t contesting Rabat's
sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire; a referendum on final status
has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at
least 2002.

Western Sahara Geography

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

land: 266,000 sq km

water: 0 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%

permanent pastures: 19%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 81%

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

Western Sahara People

Population: 250,559 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA%

15-64 years: NA%

65 years and over: NA%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups: Arab, Berber

Religions: Muslim

Languages: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Literacy: definition: NA

total population: NA%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Western Sahara Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Western Sahara

former: Spanish Sahara

Government type: legal status of territory and question of
sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario
Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia e