2021 Edition

Background

Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum on the question of independence never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The approximately 1,600 km- (almost 1,000 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces, with Morocco controlling the roughly three-quarters of the territory west of the berm. There are periodic ethnic tensions between the native Sahrawi population and Moroccan immigrants. Morocco maintains a heavy security presence in the territory. The UN revived direct talks about the territory between Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania in December 2018.

Area

land

266,000 sq km

total

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

highest point

unnamed elevation 805 m

lowest point

Sebjet Tah -55 m

mean elevation

256 m

Environment - current issues

desertification; overgrazing; sparse water and lack of arable land

Geographic coordinates

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Geography - note

the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 41 km, Mauritania 1564 km, Morocco 444 km

total

2,049 km

Land use

agricultural land

18.8% (2011 est.)

arable land / permanent crops / permanent pasture

0% (2011 est.) / 0% (2011 est.) / 18.8% (2011 est.)

forest

2.7% (2011 est.)

other

78.5% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

note

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

Population distribution

most of the population lives in the two-thirds of the area west of the berm (Moroccan-occupied) that divides the territory; about 40% of that populace resides in Laayoune as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

36.29% (male 119,719/female 116,997)

15-24 years

19.44% (male 63,852/female 62,954)

25-54 years

34.9% (male 112,301/female 115,313)

55-64 years

5.27% (male 16,095/female 18,292)

65 years and over

4.1% (male 11,802/female 14,946) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

28 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Death rate

7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Demographic profile

Western Sahara is a non-self governing territory; approximately 75% is under Moroccan control. It was inhabited almost entirely by Sahrawi pastoral nomads until the mid-20th century. Their traditional vast migratory ranges, based on following unpredictable rainfall, did not coincide with colonial and later international borders. Since the 1930s, most Sahrawis have been compelled to adopt a sedentary lifestyle and to live in urban settings as a result of fighting, the presence of minefields, job opportunities in the phosphate industry, prolonged drought, the closure of Western Sahara's border with Mauritania from 1979-2002, and the construction of the defensive berm separating Moroccan- and Polisario-controlled (Sahrawi liberalization movement) areas. Morocco supported rapid urbanization to facilitate surveillance and security. ++ Today more than 80% of Western Sahara's population lives in urban areas; more than 40% live in the administrative center Laayoune. Moroccan immigration has altered the composition and dramatically increased the size of Western Sahara's population. Morocco maintains a large military presence in Western Sahara and has encouraged its citizens to settle there, offering bonuses, pay raises, and food subsidies to civil servants and a tax exemption, in order to integrate Western Sahara into the Moroccan Kingdom and, Sahrawis contend, to marginalize the native population. ++ Western Saharan Sahrawis have been migrating to Europe, principally to former colonial ruler Spain, since the 1950s. Many who moved to refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, also have migrated to Spain and Italy, usually alternating between living in cities abroad with periods back at the camps. The Polisario claims that the population of the Tindouf camps is about 155,000, but this figure may include thousands of Arabs and Tuaregs from neighboring countries. Because international organizations have been unable to conduct an independent census in Tindouf, the UNHCR bases its aid on a figure of 90,000 refugees. Western Saharan coastal towns emerged as key migration transit points (for reaching Spain's Canary Islands) in the mid-1990s, when Spain's and Italy's tightening of visa restrictions and EU pressure on Morocco and other North African countries to control illegal migration pushed Sub-Saharan African migrants to shift their routes to the south.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9

potential support ratio

20.4 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

44.1

youth dependency ratio

39.2

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Arab, Berber

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

43.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

male

52.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

47.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Standard Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber, Spanish, French

Life expectancy at birth

female

67 years (2020 est.)

male

62.1 years

total population

64.5 years

Major urban areas - population

232,000 Laayoune (2018)

Median age

female

22.3 years (2020 est.)

male

21.4 years

total

21.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

noun

Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

Net migration rate

4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Population

652,271 (July 2020 est.)

note

note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries

Population distribution

most of the population lives in the two-thirds of the area west of the berm (Moroccan-occupied) that divides the territory; about 40% of that populace resides in Laayoune as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.54% (2020 est.)

