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.

Geographic coordinates: 24 30 N 13 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 266,000 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 266,000 km²
Comparative: about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries
Total: 2,046 km
Border countries: (3) Algeria 42 km; , Mauritania 1,561 km; , Morocco 443 km

Coastline: 1110 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
Extremes highest point: unnamed location 463 m

Natural resources: phosphates iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Geography
Note: the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

Population: 256,177 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: NA (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Sahrawi, Sahraoui
Adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups: Arab Berber

Languages: Hassaniya Arabic Moroccan Arabic

Religions: Muslim

Age structure
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate: NA (2002 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Environment
Current issues: sparse water and lack of arable land
International agreements party to: none of the selected agreements
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA years
Male: NA years
Female: NA years

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Western Sahara
Former: Spanish 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 and recognized by 54 nations; 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 not yet completed

Executive branch: none

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none
From the us: none

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. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: 40%-45% (1996 est.) (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels sheep goats (kept by nomads)

Industries: phosphate mining handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 12,000
By occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $NA
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

Exports: $NA
Commodities: phosphates 62%
Partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Imports: $NA
Commodities: fuel for fishing fleet foodstuffs
Partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (January 2002) 11.303 (2001) 10.626 (2000) 9.804 (1999) 9.604 (1998) 9.527 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 90 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 83.7 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: about 2000 (1999 est.)
Mobile cellular: 0 (1999)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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

Internet
Country code: .eh
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: NA

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 11 (2001)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 8
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Disputes international: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara but sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties reject other proposals