Western Sahara
legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved
Western Sahara as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 fields, one of 31 editions from 1990 to 2020.
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Geography
Northern Africa, along the Atlantic Ocean, between Morocco and | Mauritania
21 fieldstotal area
266,000 sq km
land area
266,000 sq km
comparative area
slightly smaller than Colorado
International disputes
- claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue;
- the UN-administered cease-fire has been currently in effect since September 1991
Terrain
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
arable land
0%
permanent crops
0%
meadows and pastures
19%
forest and woodland
0%
other
81%
current issues
sparse water and arable land
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
international agreements
NA
People
20 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1994 est.)
total population
45.59 years
male
44.66 years
female
46.83 years (1994 est.)
noun
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
total population
NA%
male
NA%
female
NA%
by occupation
animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Government
Legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved
10 fieldsconventional long form
none
conventional short form
Western Sahara
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), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government in exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR);
- 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
Economy
Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having | little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of roughly $300.
25 fieldsOverview
Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of roughly $300. Pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining are the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government.
revenues
$NA
expenditures
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
commodities
phosphates 62%
partners
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
commodities
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
partners
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
capacity
60,000 kW
production
79 million kWh
consumption per capita
425 kWh (1989)
Agriculture
- limited largely to subsistence agriculture;
- 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
Exchange rates
Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.669 (January 1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989)
Communications
10 fieldstotal
6,200 km
unpaved
gravel 1,450 km; improved, unimproved earth, tracks 4,750 km
total
14
usable
14
with permanent-surface runways
3
with runways over 3,659 m
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
5
Telecommunications
- sparse and limited system;
- tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, troposcatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco;
- 2,000 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
Defense Forces
NA
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Western Sahara.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/western-sahara/1994.