from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Western Sahara
Introduction
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
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic 24 30 N, 13 00 W
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - about the size of Colorado
comparative:
Land total: 2,046 km
boundaries: border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km,
Morocco 443 km
Coastline: 1,110 km
Maritime contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
claims:
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 lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
extremes: highest point: unnamed location 463 m
Natural phosphates, iron ore
resources:
Land use: arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during
hazards: winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60%
of time, often severely restricting visibility
Environment - sparse water and lack of arable land
current
issues:
Environment - party to: none of the selected agreements
international signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements: agreements
Geography - the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing
note: areas
People
Population: 273,008 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)
Population NA
growth rate:
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Sex ratio: NA
Infant total: NA
mortality male: NA
rate: female: NA
Life total population: NA years
expectancy at male: NA years
birth: female: NA years
Total NA children born/woman
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Major degree of risk: intermediate
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some
locations during the transmission season (typically
April through November) (2005)
Nationality: noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic groups: Arab, Berber
Religions: Muslim
Languages: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara
Government legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
type: 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 none (under de facto control of Morocco)
divisions:
Suffrage: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not
yet completed
Executive none
branch:
Political none
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International none
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none
representation
from the US:
Economy
Economy - Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing,
overview: 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. All trade and other economic activities are
controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy
interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil
off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the
Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western
Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.
GDP $NA
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real NA%
growth rate:
GDP - per $NA
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: NA%
composition by industry: NA%
sector: services: 40%
Labor force: 12,000
Labor force - agriculture: 50%
by occupation: industry and services: 50%
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate NA%
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels,
products: sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish
Industries: phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 85 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 83.7 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 1,750 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $NA
Exports - phosphates 62%
commodities:
Exports - Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade
partners: partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
(2004)
Imports: $NA
Imports - fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
commodities:
Imports - Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade
partners: partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
(2004)
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - $NA
recipient:
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD)
(code):
Currency code: MAD
Exchange Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.865 (2005), 8.868
rates: (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - about 2,000 (1999 est.)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 0 (1999)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: sparse and limited system
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 AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 56,000 (1997)
Television NA
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 6,000 (1997)
Internet .eh
country code:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet NA
users:
Transportation
Airports: 11 (2006)
Airports - total: 3
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2006)
runways:
Airports - total: 8
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Ports and Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
terminals:
Military
Military $992.2 million
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose
international: 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