Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a disputed territory in northwest Africa on the Atlantic coast, bordered by Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa, administered mostly by Morocco. The United Nations lists it as a non-self-governing territory with an unresolved political status.

What it is

Western Sahara is a sparsely populated desert region about the size of the UK, bordered by Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Atlantic. It was a Spanish colony called Spanish Sahara until the mid-1970s, after which Morocco annexed most of it. The Polisario Front, an independence movement, controls a smaller eastern area and claims the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Why it matters

The territory's disputed status remains one of Africa's longest-running decolonization cases. It has significant phosphate reserves, rich fishing grounds, and potential offshore oil. The UN has maintained a peacekeeping mission (MINURSO) since 1991, but a political settlement has not been reached. Canada's diplomatic interest relates to its support for UN processes and self-determination.

Key details

Most of the roughly 670,000 people live in a few urban centres like Laayoune, the territory's capital. The land is mostly desert, with some fertile areas near oases. Resource control is central to the conflict—Morocco benefits from phosphate mining and fishing, while the Polisario Front argues those resources belong to the Sahrawi people.