2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

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)

Area

land

266,000 sq km

total

266,000 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of Colorado

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 Western Sahara

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population

Budget

expenditures

$NA

revenues

$NA

Capital

none

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

Coastline

1,110 km

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Western Sahara

former

Spanish Sahara

Currency (code)

Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code

MAD

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population

Debt - external

$NA

Diplomatic representation from the US

none Economy Western Sahara

Diplomatic representation in the US

none

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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

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 European Union 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.

Electricity - consumption

79.05 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

85 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location 463 m

lowest point

Sebjet Tah -55 m

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

Ethnic groups

Arab, Berber

Exchange rates

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

Executive branch

none

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

phosphates 62%

Exports - partners

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

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Western Sahara

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

40%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$NA

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$NA

Geographic coordinates

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Geography - note

the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas People Western 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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

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)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Infant mortality rate

female

NA

male

NA

total

NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

International organization participation

none

Internet country code

.eh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

NA Transportation Western Sahara

Irrigated land

NA

Labor force

12,000

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

50%

industry and services

50%

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

total

2,046 km

Land use

arable land

0.02%

other

99.98% (2005)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Life expectancy at birth

female

NA years

male

NA years

total population

NA years

Literacy

NA Government Western Sahara

Location

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

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)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$992.2 million Transnational Issues Western Sahara

Nationality

adjective

Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

noun

Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

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

Oil - consumption

1,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

273,008 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

NA

Ports and terminals

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Military Western Sahara

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

56,000 (1997)

Religions

Muslim

Sex ratio

NA

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

sparse and limited system

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

Telephones - main lines in use

about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

NA

Televisions

6,000 (1997)

Terrain

mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman

Unemployment rate

NA%