Description: : : Morocco is a monarchy. King MOHAMMED VI in early 2011 responded to pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a new constitution, passed by popular referendum under which new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government. Nationwide parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2016. Morocco is slightly larger than California with a mountainous northern coast (Rif Mountains) and interior (Atlas Mountains) bordered by large plateaus with intermountain valleys, and fertile coastal plains
