1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline
1,110 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Colorado
Disputes
claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and guerrilla fighting continues in the area
Environment
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility; sparse water and arable land
Land boundaries
2,046 km total; Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use
NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 81% other
Maritime claims
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Natural resources
phosphates, iron ore
Terrain
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Total area
266,000 km2; land area: 266,000 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
48 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
23 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Arab and Berber
Infant mortality rate
177 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
12,000; 50% animal husbandry and subsistence farming
Language
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
39 years male, 41 years female (1990)
Literacy
20% among Moroccans, 5% among Saharans (est.)
Nationality
noun--Saharan(s), Moroccan(s); adjective--Saharan, Moroccan
Net migration rate
2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA
Population
191,707 (July 1990), growth rate 2.7% (1990)
Religion
Muslim
Total fertility rate
7.3 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Capital
none
Diplomatic representation
none
Leaders
none
Long-form name
none
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 el Hamra and Rio de Oro); 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 continue to the present
Economy
Agriculture
practically none; some barley is grown in nondrought years; fruit and vegetables are grown in the few oases; food imports are essential; camels, sheep, and goats are kept by the nomadic natives; cash economy exists largely for the garrison forces
Aid
NA
Budget
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Electricity
60,000 kW capacity; 79 million kWh produced, 425 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
Exports
$8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.); commodities--phosphates 62%; partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
NA
GDP
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Imports
$30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.); commodities--fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs; partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
phosphate, fishing, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Overview
Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a few hundred dollars. Fishing and phosphate mining are the principal industries and sources of income. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
16 total, 14 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Highways
6,100 km total; 1,350 km surfaced, 4,750 km improved and unimproved earth roads and tracks
Ports
El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
Telecommunications
sparse and limited system; tied into Morocco's system by radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
Military and Security
Branches
NA
Defense expenditures
NA
Military manpower
NA