Overview of Western Sahara

Western Sahara is nearly totally deserted, with just a few dispersed villages. Kasba and the Mosque are one of the main Muslim monuments of Western Sahara in the town of Semara (Smara), both situated in the town of Semara. Laayoune, previously known as the colonial capital, is the main city.

Historical Background of Western Sahara
The Nomadic Sahrawis of the Spanish Sahara, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia El-Hamra, and the Rio de Oro were founded in the early 1970s as a guerrilla organization headed by them (Polisario Front). Following the revolt in 1975, Spain declared its withdrawal from the area.

The Polisario Front supported and stationed in Algeria, and the Moroccan forces had to engage in occasional fighting. In 1976 the Polisario front claimed that for what it termed the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic (a government recognized by roughly 70 nations), a government was established in exile and has continued to attack Mauretanian and Moroccan outposts in western Sahara since then.

• A peace agreement was concluded between the Polisario Front and Mauritania in 1979 after Morocco captured Mauritania's Western Sahara.
• The United Nations (UN) peace plan called for a referendum among Saharawis in 1988 whether they wanted an independent Western Sahara under the leadership of the Polisario Front or if the area should be officially recognized as a part of the Kingdom of Morocco.
• In the 1990s and at the beginning of the 21st century, this long procedure that included questions over who would be qualified to vote among the traditionally nomadic Sahrawis continued to be the cause of dispute.

During this period, Morocco built its physical infrastructure in Western Sahara, while it was very opposed to its presence in the areas under its jurisdiction on its territory.

The economy of Western Sahara
The area produces camel, goat, sheep, and dried fish transported to the Canary Islands. There is minimal farming in the area, although there are animals. Potash and iron ore may be found in abundance in Agracha and elsewhere, while huge quantities of phosphates can be discovered in Bu Craa, the south-eastern town of Laayoune. However, phosphate extraction is difficult due to a shortage of water. It was regularly demolished after 1976 when the guerilla struggle against Morocco began by the Saharawis. The belt of more than 10 miles (100 km) of phosphate was frequently broken from the mines to the dock southwest Laayoune.

The landscape of Western Sahara
Due to the very flat landscape, there are several motorway routes. However, there are few paved roads. Laayoune also offers regular air services between Laayoune and Las Palmas (in the Canary Isles), Nouakchott (in Mauritania), and Casablanca, in addition to frequent air travel between Laayoune and Al-Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros) (in Morocco).

References

• Geonames
• Wikipedia

Other Databases

• Cities of Morocco
• Cities of Cabo Verde
• Algeria Zip Codes