Morocco Lambert: convert GPS coordinates to Lambert
Morocco uses four Lambert conformal conic zones on the Merchich datum (Clarke 1880 ellipsoid): North Morocco (zone 1, EPSG:26191), South Morocco (zone 2, EPSG:26192), Sahara North (zone 3, EPSG:26194) and Sahara South (zone 4, EPSG:26195). Going from a GPS position to Lambert X/Y takes two steps: a datum shift (WGS 84 to Merchich), then the projection in the right zone. The converter does both, in both directions.
- EPSG:26191
- EPSG:26192
- EPSG:26194
- EPSG:26195
- UTM 28–30 N
- Computed in your browser: no coordinate is sent or stored, and no account is needed.
- Definitions checked against the EPSG registry with PROJ: less than a millimetre apart on all 32 systems.
Coordinate converter
Edit either side, the other follows.
For this point:
Batch conversion
One point per line: a name, then X and Y (or latitude and longitude), and Z if you have it. Separators: semicolon, tab, comma or space.
Which zone for which region?
The zone follows the latitude. Carte suggests zone 1 north of 31°30′ N (35 grads) — Tangier, Oujda, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh —, zone 2 between 27°54′ and 31°30′ — Agadir, Ouarzazate, Tiznit, Guelmim —, zone 3 between 24°18′ and 27°54′ — Laayoune, Smara — and zone 4 south of 24°18′ — Dakhla. These limits follow the 35, 31 and 27 grad parallels, half way between the parallels of origin. The zone written on the plan, the land title or the specification always prevails.
Projection parameters
The EPSG registry values — the ones the converter, Carte and MawCAD use.
| System · Projection | EPSG | Latitude of origin | Central meridian | Scale factor k₀ | False origin X₀ / Y₀ | Suggested latitudes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N Morocco Lambert North (zone 1)Merchich / Nord MarocLambert conformal conic, 1 parallel | EPSG:26191 | 33.3° (37 gr) | −5.4° (−6 gr) | 0.999625769 | 500,000 / 300,000 | north of 31°30′ N |
| S Morocco Lambert South (zone 2)Merchich / Sud MarocLambert conformal conic, 1 parallel | EPSG:26192 | 29.7° (33 gr) | −5.4° (−6 gr) | 0.999615596 | 500,000 / 300,000 | 27°54′ – 31°30′ N |
| SN Morocco Lambert Sahara North (zone 3)Merchich / Sahara NordLambert conformal conic, 1 parallel | EPSG:26194 | 26.1° (29 gr) | −5.4° (−6 gr) | 0.999616304 | 1,200,000 / 400,000 | 24°18′ – 27°54′ N |
| SS Morocco Lambert Sahara South (zone 4)Merchich / Sahara SudLambert conformal conic, 1 parallel | EPSG:26195 | 22.5° (25 gr) | −5.4° (−6 gr) | 0.999616437 | 1,500,000 / 400,000 | south of 24°18′ N |
Datum and the shift to WGS 84
The Merchich–WGS 84 step uses transformation EPSG:1166 (Merchich to WGS 84 (1): a shift of 31 m, 146 m and 47 m), stated to about 7 m — the default in most GIS software. Without it, a point moves by about 300 m. For boundary marking, subdivision or land registration, only a survey tied to the national geodetic network by a licensed surveyor (ingénieur géomètre-topographe) is authoritative.
| Datum | Ellipsoid | a / 1/f | Transformation to WGS 84 | Stated accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merchich | Clarke 1880 (IGN) | 6,378,249.200 m / 293.466021294 | Merchich to WGS 84 (1) (EPSG:1166) ΔX ΔY ΔZ = 31 · 146 · 47 m | ± 7 m |
| WGS 84 | WGS 84 | 6,378,137.000 m / 298.257223563 | none | — |
Coordinates of the main cities
Approximate city centre. X and Y in metres, computed with the same definitions as the converter.
