1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative
about the size of Colorado
Climate
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline
1,110 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m
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
Geographic coordinates
24 30 N, 13 00 W
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10% (1993 est.)
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
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
Natural resources
phosphates, iron ore
Terrain
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate
45.78 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
17.05 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Arab, Berber
Infant mortality rate
139.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 48.41 years male: 47.32 years female: 49.83 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
NA
Nationality
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Net migration rate
-4.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
233,730 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
2.4% (1998 est.)
Religions
Muslim
Total fertility rate
6.75 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara
Data code
WI
Executive branch
none
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
International organization participation
none Diplomatic representation in the US: none Diplomatic representation from the US: none
National capital
none
Suffrage
none; a UN sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Economy
Agriculture-products
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by the nomads)
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Debt-external
$NA
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
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.
Electricity-capacity
56,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
391 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
85 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1-9.822 (January 1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993)
Exports
$NA commodities: phosphates 62% partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$NA
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%-45% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$NA
GDP-real growth rate
NA%
Imports
$NA commodities: fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
phosphate mining, handicrafts
Inflation rate-consumer price index
NA%
Labor force
total: 12,000 by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios
NA
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
Telephones
2,000
Television broadcast stations
2
Televisions
NA
Unemployment rate
NA%
Transportation
Airports
12 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Heliports
1 (1997 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
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
NA
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
NA%
Transnational Issues
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