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 cease fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at least 2002.
Geography |
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%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
19%
forests and woodland:
0%
other:
81%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
People |
Population: 244,943 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
NA
15-64 years:
NA
65 years and over:
NA
Population growth rate: 2.29% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 45.07 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 16.11 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 133.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
49.81 years
male:
48.65 years
female:
51.33 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic groups: Arab, Berber
Religions: Muslim
Languages: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy:
definition:
NA
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Government |
Country name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Western Sahara
former:
Spanish Sahara
Data code: WI
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
Capital: none
Administrative divisions: none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Suffrage: none; a UN sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Executive branch: none
International organization participation: none
Diplomatic representation in the US: none
Diplomatic representation from the US: none
Economy |
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 12,000
Labor force - by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 85 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro:
0%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 79 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Exports: $NA
Exports - commodities: phosphates 62%
Exports - partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
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
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 10.051 (January 2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996), 8.540 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications |
Telephones - main lines in use: about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1999)
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 56,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: 6,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Transportation |
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total:
6,200 km
paved:
1,350 km
unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
Ports and harbors: Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Airports: 12 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
9
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m:
5
under 914 m:
3 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
Military |
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