Western Sahara

Travel Guide > Africa > Western Sahara

Introduction
Brief History
Geography
Regions
Cities
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Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting There
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Quick Facts

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Local name: As-Ṣaḥrā' al-Ġarbiyyah
Capital: El Aaiún (disputed)
Government: Sovereignity unresolved
Nationality
Population: 267,000
Religions: Islam
Languages: Arabic
Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD)
Calling Code: +212
Time Zone: UTC+0

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Introduction

better not leave the tar

Sparsely populated – an obvious consequence of its desert-dominated landscape – the contentious land of Western Sahara has been a matter of serious debate and conflict for decades. When Spain relinquished its colonial hold on the territory in 1975, neighbouring Morocco and Mauritania divided up the land between themselves, ignoring the protest of the Polisario Front, a party dedicated to the national emancipation of the Sahrawi people. To this day, the matter remains unresolved and a point of bitter division, with thousands of Moroccan troops defending their claim and occasional insurgencies led by the Polisario Front.

For these reasons, Western Sahara is hardly a holiday destination. It has been hard for journalists and human rights delegates to travel there – let alone tourists.

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Brief History

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Geography

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Regions

Western Sahara is divided into 4 provinces (wilayas)^[1]

Boujdour Province
Es Semara Province
Laâyoune Province (El Aaiún)
Oued el Dahab Province

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Cities

Boujdour
Bir Lehlou, the temporary capital, as designated by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Dakhla
El Aaiún (Laâyoune)
Smara

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Sights and Activities

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

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Getting There

By Plane

Hassan Airport (EUN) near El Aaiún receives most international flights, mainly from Agadir and Casablanca in Morocco (Royal Air Maroc and Regional Airlines) and to and from Las Palmas and several other seasonal flights from cities in Spain. Air Algérie has flights as well. Other than that there are not many options.