Western
Sahara
Western
Sahara is one of the most sparsely populated territories in
the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands.The
Atlantic coast is a bleak and often windswept region, but
has a stark beauty of its own. If it ever opens up, the
desert inland could be a wild region to
explore.
Population
268,000
Ethnic
groups Arab,
Berber
Religions
Muslim
Politics
The legal status of the territory and the question of its
sovereignty remains unresolved; the territory is contested
between Morocco and Polisario Front representing the native
Sahrawi people. It is considered a non self-governed
territory by the United Nations.
Demonstrations and protests were still occurring in March
2006. The Polisario Front has intermittently threatened to
resume fighting, referring to the Moroccan refusal of a
referendum on independence as a breach of the cease-fire
terms, but most observers seem to consider armed conflict
unlikely.
Economy
Western Sahara has no railways, and only 6,200km of roads,
of which 1,350km are metalled.The economy is centred around
nomadic herding, fishing, and phosphate mining. Most food
for the urban population is imported. All trade and other
economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan
government.
Geography
and People
The terrain is mostly low, flat desert with large areas of
rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in the
south and northeast. The climate is hot, dry desert; rain
is rare, cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy
dew on the coast.
The Sahrawis are traditionally nomadic bedouins. The
Polisario-controlled parts of Western Sahara are barren and
have no resident population, but they are travelled by
small numbers of Sahrawis herding camels, going back and
forth between the Tindouf area and Mauritania. However, the
presence of mines scattered throughout the territory by
both the Polisario and the Moroccan army makes it a
dangerous way of life.
(edited.
Wikipedia, BBC, The Africa Guide, Bradt)