Western Sahara

legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved

Western Sahara as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 54 fields, one of 31 editions from 1990 to 2020.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Capitalnone

Area266,000 km2

1990

Every edition of Western Sahara

Populationas each edition published it

191,707 people July 1990 · 652,271 in 2020

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.52% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.3 yrs in 2009

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 44.88 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.3 children per woman 1990 · 3.65 in 2020

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

177 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 47.9 in 2020

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $300 in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

266,000km2

land area: 266,000 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado

Coastline

1,110km

Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Land boundaries

2,046km total

Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Disputes

claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and guerrilla fighting continues in the area

Climate

hot, dry desert;
rain is rare;
cold offshore 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

Land use

NEGL% arable land;
0% permanent crops;
19% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland;
81% other

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

191,707

(July 1990), growth rate 2.7% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

48Death

23Net migration

Literacy

20%among Moroccans

5% among Saharans (est.)

Nationality

noun--Saharan(s), Moroccan(s); adjective--Saharan, Moroccan

Labor force

12,000; 50% animal husbandry and subsistence farming

Government

Legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved

6 fields

Type

legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved;
territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro);
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 continue to the present

Administrative divisions

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Economy

Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a few hundred dollars.

16 fields

Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a few hundred dollars. Fishing and phosphate mining are the principal industries and sources of income. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government.

GDP

$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

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

Exports

$8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.);
commodities--phosphates 62%;
partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports

$30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.);
commodities--fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs;
partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

External debt

$NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

60,000 kW capacity; 79 million kWh produced, 425 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

phosphate, fishing, handicrafts

Agriculture

practically none;
some barley is grown in nondrought years;
fruit and vegetables are grown in the few oases;
food imports are essential;
camels, sheep, and goats are kept by the nomadic natives;
cash economy exists largely for the garrison forces

Communications

4 fields

Airports, 16 total, 14 usable

permanent-surface runways

3runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

sparse and limited system;
tied into Morocco's system by radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco;
2,000 telephones;
stations--2 AM, no FM, 2 TV

Defense Forces

3 fields