Many of them have mixed Berber-Arab heritage, effectively continuations of the tribal groupings of Hassaniya-speaking and Zenaga-Berber speaking Moorish tribes extending south into Mauritania and north into Morocco as well as east into Algeria. Protesters in Laayoune threw stones at police and set fire to tires and vehicles. Population Pyramids: India - 2050. Over roughly five centuries, through a complex process of acculturation and mixing seen elsewhere in the Maghreb and North Africa, some of the indigenous Berber tribes mixed with the Maqil Arab tribes and formed a culture unique to Morocco and Mauritania. Meanwhile, Polisario still insisted on a referendum with independence as a clear option, without offering a solution to the problem of who is qualified to be registered to participate in it. 15 DT-2004. Western Sahara is one of the most landmine-contaminated territories in the world due to a 40-year conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The accords were based on a bipartite administration, and Morocco and Mauritania each moved to annex the territories, with Morocco taking control of the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara as its Southern Provinces, and Mauritania taking control of the southern third as Tiris al-Gharbiyya. Moroccan claims of Polisario terrorism has generally little to no support abroad, with the US, EU, AU and UN all refusing to include the group on their lists of terrorist organizations. Landmine Action UK undertook preliminary survey work by visiting the Polisario-controlled area of Western Sahara in October 2005 and February–March 2006. The government has encouraged citizens to relocate to the territory by giving subsidies and price controls on basic goods. Polisario has intermittently threatened to resume fighting, referring to the Moroccan refusal of a referendum as a breach of the cease-fire terms, but most observers seem to consider armed conflict unlikely without the green light from Algeria, which houses the Sahrawis' refugee camps and has been the main military sponsor of the movement. [123] Notable poets include: Al Khadra Mabrook, Hadjatu Aliat Swelm, Beyibouh El Haj. In 1984, the African Union's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as one of its full members, with the same status as Morocco, and Morocco protested by suspending its membership to the OAU. Europe comprises the westernmost peninsulas of the continental landmass of Eurasia, and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population. The Western Sahara conflict has resulted in severe human-rights abuses, constantly reported by external reporters and HR activists,[52] most notably the displacement of tens of thousands of Sahrawi civilians from the country, the expulsion of tens of thousands of Moroccan civilians by the Algerian government from Algeria,[53] and numerous casualties of war and repression. Annual demonstrations against the Moroccan Wall are staged in the region by Sahrawis and international activists from Spain, Italy, and other mainly European countries. It also controls the part of Western Sahara to the east of the Moroccan Wall, known as the liberated territories. One such artist is Mohamed Sayad, a Sahrawi artist that has been transforming the refugee camp landscape by creating works of art amongst the devastation in camps that have existed for four decades. At the same time, Morocco and Mauritania, which had historical and competing claims of sovereignty over the territory, argued that it had been artificially separated from their territories by the European colonial powers. Western Sahara, territory occupying an extensive desert Atlantic-coastal area of northwest Africa. It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. By "eligible voter" the UN referred to any Sahrawi over 18 years of age that was part of the Spanish census or could prove their descent from someone who was. The contemporary history of the territory has experienced long-term international presence and occupation that has deeply influenced the cultural practices of the people, such as languages spoken throughout the territory and its institutions. [110] The importance and prevalence of Spanish has persisted to the present day, even after Spanish withdrawal from Western Sahara in 1976, due to various education exchanges and host programs for Sahrawi children to Spain and Cuba.[112]. [115] Similar to other nomadic traditions on the African continent, Sahrawi women traditionally exercised significant power and roles both in the camp and in their tents. UN Security Council, "Deadly Clashes as Morocco Breaks Up Western Sahara Camp", "New expulsions of Spanish citizens from Western Sahara", "Deadly Clashes Stall Western Sahara-Morocco Peace Talks", "Morocco Suffers Legal Setback As EU Official Declares Western Sahara 'Not Part of Morocco, "UN Document Says Morocco Violated Western Sahara Cease-Fire", "Morocco latest country to normalise ties with Israel in US-brokered deal", "Morocco recognized the United States in 1777. The festival provides entertainment and educational opportunities for Sahrawi refugees alongside cultural celebrations for visitors and spectators. [105], In December 2014, it became known that Seabird Exploration operated controversial seismic surveys offshore Western Sahara, in violation of the 2002 Hans Corell legal opinion.