Western Sahara — map and facts

About Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwestern coast of Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, and Mauritania to the south and east. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated territories. The largest city and administrative centre is Laayoune (El Aaiún), which is under Moroccan administration. The territory's political status is disputed: Morocco administers approximately 80 percent of the territory and considers it part of its Southern Provinces, while the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), proclaimed by the Polisario Front, claims sovereignty over the entire territory and is recognised by numerous states and the African Union. The United Nations considers Western Sahara a non-self-governing territory and has called for a referendum on self-determination, which has not been held. A ceasefire agreed in 1991 collapsed in 2020, and low-level conflict continues between Moroccan forces and Polisario fighters.

Geography and Landscape

Western Sahara is a largely flat, arid territory dominated by the Saharan desert, with vast expanses of gravel plains, sandy desert, and rocky hamada plateaus. The terrain offers little topographic variation, though the interior contains some low mountain ranges and occasional dry riverbeds, known as wadis, which carry water only briefly after rare rainfall events. The Atlantic coastline is relatively long, stretching for over 1,000 kilometres, and features rich fishing grounds that represent one of the territory's most significant economic assets. The climate is hyper-arid: temperatures are extreme, rainfall is minimal and irregular, and the harmattan and other desert winds create dust storms. The Dakhla peninsula in the south, a narrow finger of land extending into the Atlantic, is known for its exceptional wind and kite-surfing conditions. The territory's only significant surface water comes from occasional wadis and groundwater, with the population relying heavily on desalination.

History

Western Sahara was inhabited for millennia by nomadic Berber and later Arab peoples, with the Sahrawis developing a distinct tribal confederacy culture adapted to desert life. Spanish colonisation began in the late 19th century, and Spain formally claimed the territory as the Spanish Sahara in 1884. Spain maintained colonial control through the 20th century, exploiting large phosphate deposits at Bou Craa. As decolonisation accelerated in the 1970s, the Polisario Front was established in 1973 to fight for independence. Spain agreed to withdraw in the 1975 Madrid Accords, ceding the territory jointly to Morocco and Mauritania, a decision contested by the Polisario and supported by Algeria. Morocco's King Hassan II organised the Green March of 350,000 civilians into the territory in November 1975. A guerrilla war followed; Mauritania renounced its claim in 1979, after which Morocco occupied the entire territory. A UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991 paused but did not resolve the conflict, which resumed in 2020. The question of self-determination remains unresolved.