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NAVIGATION
Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
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Government type:
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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),led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, 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 OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991 |
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Capital:
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none |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (under de facto control of Morocco) |
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Suffrage:
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none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed |
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Executive branch:
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none |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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none |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none |
ECONOMY
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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. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: 40% (1996 est.) |
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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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Labor force:
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12,000 |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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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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90 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) hydro: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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83.7 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1,800 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) |
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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 |
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Imports:
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$NA |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA |
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Currency:
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Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
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Currency code:
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MAD |
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Exchange rates:
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Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |