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- <text id=93CT1534>
- <title>
- Western Sahara--Geography
- </title>
- <article><source>CIA Factbook</source><hdr>The World Factbook 1993: Western Sahara
- Geography</hdr><body>
- <p>Location: Northern Africa, along the Atlantic Ocean, between
- Morocco and Mauritania
- </p>
- <list>
- <l>Area:</l>
- <l> total area: 266,000 km2</l>
- <l> land area: 266,000 km2</l>
- <l> comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado</l>
- </list>
- <p>Land boundaries: total 2,046 km, Algeria 42 km, Mauritania
- 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
- </p>
- <p>Coastline: 1,110 km
- </p>
- <p>Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty
- issue
- </p>
- <p>International disputes: claimed and administered by Morocco,
- but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a
- referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been
- currently in effect since September 1991
- </p>
- <p>Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air
- currents produce fog and heavy dew
- </p>
- <p>Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or
- sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
- </p>
- <p>Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
- </p>
- <list>
- <l>Land use:</l>
- <l> arable land: 0%</l>
- <l> permanent crops: 0%</l>
- <l> meadows and pastures: 19%</l>
- <l> forest and woodland: 0%</l>
- <l> other: 81%</l>
- </list>
- <p>Irrigated land: NA km2
- </p>
- <p>Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur
- during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60%
- of time, often severely restricting visibility; sparse water and
- arable land
- </p></body></article></text>
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