the history of morocco in its

relationship to the sahara and the

geographical extension of morocco
in the southern sahara

By:malak fattah
 Table of Content
1 What is the relationship between
morocco and the western sahara 5 What geographical features does
morocco have

2 Is western sahara historically moroccan

6 how much of the sahara is covered by
morocco

3 Does morocco own the sahara

7 How big is morocco including the
sahara

4 Why did western sahara split from

morocco
Definition
SADR: Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
UN: United Nations
 Discussion 1
1. Since 1963, Morocco's official position has been that
Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom.
Moroccan Sahara is referred to only as "Moroccan
Sahara," "Saharan Provinces," or "Southern
Provinces" by the Moroccan government.
2. Western Sahara is a sparsely populated desert region
located on Africa's northwest coast. Morocco annexed
the former Spanish colony in 1975. It has since been
the site of a long-running territorial dispute between
Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people, which is
led by the Polisario Front.
 Discussion 2
3. Morocco has claimed authority over Western Sahara
since 1975, but the UN does not recognize Moroccan
control, referring to Western Sahara as a "non-self-
governing territory." Morocco controls the majority of the
territory along the Atlantic coast, accounting for more
than three-quarters of the total.

4. The conflict arose from the Polisario Front's insurgency

against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975,
followed by the Western Sahara War against Morocco
from 1975 to 1991.
 Discussion 3
5. Morocco is made up of a central spine of mountains
surrounded by deserts and plains. The Atlas chain is made
up of four distinct ranges. The Anti-Atlas marks the
beginning of the Sahara proper in the far south, separating
Morocco's cities and settled agriculture from the Sahara
desert.
6. The self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic
Republic (SADR) controls approximately 20% of the
territory, while Morocco occupies and administers the
remaining 80%.
7. (172,410 square miles) excludes all disputed territories,
whereas 710,850 km2 (274,460 square miles) includes
Moroccan-claimed and partially-controlled Western
 Explanation
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Kingdom of
Morocco are at odds over Western Sahara. The conflict arose from the Polisario
Front's insurgency against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975, followed by
the Western Sahara War against Morocco from 1975 to 1991. Today, the conflict is
dominated by unarmed civil campaigns led by the Polisario Front and their self-
proclaimed SADR state to achieve Western Sahara's full independence. Despite
multiple peace initiatives in the 1990s and early 2000s, the conflict resurfaced in
2005 as the "Independence Intifada," a series of disturbances, demonstrations, and
riots that began in May 2005 in Moroccan-held portions of Western Sahara and
lasted until November of that year. Protests erupted again in Western Sahara's
Gdeim Izik refugee camp in late 2010.
Thank You