Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية República Árabe Saharaui Democrática
Flag
Capital	Laayoune
Capital-in-exile	Tifariti
Official languages	Arabic Spanish
Area
• Total	266,000 km²
Population
• 2022 estimate	565,581

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognized state in North Africa. Much of its territory is currently occupied by Morocco, which receives 91% of its weapons from the United States.

History

The current territory of the Western Sahara was colonized by the Spanish in 1884. Spain discovered the world’s largest phosphate deposit at Saguia el-Hamra in 1949. Morocco gained independence in 1956 and attempted to take control of the Western Sahara, but the Moroccan Liberation Army was defeated by troops from fascist Spain. In February 1958, Spain and France launched an offensive that caused the Saharan Liberation Army to be disbanded.

In 1973, El-Ouali Mustafa Sayed founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Polisario Front). The Polisario Front began a guerrilla warfare campaign and Spain lost control of the Western Sahara in 1975. Morocco and Mauritania invaded Western Sahara and partitioned it between them, and the leaders of the Polisario Front leaders fled to Algeria.

In February 1976, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was founded, and the World Court recognized it as the legitimate government of Western Sahara. Mauritania withdrew from the region in 1979, but Morocco continued to fight against the Polisario Front until 1991.