▁people . ▁At ▁, ▁Mor oc co ▁ex cluding ▁Western ▁Sah ara ▁is ▁the ▁fifty - se vent h ▁largest ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Al ger ia ▁borders ▁Mor oc co ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁sout heast , ▁though ▁the ▁border ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁has ▁been ▁closed ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁territory ▁in ▁North west ▁Africa ▁neighbour ing ▁Mor oc co ▁compr ises ▁five ▁enc la ves ▁on ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁coast : ▁Ce uta , ▁Mel illa , ▁Pe ñ ón ▁de ▁Vé lez ▁de ▁la ▁G om era , ▁Pe ñ ón ▁de ▁Al h uc emas , ▁the ▁Ch af ar inas ▁islands , ▁and ▁the ▁disput ed ▁is let ▁Pere j il . ▁Off ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁coast ▁the ▁Can ary ▁Islands ▁belong ▁to ▁Spain , ▁whereas ▁Made ira ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁is ▁Portuguese . ▁To ▁the ▁north , ▁Mor oc co ▁is ▁border ed ▁by ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁where ▁international ▁sh ipping ▁has ▁un imp eded ▁trans it ▁passage ▁between ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ ▁The ▁R if ▁mountains ▁stretch ▁over ▁the ▁region ▁border ing ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁from ▁the ▁north - west ▁to ▁the ▁north - east . ▁The ▁Atlas ▁Mountains ▁run ▁down ▁the ▁back bone ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁from ▁the ▁n ortheast ▁to ▁the ▁south west . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁sout heast ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁Sah ara ▁Des ert ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁is ▁generally ▁sp