Southern Provinces

Western Sahara was formerly a Spanish colony known as the Spanish Sahara. In the 1970s, Spain faced mounting pressure from Morocco to relinquish the territory, culminating in the Green March, a large-scale demonstration organized by the Moroccan government on November 6, 1975 in order to compel Spain to transfer Western Sahara to Morocco. The Madrid Accords, ratified just 12 days after the Green March, stipulated that Spain would exit Western Sahara by February 28, 1976, at the latest. Subsequently, Morocco and Mauritania signed the Western Sahara partition agreement on April 14, 1976. This agreement led to Morocco assuming control over Saguia el-Hamra, while Mauritania took charge of Río de Oro, renaming it as Tiris al-Gharbiyya.

A locally based Sahrawi national liberation movement, known as the Polisario Front, initiated a guerrilla war on February 27, 1976, with significant financial and logistical support from Algeria and Libya. Their goal was to achieve independence for the territory under the banner of the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" (SADR).

After years of conflict in Western Sahara, Mauritania signed a peace agreement with the Polisario Front in 1979, formally renouncing its claim to the southern part of the territory. With Mauritania's withdrawal, Morocco moved quickly to annex the area previously held by Mauritania, effectively extending its occupation over part of the region known as Río de Oro.

Since a United Nations-brokered ceasefire agreement in 1991, approximately two-thirds of the territory has been occupied by Morocco, encompassing most of the coastline. This area is separated from the eastern third controlled by the Polisario Front, referred to by them as the Free Zone, by the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall or "the Berm".

The ceasefire line corresponds to the route of the Berm, with both sides asserting sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has received recognition from 84 nations and is a full member of the African Union, though not of the UN. The Arab League implicitly recognizes Moroccan territorial integrity, albeit with significant reservations from Algeria and Syria.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

File:Map of Morocco and Western Sahara-fr.svg

The Moroccan government exercises control over approximately two-thirds of Western Sahara (the portion west of the Berm), while the remaining part constitutes the Polisario Front-controlled Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Morocco treats the two-thirds of Western Sahara under its control as integral Moroccan territory. The government implements various economic and social development initiatives, incorporating these "Southern Provinces" into the national budget for government funding, national sports competitions, educational programs, and national parliamentary elections. The total population of Western Sahara is around 576,000.{{cite web|url=https://population.un.org/wpp/|title=World Population Prospects 2019|author=United Nations|website=population.un.org|access-date=October 13, 2022|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017012512/https://population.un.org/wpp/|url-status=live}} Coastal areas are utilized for fishing, and land areas are exploited for phosphate mining by both government and private entities.

In terms of administration, Morocco divided its controlled territory into administrative units (wilayas). Flags and coats of arms were established for the three wilayas of Boujdour,{{cite web |url=http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-bod.html |title=Boujdour province, Morocco |access-date=March 20, 2007 |work=crwflags.com |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707064841/http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-bod.html |url-status=live }} Smara, and Laayoune.{{cite web |url=http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-laa.html |title=Laayoune province, Morocco |access-date=March 20, 2007 |work=crwflags.com |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707070510/http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-laa.html |url-status=live }}

In 1983, further changes occurred, resulting in the establishment of four wilayas, with the addition of Dakhla.{{cite web |url=http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-xdk.html |title=Dakhla (Oued Eddahab-Lagouira) Province, Morocco |access-date=March 20, 2007 |work=crwflags.com |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707070944/http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-xdk.html |url-status=live }} In 1990, Wadi al-Dhahab (Río de Oro) was also incorporated.

As of 2022, the Southern Provinces are organized into three regions: Guelmim-Oued Noun in the north, Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra in the center, and Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab in the south. These regions are further subdivided into ten provinces. The regions of Guelmim-Oued Noun and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra encompass parts of the Western Saharan territory as well as undisputed Moroccan territory to the north.

Morocco has designated a separate satellite TV channel for audiences in the Southern Provinces, known as Laayoune TV.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

{{Main|Moroccan settlers}}

Following the 1975 Green March, the Moroccan state initiated settlement programs that encouraged numerous Moroccans to relocate to the Moroccan-administered portion of Western Sahara (accounting for approx. 70% of the disputed territory).{{Cite web |title=Western Sahara: Provinces & Urban Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/westernsahara/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=citypopulation.de}}

By 2015, it was estimated that Moroccan settlers constituted at least two-thirds of the 500,000 inhabitants.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/06/morocco-western-sahara-referendum-delay|title=Western Sahara's stranded refugees consider renewal of Morocco conflict|date=January 6, 2015|website=the Guardian|access-date=February 27, 2021|archive-date=December 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222133857/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/06/morocco-western-sahara-referendum-delay|url-status=live}} In addition to offering a right of return for the Sahrawi refugees, the Sahrawi government in exile expressed a willingness to grant Sahrawi citizenship to Moroccan settlers and their descendants in a prospective independent state.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iss.co.za/dynamic/administration/file_manager/file_links/OP155.PDF?link_id=21&slink_id=5215&link_type=12&slink_type=23&tmpl_id=3|title=South African Institute for Security Studies|access-date=February 11, 2017|archive-date=July 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726103651/http://www.iss.co.za/dynamic/administration/file_manager/file_links/OP155.PDF?link_id=21&slink_id=5215&link_type=12&slink_type=23&tmpl_id=3|url-status=dead}}[http://geo.international.gc.ca/world/site/includes/print.asp?lang=fr&print=1&url=%2Fcanada_un%2Fottawa%2Fcanada_un%2Funupdate-fr.asp&id=9376 Canadian Government Website report on SADR offer of citizenship to Moroccan settlers]{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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{{Portal|Western Sahara|Morocco}}

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Category:Former regions of Morocco

Category:Western Sahara conflict

Category:Disputed territories in Africa

Category:Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Category:States and territories established in 1971

Category:States and territories disestablished in 1997

Category:1971 establishments in Morocco

Category:1970s establishments in Western Sahara

Category:1997 disestablishments in Africa

Category:Geographical naming disputes