Western Sahara

geographical name

variants or 1958–76 Spanish Sahara

territory in northwestern Africa area 102,703 square miles (266,001 square kilometers), population 522,000

Note: Formerly a Spanish possession, Western Sahara was divided in 1975 between Mauritania, which gave up its claim in August 1979, and Morocco, which subsequently occupied the entire territory.

Western Saharan adjective