Religions

Muslim

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.65 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.61% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

86.8% of total population (2020)

Administrative divisions

none officially; the territory west of the Moroccan berm falls under de facto Moroccan control; Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, as claimed by Morocco, lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western Sahara

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

time difference

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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Western Sahara

etymology

self-descriptive name specifying the territory's western location on the African continent's vast desert

former

Rio de Oro, Saguia el Hamra, Spanish Sahara

Diplomatic representation from the US

note

none

Diplomatic representation in the US

note

none

Executive branch

note

none

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), near Tindouf, Algeria, led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ until his death in May 2016; current President Brahim GHALI elected in July 2016; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976 when Spain withdrew, 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; Morocco between 1980 and 1987 built a fortified sand berm delineating the roughly 75% of Western Sahara west of the barrier that currently is controlled by Morocco; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

International organization participation

AU, WFTU (NGOs)

Suffrage

none; (residents of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara participate in Moroccan elections)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

NA

revenues

NA

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

NA

Debt - external

note

NA

Economic overview

Western Sahara has a small market-based economy whose main industries are fishing, phosphate mining, tourism, and pastoral nomadism. The territory's arid desert climate makes sedentary agriculture difficult, and much of its food is imported. The Moroccan Government administers Western Sahara's economy and is a key source of employment, infrastructure development, and social spending in the territory. ++ Western Sahara's unresolved legal status makes the exploitation of its natural resources a contentious issue between Morocco and the Polisario. Morocco and the EU in December 2013 finalized a four-year agreement allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. As of April 2018, Moroccan and EU authorities were negotiating an amendment to renew the agreement. ++ Oil has never been found in Western Sahara in commercially significant quantities, but Morocco and the Polisario have quarreled over rights to authorize and benefit from oil exploration in the territory. Western Sahara's main long-term economic challenge is the development of a more diverse set of industries capable of providing greater employment and income to the territory. However, following King MOHAMMED VI's November 2015 visit to Western Sahara, the Government of Morocco announced a series of investments aimed at spurring economic activity in the region, while the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises announced a $609 million investment initiative in the region in March 2015.

Exchange rates

Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar - / 9.639 (2017 est.) / 9.7351 (2016 est.) / 9.7351 (2015) / 9.7351 (2014 est.) / 8.3798 (2013 est.)

Exports

note

NA

Exports - commodities

phosphates 62% (2012 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

NA (2007 est.)

industry

NA (2007 est.)

services

40% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,500 (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real

$906.5 million (2007 est.)

GDP real growth rate

note

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

note

NA

Imports - commodities

fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

note

NA

Labor force

144,000 (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

50%

industry

50%

industry and services

50% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Taxes and other revenues

NA

Unemployment rate

note

NA

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

268,400 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

58,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

0 kWh NA (2016 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,702 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadcast media

Morocco's state-owned broadcaster, Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM), operates a radio service from Laayoune and relays TV service; a Polisario-backed radio station also broadcasts

Internet country code

.eh

Telecommunication systems

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

note

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Airports

6 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

total

3 (2019)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

total

3 (2013)

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Ad Dakhla, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Military - note

the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has operated in the Western Sahara since 1991 in accordance with settlement proposals accepted in 1988 by Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y de Río de Oro (Frente POLISARIO); the Mission's responsibilities include monitoring the ceasefire, reducing the threat of mines and unexploded ordnance, and providing logistic support to the UNHCR-led Confidence Building Measures pending an agreement to resume those activities, which were suspended in June 2014; as of November 2019, MINURSO had about 460 personnel deployed ++

Disputes - international

++ many neighboring states reject Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others support Morocco's proposal to grant the territory autonomy as part of Morocco, although no state recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; an estimated 100,000 Sahrawi refugees continue to be sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria, which has hosted Sahrawi refugees since the 1980s