Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
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Geographic coordinates:
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24 30 N, 13 00 W
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about the size of Colorado
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
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Coastline:
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1,110 km
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Maritime claims:
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contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
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Climate:
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hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
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Terrain:
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mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, iron ore
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
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Environment - current issues:
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sparse water and lack of arable land
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
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Economy - overview:
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Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the European Union signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006, the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$NA
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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NA
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA%
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$NA
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40%
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Labor force:
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12,000
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 50%
industry and services: 50%
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Unemployment rate:
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NA%
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish
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Industries:
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phosphate mining, handicrafts
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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85 million kWh (2004)
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Electricity - consumption:
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79.05 million kWh (2004)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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1,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Exports:
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$NA
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Exports - commodities:
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phosphates 62%
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Exports - partners:
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Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)
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Imports:
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$NA
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Imports - commodities:
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fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
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Imports - partners:
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Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)
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Debt - external:
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$NA
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA
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Currency (code):
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Moroccan dirham (MAD)
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Exchange rates:
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Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Disputes - international:
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Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria
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This page was last updated on 15 March, 2007
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