Western Sahara

none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara

legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved

Western Sahara as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 92 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 land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
2001

Every edition of Western Sahara

Populationas each edition published it
250,559 people July 2001 est. · 191,707 in 1990
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
Not in this edition 7.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
Not in this edition 177 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $300 in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

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 and is not expected to occur until at least 2002.

Geography

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

17 fields
Coastline
1,110km
Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Area

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

Land boundaries

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

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% permanent pastures: 19% forests and woodland: 0% other: 81%

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

People

10 fields
Population
250,559
(July 2001 est.)

Age structure

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

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

Arab, Berber

Religions

Muslim

Languages

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Literacy

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

Government

Legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved

10 fields

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish 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 lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population.

32 fields

Electricity

Electricity production
90 million (1999)Electricity consumption
83.7 million (1999)

Economy - overview

Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient 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.)

Labor force - by occupation

animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Budget

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

Industries

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports - commodities

phosphates 62%

Exports - partners

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

Imports - commodities

fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

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

Currency

Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields
Internet users
1
(2000) · country code .eh

Telephones - main lines in use

about 2,000 (1999 est.)

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)

Televisions

6,000 (1997)

Transportation

8 fields

Highways

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

Ports and harbors

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Airports

11 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Heliports

1 (2000 est.)

Military

NA

3 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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Western Sahara.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/western-sahara/2001.

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