Western Sahara Geography Profile 2008

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Location

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco

Geographic coordinates

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries

total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Coastline

1,110 km

Maritime claims

contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Climate

hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

Terrain

mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed elevation 805 m

Natural resources

phosphates, iron ore

Land use

arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.98% (2005)

Irrigated land

NA

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility

Environment - current issues

sparse water and lack of arable land

Environment - international agreements

party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas


Source: CIA World Factbook
Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of May 16, 2008