| City | Lat., long. (WGS 84) | National Lambert | UTM (WGS 84) | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tangier | 35.7595−5.8340 | N X 460,580.29Y 573,193.30 | 30NE 243,771.65N 3,960,978.95 | Map |
| Tetouan | 35.5785−5.3684 | N X 502,717.15Y 553,019.75 | 30NE 285,391.74N 3,939,781.14 | Map |
| Al Hoceima | 35.2517−3.9372 | N X 633,002.15Y 517,683.19 | 30NE 414,740.37N 3,901,358.70 | Map |
| Nador | 35.1688−2.9335 | N X 724,567.20Y 510,206.67 | 30NE 506,055.75N 3,891,764.63 | Map |
| Oujda | 34.6814−1.9086 | N X 819,721.89Y 458,828.34 | 30NE 599,978.68N 3,838,254.33 | Map |
| Fez | 34.0331−5.0003 | N X 536,753.03Y 381,646.21 | 30NE 315,334.18N 3,767,630.60 | Map |
| Meknes | 33.8950−5.5547 | N X 485,546.78Y 366,272.43 | 30NE 263,759.29N 3,753,452.17 | Map |
| Kenitra | 34.2610−6.5802 | N X 391,180.78Y 407,463.30 | 29NE 722,801.97N 3,793,745.36 | Map |
| Rabat | 34.0209−6.8416 | N X 366,745.09Y 381,141.99 | 29NE 699,292.50N 3,766,574.16 | Map |
| Casablanca | 33.5731−7.5898 | N X 296,628.46Y 332,701.68 | 29NE 630,881.93N 3,715,714.61 | Map |
| El Jadida | 33.2316−8.5007 | N X 210,989.31Y 296,998.56 | 29NE 546,520.52N 3,677,073.71 | Map |
| Beni Mellal | 32.3394−6.3608 | N X 409,420.65Y 194,209.04 | 29NE 748,401.74N 3,581,118.33 | Map |
| Safi | 32.2994−9.2372 | N X 138,605.47Y 196,000.23 | 29NE 477,668.28N 3,573,647.41 | Map |
| Errachidia | 31.9314−4.4244 | N X 592,098.71Y 148,988.31 | 30NE 365,351.57N 3,533,717.29 | Map |
| Marrakesh | 31.6295−7.9811 | N X 254,991.81Y 118,110.54 | 29NE 596,627.85N 3,499,820.36 | Map |
| Essaouira | 31.5085−9.7595 | N X 85,799.13Y 110,314.50 | 29NE 427,880.16N 3,486,208.56 | Map |
| Ouarzazate | 30.9335−6.9370 | S X 352,985.27Y 437,946.31 | 29NE 697,103.25N 3,424,056.66 | Map |
| Agadir | 30.4278−9.5981 | S X 96,748.69Y 388,236.57 | 29NE 442,563.15N 3,366,342.44 | Map |
| Tiznit | 29.6974−9.7316 | S X 80,904.87Y 307,826.95 | 29NE 429,224.80N 3,285,479.46 | Map |
| Guelmim | 28.9870−10.0574 | S X 46,241.05Y 230,401.26 | 29NE 396,993.30N 3,207,005.99 | Map |
| Laayoune | 27.1253−13.1625 | SN X 430,860.71Y 536,729.11 | 28NE 682,123.78N 3,001,645.31 | Map |
| Dakhla | 23.6848−15.9580 | SS X 424,017.92Y 569,329.51 | 28NE 402,321.83N 2,619,658.28 | Map |
UTM zones
UTM cuts the globe into 6° zones of longitude, all on WGS 84: scale factor 0.9996 on the central meridian, X₀ = 500,000 m, Y₀ = 0 north of the equator. Zones 28 to 32 N cover Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and France; a point's zone follows from its longitude.
| Zone | EPSG | Central meridian | Longitudes | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28N WGS 84 / UTM zone 28N | EPSG:32628 | −15° | −18° → −12° | Morocco |
| 29N WGS 84 / UTM zone 29N | EPSG:32629 | −9° | −12° → −6° | Morocco · Algeria |
| 30N WGS 84 / UTM zone 30N | EPSG:32630 | −3° | −6° → 0° | Morocco · Algeria · France |
Frequently asked questions
What is the EPSG code of Morocco Lambert North?
EPSG:26191 (Merchich / Nord Maroc). The other zones: EPSG:26192 for South Morocco, EPSG:26194 for Sahara North and EPSG:26195 for Sahara South. On WGS 84, Morocco's UTM zones are EPSG:32628, 32629 and 32630.
How do I know which Lambert zone my plot is in?
Look at the plan or the land title first: the zone is written on it. Otherwise enter the plot's GPS position, or tap “My position” on site: the converter suggests the zone from the latitude — zone 1 north of 31°30′ N, zone 2 down to 27°54′ N, zone 3 down to 24°18′ N, zone 4 beyond.
Why do my X/Y differ by a few metres from another program's?
Because each program picks its own Merchich to WGS 84 transformation: the EPSG:1166 shift used here, a local seven-parameter set, or sometimes none at all — the gap then reaches 300 m. almawqii applies the same transformation in the converter, Carte and MawCAD, so your coordinates stay consistent from one tool to the next.
Are converted coordinates enough for a land file?
No. They are for locating, checking and preparing a survey. Boundary marking, subdivision and land registration require a survey tied to the national geodetic network by a licensed surveyor (ingénieur géomètre-topographe); ask the ANCFCC about the procedure.
Can I convert a list of points at once?
Yes: open “Batch conversion”, paste your points — one per line, with a name, the two coordinates and Z if you have it — then download the result as CSV or copy it into a spreadsheet. Nothing is sent: everything is computed in the browser.
Survey in this zone
Carte opens the satellite imagery straight in the chosen zone: points, lines and areas with live X/Y, export to DXF, Shapefile (with .prj) or KML. With a free account, the survey moves on to MawCAD for CAD drafting.