Identity
Name origin: self-descriptive name specifying the territory's western location on the African continent's vast desert.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Western Sahara
AfricaHidden Gem
Western Sahara is a hidden standout in un sdg food waste per capita. Explore more of Western Sahara's hidden strengths.
Western Sahara is a hidden standout in un sdg food waste per capita. Ranking #22 with 178, it's an overlooked achiever. Explore more of Western Sahara's hidden strengths.
24.5, -13.0 - Africa
Area
266K km²
Pop.
Known
Stats
21
Reality brief
Western Sahara is a country in Africa an area of 266,000 km².
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Expectancy
71.4 years#160globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Food Waste per Person
178.03 kg/person/yr#22globally
Estimated kilograms of food waste per person per year from the UN Global SDG Indicators Database.
Electricity Carbon Intensity
666.67 gCO2/kWh#24globally
Power-sector CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour of electricity generation.
Fertility Rate
3.6 children/woman#31globally
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
Urban Population (%)
86.8%#47globally
The percentage of people living in cities and urban areas.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Western Sahara
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Geography
Size snapshot: about the size of Colorado.
CIA 2026
Culture
Major languages include Standard Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber, and more.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Coastline Length
1.1K km#82globally
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Land Border Length
2.0K km#88globally
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #227 in lowest elevation
#227-55 mLowest Elevation
Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #186 in irrigated land
#1860 km²Irrigated Land
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Factbook notes
About Western Sahara
Country briefing
Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria.
Read the full Factbook note
Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum on the question of independence never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The approximately 1,600 km- (almost 1,000 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces, with Morocco controlling the roughly three-quarters of the territory west of the berm. There are periodic ethnic tensions between the native Sahrawi population and Moroccan immigrants. Morocco maintains a heavy security presence in the territory. The UN revived direct talks about the territory between Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania in December 2018.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
- Climate
- hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
- Terrain
- 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
- Size Comparison
- about the size of Colorado
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Standard Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber, Spanish, French
- Religions
- Muslim
- Ethnic Groups
- Arab, Berber
- Major Cities
- 232,000 Laayoune (2018)
Government & History3 facts
- Government Type
- legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), near Tindouf, Algeria, led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ until his death in May 2016; current President Brahim GHALI elected in July 2016; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976 when Spain withdrew, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; Morocco between 1980 and 1987 built a fortified sand berm delineating the roughly 75% of Western Sahara west of the barrier that currently is controlled by Morocco; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
- Capital Timezone
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- self-descriptive name specifying the territory's western location on the African continent's vast desert
Economy & Trade4 facts
- Overview
- Western Sahara has a small market-based economy whose main industries are fishing, phosphate mining, tourism, and pastoral nomadism. The territory's arid desert climate makes sedentary agriculture difficult, and much of its food is imported. The Moroccan Government administers Western Sahara's economy and is a key source of employment, infrastructure development, and social spending in the territory. ++ Western Sahara's unresolved legal status makes the exploitation of its natural resources a contentious issue between Morocco and the Polisario. Morocco and the EU in December 2013 finalized a four-year agreement allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. As of April 2018, Moroccan and EU authorities were negotiating an amendment to renew the agreement. ++ Oil has never been found in Western Sahara in commercially significant quantities, but Morocco and the Polisario have quarreled over rights to authorize and benefit from oil exploration in the territory. Western Sahara's main long-term economic challenge is the development of a more diverse set of industries capable of providing greater employment and income to the territory. However, following King MOHAMMED VI's November 2015 visit to Western Sahara, the Government of Morocco announced a series of investments aimed at spurring economic activity in the region, while the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises announced a $609 million investment initiative in the region in March 2015.
- Industries
- phosphate mining, handicrafts
- Export Commodities
- phosphates 62% (2012 est.)
- Import Commodities
- fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Demographics5 statsBest: #31
Fertility Rate
Birth Rate
Urban Population (%)
Death Rate
Median Age
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #82
Coastline Length
1.1K km#82
Land Border Length
2.0K km#88
Highest Elevation
805 m#179
Lowest Elevation
-55 m#227
Infrastructure1 statsBest: #152
Airports
Health & Survival1 statsBest: #160
Life Expectancy
Environment1 statsBest: #186
Irrigated Land
0 km²#186
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Western Sahara
#160 in Life Expectancy
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Top 64% globally
71.4 years
Frequently Asked Questions about Western Sahara
What continent is Western Sahara in?
Western Sahara is located in Africa. It has an area of 266,000 km².
What is Western Sahara known for in global statistics?
Western Sahara ranks particularly high in Life Expectancy (#160), Food Waste per Person (#22), Electricity Carbon Intensity (#24).