[106]. The European Union fishing agreements with Morocco include Western Sahara. Among the responsibilities women had were setting up, repairing, and moving the tents of the camp, and participating in major tribal decisions. Algeria, which also bordered the territory, viewed their demands with suspicion, as Morocco also claimed the Algerian provinces of Tindouf and Béchar. The total land area is 266,000 Km2 (102,703 sq. Mauritania withdrew its claims in 1979, and Morocco eventually secured de facto control of most of the territory, including all the major cities and natural resources. [citation needed] During the annual celebration of Muhammad's birthday, these lords paid their respects to the caliph to show loyalty to the Moroccan monarchy. The reasons for its widespread usage was due to the necessity of communicating with Spanish leadership and administrators throughout the territory, who ultimately established institutions modeled after those of Spain. This is a lived reality for children in occupied Western Sahara. On 6 November 1975 Morocco initiated the Green March into Western Sahara; 350,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the city of Tarfaya in southern Morocco and waited for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross the border in a peaceful march. Traditionally, women have played pivotal roles in Sahrawi culture, as well as in efforts to resist colonialism and foreign interference in their territory. It became a protectorate of Spain in the 19th century and was later claimed by Morocco, Mauritania, and local inhabitants. [48] As part of the Moroccan-Israeli normalisation deal, the United States established a temporary consulate post in Dakhla in January 2021 as a transition to establishing a permanent consulate within the near future.[49][50]. [89], The Polisario forces (of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army (SPLA)) in the area are divided into seven "military regions", each controlled by a top commander reporting to the President of the Polisario proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. [19] During Marinid dynasty rule, the Beni Hassan rebelled but were defeated by the Sultan and escaped beyond the Saguia el-Hamra dry river. Western Sahara ranks number 170 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population. Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). Morocco extended its control to the rest of the territory. [86] When 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 over the whole territory. [87][90] The total size of the Polisario's guerrilla army present in this area is unknown, but it is believed to number a few thousand men, despite many combatants being demobilized due to the cease-fire. [81][clarification needed] Jacob Mundi[82] considers this report as a part of the Moroccan propaganda designed to discredit the Polisario Front. Several international human rights organizations expressed concern at what they termed abuse by Moroccan security forces, and a number of Sahrawi activists have been jailed. [115] In more official ways, women were consistently part of the Polisario Front, which in 1994 created the National Union of Sahrawi Women (NUSW). [11] In both instances, recognitions have, over the past two decades, been extended and withdrawn back and forth, depending on the development of relations with Morocco. The UN and the Western Sahara Dispute", Fanack.com independent website that provides non-partisan facts and analysis of the MENA region, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Sahara&oldid=1013887350, Arabic-speaking countries and territories, Spanish-speaking countries and territories, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles lacking reliable references from October 2013, Articles with dead external links from January 2020, Articles with dead external links from August 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles lacking reliable references from May 2011, Articles lacking reliable references from July 2007, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2010, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2010, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from September 2013, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2018, Articles with failed verification from February 2007, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013, Wikipedia external links cleanup from June 2017, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Irene Fernández-Molina and Matthew Porges. Sometimes children return to the same Spanish household year after year while they are still eligible, and forge strong relationships with their host families. They are of mixed Arab-Berber descent, but claim descent from the Beni Hassan, an Arab tribe that migrated across the desert in the 11th century. For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period. Despite these possible inaccuracies, Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed on using the Spanish census as the basis for voter registration when striking a cease-fire agreement in the late 1980s, contingent on the holding of a referendum on independence or integration into Morocco. [104], In May 2006, the remaining company, Kerr-McGee, also left, following sales of numerous share holders like the National Norwegian Oil Fund, due to continued pressure from NGOs and corporate groups. The population density in Western Sahara is 2 per Km 2 (6 people per mi 2). Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated. [10] Internationally, countries such as Russia have taken a generally ambiguous and neutral position on each side's claims, and have pressed both parties to agree on a peaceful resolution. While the area can experience flash flooding in the spring, there are no permanent streams. The area is patrolled by Polisario forces,[87] and access is restricted, even among Sahrawis, due to the harsh climate of the Sahara, the military conflict and the abundance of land mines. Spain terminated its presence in Spanish Sahara within three months, repatriating Spanish remains from its cemeteries.[24]. It acknowledged that Western Sahara had historical links with Morocco and Mauritania, but not sufficient to prove the sovereignty of either State over the territory at the time of the Spanish colonization. Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²). One of Donald Trump's last decisions in office was a squalid diplomatic deal with Morocco, granting US recognition of its occupation of Western Sahara in exchange for Moroccan recognition of Israel. No major powers have expressed interest in forcing the issue, however, and Morocco has shown little interest in a real referendum. "[39] In March 2016, Morocco "expelled more than 70 U.N. civilian staffers with MINURSO" due to strained relations after Ban Ki-moon called Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara an "occupation".