世界各国
Western Sahara
Introduction to Western Sahara
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.
Economy
Economy overview:
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.
Agriculture products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Industries:
phosphate mining, handicrafts
Transportation
Highways:
total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km
unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
Ports and harbors:
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Airports:
11 (2003 est.)