Southern Provinces

<h2 id="background">Background</h2>
<a href="/facts/Western_Sahara/xAmSkuJl">Western Sahara</a> was formerly a Spanish colony known as the <a href="/facts/Spanish_Sahara/AxCcajl8">Spanish Sahara</a>. In the 1970s, <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spain</a> faced mounting pressure from <a href="/facts/Morocco/6ly8170M">Morocco</a> to relinquish the territory, culminating in the <a href="/facts/Green_March/zrFWmum7">Green March</a>, a large-scale demonstration organized by the <a href="/facts/Moroccan_government/upn2dxfe">Moroccan government</a> on November 6, 1975 in order to compel Spain to transfer Western Sahara to Morocco. The <a href="/facts/Madrid_Accords/SNbzameN">Madrid Accords</a>, 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 <a href="/facts/Mauritania/JcP8EJku">Mauritania</a> signed the <a href="/facts/Western_Sahara_partition_agreement/nxlcLqd0">Western Sahara partition agreement</a> on April 14, 1976. This agreement led to Morocco assuming control over <a href="/facts/Saguia_el-Hamra/EfHQthRl">Saguia el-Hamra</a>, while <a href="/facts/Mauritania/JcP8EJku">Mauritania</a> took charge of <a href="/facts/R%25C3%25ADo_de_Oro/N56NSm8x">Río de Oro</a>, renaming it as <a href="/facts/Tiris_al-Gharbiyya/Wdfb34QJ">Tiris al-Gharbiyya</a>. 
A locally based <a href="/facts/Sahrawis/376dThRV">Sahrawi</a> national <a href="/facts/Liberation_movement/JpSFjFE4">liberation movement</a>, known as the <a href="/facts/Polisario_Front/bcjcH72P">Polisario Front</a>, initiated a <a href="/facts/Guerrilla_warfare/IMWNg4bI">guerrilla war</a> on February 27, 1976, with significant financial and logistical support from <a href="/facts/Algeria/UXDF4Tj6">Algeria</a> and <a href="/facts/History_of_Libya_under_Muammar_Gaddafi/vKj7t2Rt">Libya</a>. Their goal was to achieve independence for the territory under the banner of the "<a href="/facts/Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic/M3ld4Y8P">Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</a>" (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 <a href="/facts/United_Nations/fgXLnmgT">United Nations</a>-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 <a href="/facts/Free_Zone_(region)/CFbp7thY">Free Zone</a>, by the <a href="/facts/Moroccan_Western_Sahara_Wall/kDc7CYGY">Moroccan Western Sahara Wall</a> 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 <a href="/facts/African_Union/Pz1DVnDN">African Union</a>, though not of the UN. The Arab League implicitly recognizes Moroccan territorial integrity, albeit with significant reservations from Algeria and Syria.

<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>

The Moroccan government exercises control over approximately two-thirds of Western Sahara (the portion west of the <a href="/facts/Moroccan_Western_Sahara_Wall/kDc7CYGY">Berm</a>), while the remaining part constitutes the Polisario Front-controlled <a href="/facts/Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic/M3ld4Y8P">Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</a>. 
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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> 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 <a href="/facts/Boujdour_Province/c31mwcn9">Boujdour</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> <a href="/facts/Es_Semara_Province/JK3IsBBb">Smara</a>, and <a href="/facts/La%25C3%25A2youne_Province/ekHJYzeP">Laayoune</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> 
In 1983, further changes occurred, resulting in the establishment of four wilayas, with the addition of <a href="/facts/Dakhla-Oued_Ed-Dahab/GaadscPp">Dakhla</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> In 1990, <a href="/facts/Oued_Ed-Dahab_Province/C1Yw579s">Wadi al-Dhahab</a> (<a href="/facts/R%25C3%25ADo_de_Oro/N56NSm8x">Río de Oro</a>) was also incorporated.
As of 2022, the Southern Provinces are organized into three regions: <a href="/facts/Guelmim-Oued_Noun/snoUx7Is">Guelmim-Oued Noun</a> in the north, <a href="/facts/La%25C3%25A2youne-Sakia_El_Hamra/aCPrF5JA">Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra</a> in the center, and <a href="/facts/Dakhla-Oued_Ed-Dahab/GaadscPp">Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab</a> in the south. These regions are further subdivided into ten provinces. The regions of <a href="/facts/Guelmim-Oued_Noun/snoUx7Is">Guelmim-Oued Noun</a> and <a href="/facts/La%25C3%25A2youne-Sakia_El_Hamra/aCPrF5JA">Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra</a> 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 <a href="/facts/Laayoune_TV/Cs0JRlfP">Laayoune TV</a>. 

