Western Sahara - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Western Sahara. The waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas. Mother's mean age at first birth is (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is

Geographical data of Western Sahara
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references Africa
Tarrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Natural Resources phosphates, iron ore
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
Irrigated Land 0 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 2,049 km
Border Countries Algeria 41 km, Mauritania 1564 km, Morocco 444 km
Coastline 1,110 km
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Area
Total Area 266,000 sq km
Land Area 266,000 sq km
Water Area 0 sq km
comparative Area about the size of Colorado
Maritime Claims
Elevations
Mean elevation 256 m
Lowest point Sebjet Tah -55 m
Highest point unnamed elevation 805 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 18.8% (2011 est.)
Arable land / permanent crops / permanent pasture 0% (2011 est.) / 0% (2011 est.) / 18.8% (2011 est.)
Forest 2.7% (2011 est.)
Other 78.5% (2011 est.)
Population Distribution

Most of the population lives in the two-thirds of the area west of the berm (Moroccan-occupied) that divides the territory; about 40% of that populace resides in Laayoune as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Western Sahara, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Arab, Berber

Population 652,271 (July 2020 est.)
Pop growth rate 2.54% (2020 est.)
Birth rate 28 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Death rate 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Health expenditure
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density
Total fertility rate 3.65 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Est married women (ages 15-49)
Literacy
Education expenditures NA
Net Migration rate 4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Nationality Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian | Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
Languages Standard Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber, Spanish, French
Religions Muslim
Age Structure
0-14 years 36.29% (male 119,719/female 116,997)
15-24 years 19.44% (male 63,852/female 62,954)
25-54 years 34.9% (male 112,301/female 115,313)
55-64 years 5.27% (male 16,095/female 18,292)
65 years and over 4.1% (male 11,802/female 14,946) (2020 est.)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 44.1
Youth dependency ratio 39.2
Elderly dependency ratio 4.9
Potential support ratio 20.4 (2020 est.)
Median Age
Total 21.8 years
Male 21.4 years
Female 22.3 years (2020 est.)
Urbanization
Urban population 86.8% of total population (2020)
Rate of urbanization 2.61% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 232,000 Laayoune (2018).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years 0.97 male(s)/female
55-64 years 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 47.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Male 52.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 43.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 64.5 years
Male 62.1 years
Female 67 years (2020 est.)
Demographic profile
Western Sahara is a non-self governing territory; approximately 75% is under Moroccan control. It was inhabited almost entirely by Sahrawi pastoral nomads until the mid-20th century. Their traditional vast migratory ranges, based on following unpredictable rainfall, did not coincide with colonial and later international borders. Since the 1930s, most Sahrawis have been compelled to adopt a sedentary lifestyle and to live in urban settings as a result of fighting, the presence of minefields, job opportunities in the phosphate industry, prolonged drought, the closure of Western Sahara's border with Mauritania from 1979-2002, and the construction of the defensive berm separating Moroccan- and Polisario-controlled (Sahrawi liberalization movement) areas. Morocco supported rapid urbanization to facilitate surveillance and security. ++ Today more than 80% of Western Sahara's population lives in urban areas; more than 40% live in the administrative center Laayoune. Moroccan immigration has altered the composition and dramatically increased the size of Western Sahara's population. Morocco maintains a large military presence in Western Sahara and has encouraged its citizens to settle there, offering bonuses, pay raises, and food subsidies to civil servants and a tax exemption, in order to integrate Western Sahara into the Moroccan Kingdom and, Sahrawis contend, to marginalize the native population. ++ Western Saharan Sahrawis have been migrating to Europe, principally to former colonial ruler Spain, since the 1950s. Many who moved to refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, also have migrated to Spain and Italy, usually alternating between living in cities abroad with periods back at the camps. The Polisario claims that the population of the Tindouf camps is about 155,000, but this figure may include thousands of Arabs and Tuaregs from neighboring countries. Because international organizations have been unable to conduct an independent census in Tindouf, the UNHCR bases its aid on a figure of 90,000 refugees. Western Saharan coastal towns emerged as key migration transit points (for reaching Spain's Canary Islands) in the mid-1990s, when Spain's and Italy's tightening of visa restrictions and EU pressure on Morocco and other North African countries to control illegal migration pushed Sub-Saharan African migrants to shift their routes to the south.
All Important Facts about Western Sahara

Want to know more about Western Sahara? Check all different factbooks for Western Sahara below.

Western Sahara is found in Northern Africa