Demographics of Morocco
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Reverted [[WP:AGF|good faith]] edits by [[Special:Contributions/211.30.132.248|211.30.132.248]]; Qustionable opinion on the sexuality of most Morroccans?. ([[WP:TW|TW]])
Most [[Morocco|Moroccans]] are [[Sunni Muslim]]s of [[Berber people|Berber]], [[Arab]] or mixed Arab-Berber stock. Morocco was inhabited by [[Berbers]] since at least 5000 years ago. The Arabs conquered the territory that would become Morocco in the 7th and 11th centuries, at the time under the rule of various late Byzantine Roman princips and indigenous Berber and Romano-Berber principalities, laying the foundation for the emergence of an Arab-Berber culture. A portion of the population is identified as [[Haratin]] and [[Gnaoua]], black or highly mixed "race" Moroccans. Morocco's [[Jew]]ish minority has decreased significantly and numbers about 7,000 ''(See [[History of the Jews in Morocco]])''. Most of the 100,000 foreign residents are [[French people|French]] or [[Spanish people|Spanish]], largely professionals working for European multinationals.
Recent studies make clear no significant [[genetics|genetic]] differences exist between Arabic and non-Arabic speaking populations, highlighting that in common with most of the Arab World, [[Arabization]] was mainly via acculturation of indigenous populations over time.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.upf.edu/cexs/recerca/bioevo/2000BioEvo/BE2000-Bosch-STRs-EJHG.pdf Genetic structure of north-west Africa revealed by STR analysis]|108 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 111004 bytes -->}}</ref>. However, and according to the ''[[European Journal of Human Genetics]]'', North-Western [[Africa]]ns were genetically closer to [[Iberian]]s and to other [[Europe]]ans than to [[Sub-Saharan African]]s. <ref>''European Journal of Human Genetics'' (2000) 8, 360–366</ref>.
==Languages==
[[Image:Morocco ethno 1973 all.svg|right|thumb|450px|Ethnolinguistic Groups in Morocco]]
Classical [[Arabic language|Arabic]] is Morocco's official language (it is the "classical" Arabic of the [[Qur'an]], literature and news media). The country has a distinctive dialect known as [[Moroccan Arabic|Moroccan-Arabic]].
Approximately 15 million Moroccans speak [[Berber language|Berber]] — which exists in Morocco in three different dialects ([[Tarifit]], [[Tashelhit]], and [[Tamazight]]) — either as a first language or bilingually with the spoken Arabic dialect. [[French language|French]], which remains Morocco's unofficial third language, is taught at universally and still serves as Morocco's primary language of [[:Category:Companies of Morocco|commerce]] and [[Economy of Morocco|economics]]; it is also widely used in education and government. Morocco is a member of [[La Francophonie]]. [[Amazigh]] (Berber) activists have struggled for half a century for the recognition of their language as the official language of Morocco in the Moroccan constitution. They also demand that this language should be taught in all Moroccan schools and universities.
About 20,000 Moroccans in the northern part of the country speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. [[English language|English]], while still far behind [[French language|French]] and Spanish in terms of the number of speakers, is rapidly becoming the second foreign language of choice among educated youth, after French. As a result of national education reforms entering into force in late [[2002]], English will be taught in all public schools from the fourth year on.
==Main populated areas==
Most people live west of the [[Atlas Mountains]], a range that 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; [[Fez, Morocco|Fez]] is the cultural and religious center; and [[Marrakech]] is a major tourist center.
==Education==
Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school (age 15). Nevertheless, many children--particularly girls in rural areas--still do not attend school. The country's [[illiteracy]] rate is usually around 50% for most of the country, but reaches as high as 90% among girls in rural regions. In July 2006, Prime minister [[Driss Jettou]] announced that illiteracy rate has declined by 39%, while two million people had attended literacy courses during the past four years. [http://www.moroccotimes.com/News/article.asp?id=15968]
Morocco has about 230,000 students enrolled in 14 public universities. The oldest and in some ways the most prestigious is Mohammed V in Rabat, with faculties of law, sciences, liberal arts, and medicine. [[University of Karueein]], in Fez, has been a center for Islamic studies for more than 1,000 years. Morocco has one private university, [[Al Akhawayn University]], in [[Ifrane]]. Al-Akhawayn, founded in 1993 by King [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] and King [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia|Fahd]] of [[Saudi Arabia]], is an English-[[Medium of instruction|medium]], American-style university comprising about 1,000 students.
==Statistics==
===Population===
33,241,259 (July 2006 est.)
* Berbers 45% (of which Arabized 24%)
* Arab 44%
* other 1% (2000) <ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Morocco.htm Morocco] on worldstatesmen.org</ref>
===Age structure===
''0-14 years:''
31.6% (male 5,343,976; female 5,145,019)
''15-64 years:''
63.4% (male 10,505,018; female 10,580,599)
''65 years and over:''
5% (male 725,116; female 941,531) (2006 est.)
===Population growth rate===
1.6% (2006 est.)
===Birth rate===
21.98 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
===Death rate===
5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
===Net migration rate===
-0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
===Sex ratio===
''at birth:''
1.05 male(s)/female
''under 15 years:''
1.04 male(s)/female
''15-64 years:''
0.99 male(s)/female
''65 years and over:''
0.77 male(s)/female
''total population:''
0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
===Infant mortality rate===
40.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
===Life expectancy at birth===
''total population:''
70.94 years
''male:''
68.62 years
''female:''
73.37 years (2006 est.)
===Total fertility rate===
2.68 children born/woman (2004 est.)
===Nationality===
[[Image:COB data Morocco.PNG|400px|right|thumb]]
''noun:''
Moroccan(s)
''adjective:''
Moroccan
: [[:Category:Moroccan people]]
===Ethnic groups===
Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
: [[:Category:Ethnic groups in Morocco]]
===Religions===
Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html The World Factbook - Morocco]</ref>
: [[:Category:Religion in Morocco]]
===Languages===
Arabic (official), Spanish, Berber dialects (Morocco does not recognise them as languages but as [[dialects]] of a [[Berber language]]), French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy.
: [[:Category:Languages of Morocco]]
===Literacy===
''definition:''
age 15 and over can read and write
''total population:''
51.7%
''male:''
64.1%
''female:''
39.4% (1995 est.)
: [[:Category:Education in Morocco]]
[[Image:Morocco-demography.png|thumb|550px|center|Demographics of Morocco, Data of [[FAO]], year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.]]
== External links ==
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.hcp.ma/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=320&Itemid=68&lang= Results of the 2004 census]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Africa in topic|Demographics of}}
[[Category:Moroccan society]]
[[Category:Demographics by country|Morocco]]
[[ar:ديمغرافية المغرب]]
[[es:Demografía de Marruecos]]
[[fr:Démographie du Maroc]]
[[lt:Maroko gyventojai]]
[[ro:Populaţia Marocului]]