[40]. [citation needed] Certain powers, such as the capacity to appoint the government and to dissolve parliament, remain in the hands of the monarch. As of 2015, the population of West Asia was approximately 300 million people and covers an area of 2,415,131 square miles. [100][101][102], After reasonably exploitable oil fields were located in Mauritania, speculation intensified on the possibility of major oil resources being located off the coast of Western Sahara. Instead, he proposes, through an appointed advisory body Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), a self-governing Western Sahara as an autonomous community within Morocco. [124] Traditionally, Sahrawi poetry was performed and passed on orally: younger poets would undergo 'apprenticeships to more experienced ones, today the internet is a key way in which Sahrawi poetry is transmitted between and within generations. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. Borloo, who is a former member of the European Parliament, said … The new king, Mohammed VI of Morocco, opposes any referendum on independence, and has said Morocco will never agree to one: "We shall not give up one inch of our beloved Sahara, not a grain of its sand."[33]. In 1965, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its first resolution on Western Sahara, asking Spain to decolonize the territory. Sayad's work tells a consistent story, one that draws on his experience of protracted conflict and a life under Moroccan occupation. In November 2010 Moroccan security forces entered Gadaym Izik camp in the early hours of the morning, using helicopters and water cannon to force people to leave. After that, the draft quickly garnered widespread international support, culminating in the UN Security Council's unanimous endorsement of the plan in the summer of 2003. Every person present in the territory would be allowed to vote, regardless of birthplace and with no regard to the Spanish census. [83], A number of former Polisario officials who have defected to Morocco accuse the organisation of abuse of human rights and sequestration of the population in Tindouf.[84][85]. In late 2009, Moroccan troops performed military maneuvers near Umm Dreiga, in the exclusion zone, violating the cease-fire. Many people from parts of Morocco have come to live in the territory, and these latest arrivals are today thought to outnumber the indigenous Western Sahara Sahrawis. Difference Between Western Asia and the Middle East . Demonstrations and riots by supporters of independence or a referendum broke out in the Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara in May 2005 and in parts of southern Morocco (notably the town of Assa). [98] Supporting life in a territory with scarce freshwater resources is extremely costly. Efforts by the UN special envoys to find a common ground for both parties did not succeed. [6] In 1975, Spain relinquished the administrative control of the territory to a joint administration by Morocco (which had formally claimed the territory since 1957)[7] and Mauritania. In November 2020, the ceasefire between the Polisario Front and Morocco broke down, leading to armed clashes between both sides. Population. Pro-independence Sahrawi sources, including the Polisario, have given these demonstrations the name "Independence Intifada", while most sources have tended to see the events as being of limited importance. It is thus fitting we recognize their sovereignty over the Western Sahara", "Norwegian Refugee Council Report: Western Sahara, Occupied country, displaced people, 2008", "First foreign diplomatic post opens in Western Sahara", "Sahara: Gambia Opens Consulate in Dakhla, Dealing another Hard Blow to Polisario", "Sahara: Guinea Opens Consulate in Dakhla, Another Diplomatic Setback for Polisario", "Gabon Opens Consulate General in Laayoune", "US Consulate a turning point for disputed Western Sahara", "Violent aggression against the Saharawi political prisoners in Salé", "A Brush With Morocco's Secret Police in Laayoune, Moroccan-Occupied Western Sahara (PHOTOS)", Maroc/Algérie. These actions are closely monitored by the UN. [28] By 2001, the process had effectively stalemated and the UN Secretary-General asked the parties for the first time to explore other, third-way solutions. [5] One year later, a new resolution was passed by the General Assembly requesting that a referendum be held by Spain on self-determination. ", "CountryWatch – Interesting Facts of the World", "Western Sahara: Baker Resigns As UN Mediator After Seven Years", "Times News – Bold, Authoritative, and True", "afrol News – No plans for a referendum in Western Sahara", Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (13 April 2007)(ped). [4] Western Sahara was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring the northern two-thirds of the territory. On 18 December 2019, the Comoros became the first nation to open a consulate in Laayoune in support of Moroccan claims to Western Sahara. The population is estimated at just over 500,000,[3] of which nearly 40% live in Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara. [111], Throughout the nine decades of Spanish colonial presence, one of the primary spoken languages in Western Sahara came to be Spanish. For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used. [86] The official Moroccan government name for Western Sahara is the "Southern Provinces", consisting of the Río de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra regions. