Legend:
Definition of Term
 Arranged
by Countries Field Listing
| 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. |
| 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
water: 0 sq km
land: 266,000 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%
other: 100% (1998 est.) |
| 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
|
| Geography
- note: |
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
|
| 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.
|
| 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.) (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: |
90 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
83.7 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| 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: |
Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| Currency
code: |
MAD |
| 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)
|
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
| Railways: |
0 km |
| Highways: |
total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km
unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est.) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) |
| Airports: |
11 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
|
| 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 | |
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