Economy of Western Sahara

Economy of Western Sahara
CurrencyMoroccan Dirham (MAD) de facto
calendar year
Trade organisations
Morocco claims and administers most of Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic laying claim to the territory has ratified AEC treaty, but is not active;
Statistics
GDP$908.9 million (2007 est)
GDP per capita
2,500 (2007 est)
Labour force
144,000 (2012)
Labour force by occupation
agriculture (50%), services (50%)
Main industries
Phosphates, fishing
External
Export goods
phosphates 62%
Import goods
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Public finances
N/A
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.
Politics of the SADR
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Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Politics
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Elections
Foreign relations
Politics of Morocco
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Bou Craa phosphate mine 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) from the coastal city of El Aaiún, Western Sahara. Two Landsat images show growth of the mine between 1987 and 2000.

The majority of the territory of Western Sahara is currently administered by the Kingdom of Morocco. As such, the majority of the economic activity of Western Sahara happens in the framework of the economy of Morocco.

In the Moroccan-administered territory, fishing and phosphate mining are the principal sources of income for the population.[1] The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production;[2] hence, most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan government.[1]

The Free Zone (POLISARIO-administered territory) is mainly uninhabited. There is practically no economical infrastructure and the main activity is camel herding nomadism. The government-in-exile of the Polisario Front had also signed contracts for oil exploration,[3] but there is no practical work, because the zones given are in the Moroccan-controlled part of the territory.[citation needed]

Key agricultural products from Western Sahara include fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases), as well as camels, sheep and goats. Fishing and oil exploration contracts concerning Western Sahara are sources of political tension.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference CIA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Western Sahara". www.cia.gov. CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 12 June 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Oil Prices in US Dollars ($) per Barrel (and Litre) - USA Oil Rates". oilpricez.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Harris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).