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality. Its surface area amounts to 266,000 square kilometres (103,000 sq mi). [citation needed], Like other Saharan Bedouin and Hassaniya groups, the Sahrawis are mostly Muslims of the Sunni branch and the Maliki fiqh. It was home to more than 12,000 people. Occupied by Spain until 1975, Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since 1963 after a Moroccan demand. Baker resigned his post at the United Nations in 2004; his term did not see the crisis resolved. [103] It concluded that while the existing exploration contracts for the area were not illegal, "if further exploration and exploitation activities were to proceed in disregard of the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara, they would be in violation of the principles of international law. The Sahrawis are traditionally nomadic Bedouins with a lifestyle very similar to that of the Tuareg Berbers from whom Sahrawis most likely have descended, and they can be found in all surrounding countries. Morocco Vaccinates 10% Of Population With Two Shots Against COVID-19. ARTifariti, the International Art and Human Rights Meeting in Western Sahara, is an annual art workshop set up in the Liberated Zone and refugee camps, specifically in Tifariti, that brings artists from all over the world. The northern portion of western Africa is composed of a broad band of semiarid terrain, called the western Sudan, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to the area of Lake Chad on the east, a distance of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km). Until 2017[update], no other member state of the United Nations had ever officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over parts of Western Sahara. The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, after World War II.Historians do not fully agree on the dates, but the period is generally considered to span the 1947 Truman Doctrine (12 March 1947) to the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union (26 December 1991). Mines were laid in zigzags up to one meter apart, and in some parts of the berms, there are three rows of mines. Yearly % Change: For 2019: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). Contains the electronic versions of 80 books previously published in hard copy as part of the Country Studies Series by the Federal Research Division. Lexington Books, 2015, most sparsely populated territories in the world, United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, Mediterranean acacia-argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets, Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, Morocco establishing relations with Israel, Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara, International Federation for Human Rights, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1979, President of the Polisario proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Museum of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army, Outline of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, List of national border changes since World War I, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, "Resolutions Adopted by the General Assembly During Its Twentieth Session – Resolution 2072 (XX) – Question of Ifni and Spanish Sahara", "Milestones in the Western Sahara conflict", "Documento de Trabajo núm. The arrival of Islam in the 8th century played a major role in the development of the Maghreb region. [122] His canvases, much like MESA, are walls that have been ruined by massive floods in the Sahrawi refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. [119] At this event, actors, directors, and film industry insiders from around the world join the Sahrawi people for a week-long festival of screenings, parallel activities, and concerts. [98] All of this is done to keep the balance of Western Sahara's finances. Polisario leaders maintain that they are ideologically opposed to terrorism, and insist that collective punishment and forced disappearances among Sahrawi civilians[54] should be considered state terrorism on the part of Morocco. 'Western Sahara', 266", "Explosive Ordnance Disposal and technical survey in Polisario-controlled areas of Western Sahara,", "Western Sahara under Polisario Control: Summary Report of Field Mission to the Sahrawi Refugee Camps (near Tindouf, Algeria)", "MINURSO complaint to the UN Security Council (Spanish)", "Secretary General's report to Security Council on Western Sahara, 19 April 2006 (pdf file)", "Western Sahara: Economic Considerations", "Western Sahara: Preparing the GOM For Autonomy and Negotiations with the Polisario", "Rep. Pitts lauds protection of Sahrawis in Morocco trade pact", "Western Sahara excluded from EFTA-Morocco free trade agreement", "Western Sahara "not part of EFTA-Morocco free trade, "Upstream Online: Total turns its back on Dakhla block, 2004", "Last oil company withdraws from Western Sahara", "Korsvold og SeaBird-sjefen fikk protestbrev fra det okkuperte Vest-Sahara", "European Parliament's lawyers declare EU fishing illegal", "In remote Western Sahara, prized phosphate drives controversial investments", "L'Actuel Maroc, no. Spanish decolonization proceeded more slowly, but internal political and social pressures for it in mainland Spain built up towards the end of Francisco Franco's rule. Morocco was also allowed to keep its army in the area and retain control over all security issues during both the autonomy years and the election. [123], This article is about the geographical area. The Morocco-controlled parts of Western Sahara are divided into several provinces that are treated as integral parts of the kingdom. the Spanish census). [118], FiSahara International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in one of the southwestern refugee camps in Algeria. The number was highly politically significant due to the expected organization of a referendum on self-determination. As personal envoy of the Secretary-General, James Baker visited all sides and produced the document known as the "Baker Plan". The US recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara on December 10. Algeria's population consists of 99% Arab Berbers. Dozens of Sahrawi people are mutilated or killed by landmines every year, and most of the population is confined in …

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