Western Sahara

About Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a disputed territory located in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It is a sparsely populated region, primarily consisting of desert terrain, with a population of around 600,000 people. The territory has been the subject of a long-standing conflict between the indigenous Sahrawi people, represented by the Polisario Front, and Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the region. Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until 1975, when Spain withdrew, leading to a power vacuum and subsequent Moroccan and Mauritanian occupation. Mauritania later withdrew, but Morocco has maintained control over much of the territory, while the Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976. The United Nations has been involved in efforts to mediate the conflict and organize a referendum on self-determination, but a resolution remains elusive. The region is rich in natural resources, including phosphates and fisheries, which further complicates the dispute.