_#_Coastline: 1,110 km
_#_Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
_#_Disputes: claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and guerrilla fighting continues in the area
_#_Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore currents produce fog and heavy dew
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 0%; other 81%
_#_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
_*People #_Population: 196,737 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1991)