Western Sahara

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Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.

Contents 1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography

Location 

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco

Geographic coordinates 

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Map references 

Africa

Area 

total: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km

Area - comparative 

about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries 

total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Coastline 

1,110 km

Maritime claims 

contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Climate 

hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

Terrain 

mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m

Natural resources 

phosphates, iron ore

Land use 

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility

Environment - current issues 

sparse water and lack of arable land

Environment - international agreements 

party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note 

the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

People

Population 

256,177 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate 

NA (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

NA births/1,000 population

Death rate 

NA deaths/1,000 population

Sex ratio 

NA

Infant mortality rate 

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate 

NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

Nationality 

noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups 

Arab, Berber

Religions 

Muslim

Languages 

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Spanish

Literacy 

definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government

Country name 

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara

Government type 

legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ and recognized by 54 nations; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

Capital 

none

Administrative divisions 

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage 

none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed

Executive branch 

none

Political pressure groups and leaders 

none

International organization participation 

none

Diplomatic representation in the US 

none

Diplomatic representation from the US 

none

Economy

Economy - overview 

Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - real growth rate 

NA%

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40%-45% (1996 est.) (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

NA%

Labor force 

12,000

Labor force - by occupation 

animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Unemployment rate 

NA%

Budget 

revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries 

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

90 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

83.7 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)

Exports 

$NA

Exports - commodities 

phosphates 62%

Exports - partners 

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports 

$NA

Imports - commodities 

fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners 

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Debt - external 

$NA

Economic aid - recipient 

$NA

Currency 

Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code 

MAD

Exchange rates 

Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (January 2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

0 (1999)

Telephone system 

general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

56,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

NA

Televisions 

6,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.eh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2000)

Internet users 

NA

Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km
unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est.)

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, El Aaiun (Laayoune)

Airports 

11 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Military

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties reject other proposals

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