Western Sahara is located in the Northern Africa region at latitude 24.5 and longitude -13 and is part of the African continent.
The DMS coordinates for the center of the country are:
- 24ยฐ 30' 0'' N
- 13ยฐ 0' 0'' W
You can see the location of Western Sahara on the world map below:
Maritime Borders
Western Sahara borders Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast and Mauritania to the east and south, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Western Sahara Key Facts
| Country | Western Sahara |
| Coordinates | Latitude: 24.5 Longitude: -13 |
| Country Codes | Alpha 2: EH Alpha 3: ESH |
| Country Flag Emoji | ๐ช๐ญ |
| Int. Phone Prefix | +212 |
| Capital city | Laayoune (El Aaiรบn) โ largest city |
| Continent Subcontinent | Africa Northern Africa |
| Country Area | 266000 sq km |
| Population 2023 | 600,000 World Rank: 170 |
| Median Age | 22 |
| Life expectancy | 70.0 |
| Major languages | Arabic (Hassaniya), Spanish, Berber |
| UTC/GMT Time | Number of time zones: 1
|
| Internet TLD | .eh |
| Biggest Airport | Hassan I Airport, Laayoune (EUN) |
| Average temperature | 22 ยฐC 72 ยฐF |
| Administrative Divisions | Disputed administration |
| Political system | Disputed territory (administered mostly by Morocco; claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) |
Western Sahara Economy Facts
| World Bank Income Group | Lower middle income |
| World Bank Region | Middle East & North Africa |
| Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| GDP in 2023 | $2.5 (billions of USD) World Rank: 186 |
| GDP per capita in 2023 | $4,200 World Rank: 145 |
| Major Industries / Economic Sectors | Phosphate mining, fishing, nomadic herding |
| Top 5 Import Countries | (via Morocco) |
| Top 5 Export Countries | Phosphates, fish |
Biggest Cities in Western Sahara
Here are the largest cities in Western Sahara based on data:
| City | Population |
|---|
| Laayoune (El Aaiรบn) | 220,000 | Dakhla | 100,000 | Smara | 57,000 |
Map of Western Sahara with the Largest Cities
Other Countries in the Northern Africa Region
- Where is Algeria?
- Where is Benin?
- Where is Burkina Faso?
- Where is Cabo Verde?
- Where is Cameroon?
- Where is Chad?
- Where is Comoros?
- Where is Djibouti?
- Where is Egypt?
- Where is Equatorial Guinea?
- Where is Eritrea?
- Where is Ethiopia?
- Where is Gabon?
- Where is Gambia?
- Where is Ghana?
- Where is Guinea-Bissau?
- Where is Guinea?
- Where is Ivory Coast (Cรดte d’Ivoire)?
- Where is Liberia?
- Where is Libya?
- Where is Mali?
- Where is Mauritania?
- Where is Morocco?
- Where is Niger?
- Where is Nigeria?
- Where is Sao Tome and Principe?
- Where is Senegal?
- Where is Sierra Leone?
- Where is Somalia?
- Where is Sudan?
- Where is the Central African Republic?
- Where is Togo?
- Where is Tunisia?
Geography
Western Sahara is a large, sparsely populated desert territory on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa, bordered by Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania. Most of its 266,000 square kilometres is flat, arid Saharan terrain.
Its status is unresolved: Morocco controls and administers most of it, while the Polisario Front’s Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the whole territory.
Is Western Sahara a country?
Western Sahara is a disputed, non-self-governing territory โ Africa’s last major unresolved decolonisation case. Morocco administers and claims about 80% of it, separated by a long sand berm from the area held by the Polisario Front’s Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which the United Nations still lists for a self-determination referendum.
| Status | Disputed territory (administered mostly by Morocco; claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) |
| Sovereign state | Disputed (Morocco / SADR) |
| Capital | Laayoune (El Aaiรบn) โ largest city |
| Population | 600,000 |
| Area | 266000 kmยฒ |
| Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| Official language(s) | Arabic (Hassaniya), Spanish, Berber |
| ISO 3166 code | EH / ESH |
| Calling code | +212 |
| Internet TLD | .eh |
Climate
Western Sahara has a hot desert climate averaging about 22ยฐC (72ยฐF) on the coast and much hotter inland, with very little rainfall and cooling Atlantic sea breezes along the shore.
Economy
The territory’s economy centres on phosphate mining at Bou Craa, one of the world’s largest deposits, along with rich Atlantic fisheries and traditional nomadic herding โ much of it run under Moroccan administration.
Western Sahara in its region
Western Sahara stretches along the Atlantic coast between Morocco to the north and Mauritania to the south and east, with Algeria touching its northeastern corner.
Administrative divisions
Administration of Western Sahara is disputed: Morocco governs most of the territory through its regional system centred on Laayoune, while the area east of the berm is controlled by the Polisario Front.
