Western Sahara 🇪🇭

Western Sahara lies in Northern Africa, and it is a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and listed by the UN as non-self-governing. The long form of the name is Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The capital is El Aaiún.

Some 600,000 people call it home, placing it 172nd of 250 by population — between Montenegro above it and Malta below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 6th of 7 in size and 7th in population.

Its territory runs to 266,000 km², which ranks it 79th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Gabon and just ahead of Guinea. Put next to a territory most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as New Zealand.

How Western Sahara sits on the globe

Plotted on a globe it falls at 24.5° north, 13.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,727 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.

The Tropic of Cancer runs through or very close to it. Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Bangladesh — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.

Its land neighbours number 3: Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco. The largest of them by area is Algeria, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 90.1 million people.

Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.

Population, density and language

Density comes out at around 2.3 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.

Officially it is multilingual, listing Berber, Hassaniya and Spanish. Hassaniya is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Western Sahara. Berber, the first listed, is shared with 1 other entry worldwide.

People from Western Sahara are called Sahrawis.

Inside Africa it places 53rd of 59 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Northern Africa.

Currency and codes

More than one currency circulates: Algerian dinar (DZD), Moroccan dirham (MAD) and Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU). It shares that currency with Algeria.

Websites there use the .eh domain. Its ISO codes are eh and ESH, which is what most databases and flag files use.

El Aaiún is the city to remember for this territory.

Western Sahara does not hold a seat at the United Nations, but it is not a dependency of another state either: it is a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and listed by the UN as non-self-governing. That is why it appears among the 250 entries on this site while the familiar count of UN member states stops at 193. Where a figure depends on that distinction, this site says which rule it used rather than quietly picking one.

Neighbouring countries

Western Sahara shares borders with 3 countries:

• 🇩🇿 Algeria
• 🇲🇷 Mauritania
• 🇲🇦 Morocco

Fun facts about Western Sahara

• Ranked by land area, Western Sahara is 79th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
• In land area it is almost exactly the same size as New Zealand.
• Its full official name is Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
• It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
• Its capital city is El Aaiún.
• Hassaniya is listed as an official language for no other entry in this dataset.

Western Sahara — frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Western Sahara?

The capital of Western Sahara is El Aaiún.

What currency does Western Sahara use?

Western Sahara uses the Algerian dinar, written دج (currency code DZD). It is shared with 1 other entry: Algeria.

How big is Western Sahara?

Western Sahara covers 266,000 km², ranking 79th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as New Zealand.

Which countries border Western Sahara?

Western Sahara borders 3 countries: Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco. Algeria is the largest of them by area.

What language is spoken in Western Sahara?

Western Sahara lists 3 official languages: Berber, Hassaniya and Spanish. Hassaniya does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.

What is the population of Western Sahara?

Western Sahara has a population of about 600,000, which makes it the 172nd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Montenegro sits just above it and Malta just below.

Where is Western Sahara located?

Western Sahara is in Northern Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 24.5° north and 13.0° west, roughly 2,727 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.

Is Western Sahara a country?

It depends on the rule you use, which is why the answer is worth spelling out. Western Sahara is a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and listed by the UN as non-self-governing. It is not a dependency of another state, so lists of dependent territories leave it out, and it is not a UN member, so the familiar count of 193 leaves it out too. It appears here with its own flag, capital and statistics like every other entry.