<h2 id="moroccan-settlers">Moroccan settlers</h2>
Main article: <a href="/facts/Moroccan_settlers/006L7aXU">Moroccan settlers</a>
Following the 1975 <a href="/facts/Green_March/zrFWmum7">Green March</a>, the Moroccan state initiated <a href="/facts/Moroccan_settlers/006L7aXU">settlement programs</a> that encouraged numerous Moroccans to relocate to the Moroccan-administered portion of Western Sahara (accounting for approx. 70% of the <a href="/facts/Western_Sahara/xAmSkuJl">disputed territory</a>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> 
By 2015, it was estimated that Moroccan settlers constituted at least two-thirds of the <a href="/facts/Demographics_of_Western_Sahara/o9kzqjPM">500,000 inhabitants</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> In addition to offering a <a href="/facts/Right_of_return/PfNm6CgC">right of return</a> for the <a href="/facts/Sahrawi_refugees/T0z1EHdA">Sahrawi refugees</a>, the Sahrawi <a href="/facts/Government-in-exile/7Uzt8N2m">government in exile</a> expressed a willingness to grant <a href="/facts/Sahrawi_nationality_law/ecQJYbFe">Sahrawi citizenship to Moroccan settlers and their descendants</a> in a prospective independent state.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> 

<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

<ul>
<li>Western Sahara portal</li><li>Morocco portal</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Arabic: الأقاليم الجنوبية, romanized: Al-Aqalim al-Janubiyah; French: Provinces du Sud <a href="/wiki/Arabic_language" target="_blank">/wiki/Arabic_language</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Arabic: الصحراء المغربية, romanized: Assahra al-Maghribiya, French: Sahara marocain <a href="/wiki/Arabic_language" target="_blank">/wiki/Arabic_language</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"A/RES/35/19 - E - A/RES/35/19". Question of Western Sahara. p. 214. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 8 Apr 2021. <a href="https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/35/19" target="_blank">https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/35/19</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Christian Walter; Antje von Ungern-Sternberg; Kavus Abushov (5 June 2014). Self-Determination and Secession in International Law. OUP Oxford. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-19-100692-0. <a href="978-0-19-100692-0" target="_blank">978-0-19-100692-0</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">United Nations. "World Population Prospects 2019". population.un.org. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2022. <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/" target="_blank">https://population.un.org/wpp/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Boujdour province, Morocco". crwflags.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2007. <a href="http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-bod.html" target="_blank">http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-bod.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Laayoune province, Morocco". crwflags.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2007. <a href="http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-laa.html" target="_blank">http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-laa.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Dakhla (Oued Eddahab-Lagouira) Province, Morocco". crwflags.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2007. <a href="http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-xdk.html" target="_blank">http://areciboweb.50megs.com/fotw/flags/ma-xdk.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Western Sahara: Provinces & Urban Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-09-30. <a href="https://citypopulation.de/en/westernsahara/" target="_blank">https://citypopulation.de/en/westernsahara/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"Western Sahara's stranded refugees consider renewal of Morocco conflict". the Guardian. January 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2021. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/06/morocco-western-sahara-referendum-delay" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/06/morocco-western-sahara-referendum-delay</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"South African Institute for Security Studies" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2017. <a href="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" target="_blank">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</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Canadian Government Website report on SADR offer of citizenship to Moroccan settlers[permanent dead link] <a href="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" target="_blank">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</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Southern Provinces open-in-new

Southern Provinces