "Morocco: government expenses", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-04.	20.683	16.676	16.963	16.129	15.171	12.307	12.216	11.373	9.988 	13.428
Debt to revenue (years) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
Note: statistical data was rounded. Different sources may use different methodologies for their estimates. Debt to revenue is calculated by dividing the two variables from their original ('unrounded') values. It represents how long it would a government take to repay its entire debt if it used its whole revenue for this purpose.
==External links==
* Morocco on Wikipedia
* Central bank of Morocco
* BBC country profile
Category:Countries