Morocco vs. Algeria
Government
| Morocco | Algeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco conventional short form: Morocco local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah local short form: Al Maghrib former: French Protectorate in Morocco, Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, Spanish Sahara, Western Sahara etymology: the English name "Morocco" derives from, respectively, the Spanish and Portuguese names "Marruecos" and "Marrocos," which stem from "Marrakesh" the Latin name for the former capital of ancient Morocco; the Arabic name "Al Maghrib" translates as "The West" | conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria conventional short form: Algeria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah local short form: Al Jaza'ir etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers |
| Government type | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Rabat geographic coordinates: 34 01 N, 6 49 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: name derives from the Arabic title "Ribat el-Fath," meaning "stronghold of victory," applied to the newly constructed citadel in 1170 | name: Algiers geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: name derives from the Arabic "al-Jazair" meaning "the islands" and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast but joined to the mainland since 1525 |
| Administrative divisions | 12 regions; Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Casablanca-Settat, Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab, Draa-Tafilalet, Fes-Meknes, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Safi, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima note: effective 10 December 2020, the US Government recognizes the sovereignty of Morocco over all of the territory of former Western Sahara | 48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen |
| Independence | 2 March 1956 (from France) | 5 July 1962 (from France) |
| National holiday | Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999) | Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution amendments: proposed by the king, by the prime minister, or by members in either chamber of Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; the king can opt to submit self-initiated proposals directly to a referendum | history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 23 February 1989 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens' liberties and rights cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2008, 2016; last in 2020 |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil law based on French civil law and Islamic (sharia) law; judicial review of legislative acts by Constitutional Court | mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Saad-Eddine al-OTHMANI (since 17 March 2017) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister in consultation with Parliament and appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the majority party following legislative elections | chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Ayman BENABDERRAHMANE (since 7 July 2021); note - President TEBBOUNE appointed BENABDERRAHMANE as prime minister following the resignation of Prime Minister Abdelaziz DJERAD on 24 June Abdelaziz DJERAD (since 28 December 2019)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament election results: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (Movement of National Construction) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Vanguard of Freedoms) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7% |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: House of Councilors or Majlis al-Mustacharine (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms) House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in the national constituency, 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 reserved for those under age 40 elections: House of Councillors - last held on 2 October 2015 (next to be held in fall 2021) House of Representatives - last held on 7 October 2016 (next to be held on 8 September 2021) election results: Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 106, women 14, percent of women 11.7% Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - PJD 125, PAM 102, PI 46, RNI 37, MP 27, USFP 20, UC 19, PPS 12, MDS 3, other 4; composition - men 314, women 81, percent of women 20.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 18.4% | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) National People's Assembly (lower house with 407 seats including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - in March 2021, President TEBBOUNE ordered the number of Assembly seats be reduced to 407 from 462 elections: Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2018 (next to be held in December 2021) National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026) election results: Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 137, women 7, percent of women 5%, National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, EL Mostakbel 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 373, women 34, percent of women 8.4%; note - total Parliament percent of women 7.4% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of Judicial Power, a 20-member body presided by the monarch, which includes the Supreme Court president, the prosecutor general, representatives of the appeals and first instance courts (among them 1 woman magistrate), the president of the National Council of the Rights of Man, and 5 "notable persons" appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members - 6 designated by the monarch and 6 elected by Parliament; court president appointed by the monarch from among the court members; members serve 9-year nonrenewable terms subordinate courts: courts of appeal; High Court of Justice; administrative and commercial courts; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication); first instance courts | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Suprême, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals |
| Political parties and leaders | Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI] Amal (hope) Party [Mohamed BANI] An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Mustapha BRAHMA] Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Ilyas al-OMARI] Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohamed SAJID] Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Abdessamad ARCHANE] Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Mustapha BENALI] Democratic Oath Party or SD Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Abderrahman BENAMROU] Democratic Society Party [Zhour CHAKKAFI] Environment and Development Party or PED [Karim HRITAN] Green Left Party [Mohamed FARES] Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Nizar BARAKA] Ittihadi National Congress or CNI [Abdesalam EL AZIZ] Labor Party or PT Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohammed ZIANE] Moroccan Union for Democracy or UMD [Jamal MANDRI] National Rally of Independents or RNI [Aziz AKHANNOUCH] Neo-Democrats Party [Mohamed DARIF] Party of Development Reform or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOHEN] Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Saad Eddine al-OTHMANI] Party of Liberty and Social Justice [Miloud MOUSSAOUI] Popular Movement or MP [Mohand LAENSER] Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH] Renaissance and Virtue Party [Mohamed KHALIDI] Renaissance Party [Said EL GHENNIOUI] Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHEHABAR] Shoura (consultation) and Istiqlal Party [Ahmed BELGHAZI] Social Center Party or PCS [Lahcen MADIH] Socialist Party [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA] Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR] Unified Socialist Party or GSU [Nabila MOUNIB] Unity and Democracy Party [Ahmed FITRI] | Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI] Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES] Algerian Rally or RA [Ali ZAGHDOUD] Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL] Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Hamid FERHI] Dignity or El Karama [Aymene HARKATI] Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ] Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH] Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID] Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Mohamed DOUIBI] Justice and Development Front or FJD [Abdellah DJABALLAH] Movement of National Construction (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani) [Abdelkader BENGRINA] Movement of National Understanding or MEN Movement for National Reform or Islah [Filali GHOUINI] Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MAKRI] National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA] National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA] National Liberation Front or FLN [Mohamed DJEMAI] National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD [Dalila YALAQUI] National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI] National Republican Alliance or ANR [Belkacem SAHLI] New Dawn Party or PFJ [Tahar BENBAIBECHE] New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI] Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE] Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID] Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS] Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hakim BELAHCEL] Union for Change and Progress or UCP [Zoubida Assoul] Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH] Vanguard of Freedoms (Talaie El Houriat) [Ali BENFLIS] Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA] Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997 |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Lalla Joumala ALAOUI (since 24 April 2017) chancery: 3508 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 FAX: [1] (202) 462-7643 email address and website: Washingtonembbmorocco@maec.gov.ma https://www.embassyofmorocco.us/ consulate(s) general: New York | chief of mission: Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015) chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 986-5906 email address and website: mail@algerianembassy.org https://www.algerianembassy.org/ consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GREENE (since 21 January 2021) embassy: Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat 10170 mailing address: 9400 Rabat Place, Washington DC 20521-9400 telephone: [212] 0537-637-200 FAX: [212] 0537-637-201 email address and website: ACSCasablanca@state.gov (US Consulate General Casablanca) https://ma.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Casablanca | chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Gautam RANA (since 20 January 2021) embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030, Alger mailing address: 6030 Algiers Place, Washington DC 20521-6030 telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000 FAX: [213] (0) 770-08-2299 email address and website: ACSAlgiers@state.gov https://dz.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | 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 | two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness |
| National anthem | name: "Hymne Cherifien" (Hymn of the Sharif) lyrics/music: Ali Squalli HOUSSAINI/Leo MORGAN note: music adopted 1956, lyrics adopted 1970 | name: "Kassaman" (We Pledge) lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| National symbol(s) | pentacle symbol, lion; national colors: red, green | five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Morocco; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years |
Source: CIA Factbook
