I.

Introduction

Western Sahara, (formerly Spanish Sahara), north-western Africa, former overseas province of Spain partitioned in 1976 between Mauritania and Morocco, and since 1979, occupied entirely by Morocco. Western Sahara has an area of 252,120 sq km (97,344 sq mi) and is bounded on the north by Morocco, on the north-east by Algeria, on the east and south by Mauritania, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.