Western Sahara

legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved

Western Sahara as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 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, UTC
Position24 30 N, 13 00 W
Area266,000 sq km
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
2007

Every edition of Western Sahara

Populationas each edition published it
382,617 people July 2007 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 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 266,000 sq km

permanent crops 0%other 99.98% (2005)arable land 0.02% in all
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 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

18 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2007 est.)

3,705
65 and over2.3%
5,075
98,345
15-6452.3%
101,895
88,176
0-1445.4%
85,421
MaleFemale
Population
382,617
growth rate: NA
Note
note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total:
NA
male:
NA
female:
NA

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
NA
male:
NA
female:
NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk:
intermediate
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2007)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

Arab, Berber

Religions

Muslim

Languages

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Government

Legal status of territory and issue 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 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;
  • 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 Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984;
  • guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

Capital

none; time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage

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

Economy

Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population.

38 fields

Electricity

Electricity production
85 million (2005)Electricity consumption
79.05 million (2005)

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. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario.

However, in 2006, the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
40%

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
50%
industry and services:
50%

Budget

revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

phosphates 62%

Exports - partners

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Imports - commodities

fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Currency (code)

Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields
Mobile cellular
0
(1999) · country code .eh

Telephones - main lines in use

about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment:
sparse and limited system
domestic:
NA
international:
  • country code - 212;
  • 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)

Transportation

4 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
3

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

1,524 to 2,437 m
1914 to 1,523 m
3under 914 m
2

Airports

9 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

  • Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved;
  • UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals;
  • several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara;
  • most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria

Central Intelligence Agency. “Western Sahara.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/western-sahara/2007.

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