Western Sahara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Western Sahara الصحراء الغربية Sahara Occidental
Capital and largest city	El Aaiún (Laâyoune)
Official languages	see respective claimants
Spoken languages	Berber and Hassaniya Arabic are locally spoken. Spanish and French are widely used.
Demonym(s)	Western Saharan
Disputed sovereignty1
• Relinquished by Spain	14 November 1975
Area
• Total	266,000 km2 (103,000 sq mi) (76th)
• Water (%)	negligible
Population
• 2009 estimate	513,000 (168th)
• Density	1.9/km2 (4.9/sq mi) (237th)
Currency	Moroccan Dirham (in the Morocco-controlled zone) Algerian Dinar with the Sahrawi Peseta being commemorative and not circulating (in the SADR-controlled zone) (MAD)
Time zone	UTC+0
Calling code	+212 (Tied with Morocco)
ISO 3166 code	EH
Internet TLD	None. .eh reserved, not officially assigned.
1 Mostly under administration of Morocco as its Southern Provinces. The Polisario Front controls border areas behind the border wall as the Free Zone, on behalf of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Western Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; Amazigh: Tanẓṛuft Tutrimt; Spanish: Sahara Occidental) is a territory in Africa. It is located on the northwest coast of Africa. To its north is Morocco, to the east is Algeria, and to the south is Mauritania. The Atlantic Ocean is to its west.

Western Sahara covers about 266,000 square kilometers. Most of this land is flat desert. It is one of the most sparsely populated places in the world. The largest city is Laâyoune, where more than half of the 500,000 people live.

What is Western Sahara?

Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since the 1960s. This means the UN believes the people there should decide their own future. It used to be a colony of Spain.

Today, two main groups want control of Western Sahara. These are the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. The Polisario Front is an independence movement. It has its own government called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

Who Controls Western Sahara?

Since 1975, most of Western Sahara has been controlled by Morocco. The Polisario Front controls some border areas. These areas are behind a large wall called the Moroccan Wall. The Polisario Front calls these areas the Free Zone.

In 1973, the local people, called the Sahrawis, started a movement. They wanted Spain to leave their land. Later, they wanted Morocco and Mauritania to leave too. This led to fighting. The United Nations helped arrange a ceasefire in 1991.

Many Sahrawis became refugees in Algeria. The Polisario Front and SADR are supported by Algeria. Many important countries want Morocco and Polisario to find a peaceful solution.

International Recognition

Both Morocco and the Polisario Front have tried to get other countries to support them. The Polisario Front's SADR has been recognized by 81 countries. It is also a member of the African Union. Morocco has gained support from the Arab League. Over the years, some countries have changed their minds about who they recognize.

The United Nations still considers all of Western Sahara a dependency of Spain.

Images for kids

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  Western Sahara in 1876

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  A demonstration in Madrid for the independence of Western Sahara.

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  A MINURSO car (left), and a post of the Polisario Front (right) in 2017 in southern Western Sahara

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  A Moroccan police checkpoint in the suburbs of Laayoune

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  A sangar (fortification) from the Western Sahara conflict.

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  Sahrawi national police

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  Natural products in a pharmacy.

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  Morocco built several empty towns in Western Sahara.

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  Sahrawi people

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  Two women outside a hospital emergencies at a Sahrawi refugee camps.

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  Topography of Western Sahara.

See also

In Spanish: Sahara Occidental para niños