Western Sahara
territory in North and West Africa
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World Factbook
CIA reference data · 3 sections
Geography
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
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
Natural resources
phosphates, iron ore
People & Society
Population
652,271 (July 2020 est.)
Languages
Standard Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber, Spanish, French
Religions
Muslim
Government
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)
Source: CIA World Factbook · public domain (US gov work, 17 USC §105) · fetched 2026-05-06
Summary
Western Sahara is a disputed territory[1]. It ranks in the top 4% of disputed territory entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (44,615 views/month).[2]
Key Facts
- Country: Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[3]
- Located in or next to body of water: Atlantic Ocean[4]
- Continent: Africa[5]
- Instance of: United Nations list of non-self-governing territories[6], occupied territory[7]
- Currency: Moroccan dirham[8], Sahrawi peseta[9]
- Shares border with: Mauritania[10], Algeria[11], Morocco[12]
- Top-level Internet domain: .eh[13]
- Flag: flag of Western Sahara[14]
- Part of: North Africa[15]
- Commons category: Western Sahara[16]
- Located in time zone: UTC±00:00[17], UTC+01:00[18], Africa/El_Aaiun[19]
- Said to be the same as: Southern Provinces[20]
- Telephone country code: +212[21]
- Unicode character: 🇪🇭[22]
- Topic's main category: Category:Western Sahara[23]
- Commons gallery: صحراء غربية - Sahara Occidental[24]
- Described at URL: https://www.placemania.sk/svetova-zaujimavost/zapadna-sahara/[25]
- Population: 582,000[26], 612,000[27]
- Topic's main Wikimedia portal: Portal:Western Sahara[28]
- Territory claimed by: Morocco[29], Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[30]
- Described by source: Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 2[31]
- Official name: Western Sahara[32], Sahara Occidental[33], Sáhara Occidental[34], الصحراء الغربية[35]
- Category for people born here: Category:Births in Western Sahara[36]
- Demonym: nyugat-szaharai[37], sahrāwī[38], Okcident-Saharano[39], صحراوي[40], صحراوية[41], saharaui[42], Sahrawi[43]
- Lowest point: Sebkha Tah[44]
Why It Matters
Western Sahara has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[45] It is known by 54 alternative names across languages and contexts.[46]