Western Sahara

legal status of territory and question of sovereignty

Western Sahara as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 83 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
Position24 30 N, 13 00 W
Area266,000 sq km
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
1997

Every edition of Western Sahara

Populationas each edition published it
228,138 people July 1997 est. · 191,707 in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.43% 1997 est. · 2.52% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.3 yrs in 2009
Life expectancyyears at birth
47.71 years 1997 est. · 44.88 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6.8 children per woman 1997 est. · 7.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
142.75 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 177 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $300 in 1993

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 266,000 sq km

arable land 19%permanent crops 24%permanent pastures 0%forests and woodland 47%other 10% (1993 est.)
Area
266,000sq km
land: 266,000 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmabout the size of Colorado
Coastline
1,110km
Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Highest point
463m
unnamed locationlowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
Land boundaries
2,046km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

24 30 N, 13 00 W

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

Natural resources

phosphates, iron ore

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 arable land

Environment - international agreements

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

People

15 fields
Population
228,138
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 2.43% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
46.14Death
17.53Net migration
-4.28

Age structure

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

Sex ratio

at birth:
NA male(s)/female
under 15 years:
NA male(s)/female
15-64 years:
NA male(s)/female
65 years and over:
NA male(s)/female
total population:
NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate

142.75 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
47.71 years
male:
46.66 years
female:
49.09 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.8 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

Arab, Berber

Religions

Muslim

Languages

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Government

Legal status of territory and question of sovereignty

10 fields

Country name

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Western Sahara

Government 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

Administrative divisions

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage

none; a UN sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed

Economy

Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural | resources and having little rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, | fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for | the population.

22 fields
Labor force
12,000
by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Economy - overview

Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as 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. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector

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

Budget

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

Industries

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Electricity - capacity

56,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production

85 million kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$NA

commodities:
phosphates 62%
partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports

$NA

commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
partners :
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.018 (January 1997), 8.716 (1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Telephone system

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

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
3
total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

Networkskm

Highways
6,200Railways
0
Highways: paved : 1,350 km · unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est.)

Highways

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

Ports and harbors

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, El Aaiun

Airports

12 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1996 est.)

Heliports

1 (1996 est.)

Military

NA

5 fields

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

  • 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 in effect since September 1991 WESTERN SAMOA

Central Intelligence Agency. “Western Sahara.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/western-sahara/1997.

How to cite ← 1996 edition 1998 edition →