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Western Sahara Country Guide
Explore Western Sahara in Africa
The landscape offers mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast. The average density of population is approximately 1 per km². The notable climate conditions in Western Sahara can be described as hot, dry desert with rain is rare and cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew. Potential threats by nature are hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring or widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility.
To reach someone in Western Sahara dial +212 prior to a number. There are 2,000 installed telephones. And there are 0 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".eh". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Western Sahara
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Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco''s sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of the Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The 2,700 km- (1,700 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces with Morocco controlling the roughly 80 percent of the territory west of the berm. Ethnic tensions in Western Sahara occasionally erupt into violence requiring a Moroccan security force response.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco Capital: El Aaiún |
| Size | 266,000 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 102,703 square miles (mi² or sqmi) about the size of Colorado |
| Population | 273,008 |
| Currency | Name Dirham, Currency Code:MAD |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .eh |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +212 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 0 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 2,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 266,000 (sq km) | 78 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 538,811 | 171 |
| Population growth rate | 2.96 (%) | 10 |
| Birth rate | 31.18 (births/1,000 population) | 40 |
| Death rate | 8.64 (deaths/1,000 population) | 75 |
| Infant mortality rate | 57.50 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 30 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 61.90 (years) | 189 |
| Total fertility rate | 4.15 (children born/woman) | 37 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 906,500,000 | 206 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 2,500 | 183 |
| Labor force | 144,000 | 179 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 90,000,000 (kWh) | 199 |
| Electricity - consumption | 83,700,000 (kWh) | 199 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 58,000 (kW) | 179 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 100.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 45 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 1,948 (bbl/day) | 189 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 1,702 (bbl/day) | 183 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 314,600 (Mt) | 186 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 6 | 174 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases