Is Western Sahara part of the Arab world?
Western Sahara
| Western Sahara الصحراء الغربية (Arabic) Taneẓroft Tutrimt (Berber languages) Sáhara Occidental (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Morocco (as its “Southern Provinces”) Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (in the “Free Zone”) |
| Largest city | Laayoune |
| Area | |
| • Total | 266,000 km2 (103,000 sq mi) |
What region is Western Sahara in?
Western Sahara is a sparsely-populated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of Africa. A former Spanish colony, it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then it has been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people, led by the Polisario Front.
Is Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic the same as Western Sahara?
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), also called Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic or Saharan Arab Democratic Republic, self-declared state claiming authority over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which is presently occupied by Morocco.
What happened Western Sahara?
The Western Sahara War was an armed conflict, lasting from 1975 to 1991, fought primarily between the Polisario Front and Morocco. Some 40,000–80,000 Sahrawi refugees were displaced as a result of the conflict; at present, most still reside in various Sahrawi refugee camps throughout the Tindouf province of Algeria.
Where is Western Sahara located in the world?
It is part of the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. It is located in the Northern and Western Hemisphere regions of the Earth. Western Sahara shares its land borders with Morocco and Algeria to the north and northeast respectively, and Mauritania to the east and south.
What kind of people live in Western Sahara?
They largely speak Hassaniya, a dialect of Arabic. They live in Western Sahara, Morocco, and parts of Mauritania and since 1975, many have been forced to move to refugee camps in southwest Algeria. Some also live in Spain. The Polisario Front estimates the indigenous population of Western Sahara at between 350,000 and 500,000.
What did Algeria do for the Western Sahara?
Algeria has supported the independence of the whole of Western Sahara since 1975, when Spanish forces and settlers withdrew from the area. It is one of the few countries to do so in the Arab League. It has provided aid to the ‘Polisario Front’. Algeria’s role became indirect, through political and military support for the Polisario Front.
Why did Spain take over the Western Sahara?
The Polisario Front, an independence movement in Western Sahara, saw Spain’s decision as an affront to their self-determination and clashed with both Morocco and Mauritania over control. In 1975, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) was established and claimed control over the entire region.