ighters in Western Sahara and has engaged in intermittent warfare with Moroccan forces since the 1980s.
The military of Morocco is composed of the following main divisions:
- Royal Armed Forces
- Air Force
- Auxiliary Forces
- Moroccan Royal Guard
- Marche Verte
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
- Bilateral and multilateral agreements
- Council of Arab Economic Unity
- Euro-Mediterranean free trade area
- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
- US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement
Morocco is divided into 16 regions, and subdivided into 62 prefectures and provinces.
As part of a 1997 decentralization/regionalization law passed by the legislature, sixteen new regions were created. These regions are:
- 01. Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira
- 02. Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra
- 03. Guelmim-Es Semara
- 04. Souss-Massa-Drâa
- 05. Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
- 06. Chaouia-Ouardigha
- 07. Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz
- 08. Oriental
- 09. Grand Casablanca
- 10. Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer
- 11. Doukkala-Abda
- 12. Tadla-Azilal
- 13. Meknès-Tafilalet
- 14. Fès-Boulemane
- 15. Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
- 16. Tangier-Tétouan
Morocco is divided into 38 provinces and 2 wilayas*: Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Rommani, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tangier, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tinghir, Tiznit; three additional provinces of Ad Dakhla (Oued Eddahab), Boujdour, and Es Smara as well as parts of Tan-Tan and Laayoune fall within Moroccan-claimed Western Sahara.
This is a list of the largest metropolitan areas, each may include several towns and cities, which are in very close proximity to each other.
Western Sahara status
Because of the conflict over Western Sahara, the status of both regions of "Saguia el-Hamra" and "Río de Oro" is disputed. The United Nations views Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory, and as a case of unfinished decolonization. Morocco's rule in the territory is not internationally recognized, nor is the independent republic proposed by Polisario, a Saharawi group which fought against the Spanish colonial rule and then for Western Sahara's independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (today headquartered in Algeria). There is a ceasefire in effect since 1991, and a UN mission (MINURSO) is tasked with organizing a referendum on whether the territory should become independent or recognized as a part of Morocco. At the time, both parties signed an agreement to this effect, but they did not agree on who would be entitled to vote.
The territory is mostly administered as the Southern Provinces by Morocco since Spain handed over the territory to Morocco and Mauritania after the Madrid Accords in 1975–76. Part of the territory, the Free Zone, is an uninhabited area controlled by the Polisario Front as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic with Headquarters at Tindouf in Algeria. A UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September, 1991. As of 2006, no UN member state has recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Western Sahara War
The Western Sahara War was the armed conflict which saw the Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement Polisario Front (headquarted in Algeria) battling Morocco and Mauritania for the control of the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara from 1976 to 1991. The war resulted in the Spanish retreat in 1976, the Mauritanian retreat in 1979 and a cease fire agreement with Morocco. The bigger part of the territory remained under Moroccan control.
Moroccan Autonomy Initiative
Recently, the government of Morocco has suggested au