Name
A self-descriptive name, Western Sahara specifies the territory’s western location on the African continent’s vast desert.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Western Sahara
23.97° N, 12.63° W
The population grows 2.54% a year, at 28 per 1,000 births per 1,000 people.
population growth +2.54% · 17th/230 · birth rate 28 per 1,000 · 34th/226
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 603,253
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 266,000 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 90,592 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 6.7 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- EH · ESH
- GDP
- No source connected
Western Sahara 266,000 km²Guyana 214,969 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Western Sahara sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Fertility rate3.65 children per woman31st of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population603,253171st of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area266,000 km²78th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline1,110 km81st of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Geography
Between Mauritania and Morocco, Western Sahara borders the North Atlantic Ocean in Northern Africa. The terrain is mostly low, flat desert, with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in the south and northeast.
Phosphates and iron ore are natural resources. The waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas. The highest point is an unnamed elevation. Sebjet Tah is the lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Climate
Hot, dry desert conditions define Western Sahara, where rain is rare and cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew. During winter and spring, hot, dry, dust- and sand-laden sirocco winds can occur, while widespread harmattan haze often severely restricts visibility.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
People
- Birth rate
- 28 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 7.7 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 3.65 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- +2.54% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Urban population
- 86.8%
- Field “People and Society → Urbanization → urban population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- Standard Arabic
- Hassaniya Arabic
- Moroccan Arabic
- Berber
- Spanish
- French
- Field “People and Society → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Religions
- Muslim
- Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 266,000 km²Land 266,000 km² · Water 0 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 1,110 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 2,049 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Mean elevation
- 256 m
- Field “Geography → Elevation → mean elevation” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 805 m unnamed elevation
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Within
Borders
Natural geography 1
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID