Country Guide

This territory on the coast of northwest Africa between Morocco and Mauritania was formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Sahara. In 1975 it was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania after an agreement with Spain. In 1979, however, it was united with Morocco.

Since then it has been disputed between Morocco and the local population. It has an area about as large as the United Kingdom but a very small population.

The whole territory is part of the Sahara desert and it has a similar climate to the adjacent parts of southern Morocco and northern Mauritania.