AFRICA
Western Sahara
Population
600,904
Health Alerts
0
Last Updated
Apr 23, 2026
About Western SaharaOverview, geography, and key facts
Western Sahara is a United Nations–recognized non-self-governing territory in north-western Africa. It has a surface area of 272,000 square kilometres (105,000 sq mi). Western Sahara is the last African colonial state yet to achieve independence and has been dubbed "Africa's last colony". With an estimated population of around 600,000 inhabitants, it is the most sparsely populated territory in Africa and the second most sparsely populated territory in the world after Greenland, consisting mainly of desert flatlands.
Capital
El Aaiún
Population
600,904
Area
266,000 km²
Languages
Berber, Hassaniya, Spanish
Currency
Algerian dinar (DZD)
Currency & Economy
- Currency
- Algerian dinar (DZD)
Geography & Practical Details
- Region
- Africa
- Capital
- El Aaiún
- Area
- 266,000 km²
- Population
- 600,904
- Timezone
- UTC+00:00
- Languages
- Berber, Hassaniya, Spanish
- Calling Code
- +2125288
- Drives On
- Right
- ISO Code
- EH