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.
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates
24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references
Africa
Area
total
266,000 sq km
land
266,000 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries
total
2,046 km
border countries
Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline
1,110 km
Maritime claims
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
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
0.02%
permanent crops
0%
other
99.98% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
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
Population
382,617
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.)
Age structure
0-14 years
45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)
15-64 years
52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895)
65 years and over
2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
NA
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
NA
Sex ratio
NA
Infant mortality rate
total
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Life expectancy at birth
total population
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Total fertility rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
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
Literacy
NA
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
Executive branch
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
International organization participation
none
Diplomatic representation in the US
none
Diplomatic representation from the US
none
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 (purchasing power parity)
$NA
GDP (official exchange rate)
$NA
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$NA
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
40%
Labor force
12,000
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
50%
industry and services
50%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Budget
revenues
$NA
expenditures
$NA
Agriculture - products
Industries
phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Electricity - production
85 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
79.05 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
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
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
phosphates 62%
Exports - partners
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)
Imports
$NA
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)
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Currency (code)
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Currency code
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
Telephones - main lines in use
about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
0 (1999)
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)
Radios
56,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
NA
Televisions
6,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.eh
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
NA
Airports
11 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
8
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
4
under 914 m
3 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
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
Sorry, No data available for this section.
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
