Provincia del Sáhara(Spanish) إقليم الصحراء(Arabic) As-Sahrā'a Al-Isbānīyah
Colony (1884–1958) and Province (1958–1976) of Spain
1884–1976
Flag of Spain (1945–1977)
Coat of arms (1955–1975)
Green: Spanish Sahara Medium grey: Other Spanish possessions Dark grey: Spain
Anthem
Marcha Real
Capital
Villa Cisneros (1884–1940) Laayoune (1940–1976)
Population
• 1970[1]
≈ 15,600 Europeans
• 1974[1]
≈ 66,925 Sahrawis
Government
• Type
Spanish colonial government
Governor-General
• 1884–1902 (first)
Emilio Bonelli
• 1974–1976 (last)
F. Gómez de Salazar
Historical era
New Imperialism, World War I, World War II, Cold War
• Berlin Conference
26 December 1884
• Madrid Accords
14 November 1975
• SADR established
27 February 1976
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Sahrawis
Berbers
Spanish West Africa
Morocco
Ifni
Tiris al-Gharbiyya
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Today part of
Western Sahara
Spanish Sahara (Spanish: Sahara Español; Arabic: الصحراء الإسبانية, romanized: As-Sahrā'a Al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958, then Province of the Sahara between 1958 and 1976, was the name used for the modern territory of Western Sahara when it was occupied and ruled by Spain between 1884 and 1976. It had been one of the most recent acquisitions, as well as one of the last remaining holdings, of the Spanish Empire, which had once extended from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies.
Between 1946 and 1958, the Spanish Sahara was amalgamated with the nearby Spanish-protected Cape Juby and Spanish Ifni to form a new colony, Spanish West Africa. This was reversed during the Ifni War when Ifni and the Sahara became provinces of Spain separately, two days apart, while Cape Juby was ceded to Morocco in the peace deal.
Spain gave up its Saharan possession following Moroccan demands and international pressure, mainly from United Nations resolutions regarding decolonisation. There was internal pressure from the native Sahrawi population, through the Polisario Front, and the claims of Morocco and Mauritania. After gaining independence in 1956, Morocco laid claim to the territory as part of a claimed historic pre-colonial territory. Mauritania also claimed the territory for a number of years on a historical basis.
In 1976, Mauritania and Morocco occupied much of the territory, now known as Western Sahara, but the Polisario Front, promoting the sovereignty of an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), fought a guerrilla war against both, forcing Mauritania to relinquish its claim in 1979. The war against Morocco continued until 1991, when the UN negotiated a ceasefire and has tried to arrange negotiations and a referendum to let the population vote on its future. Morocco controls most of the Atlantic coast and most of the landmass, population and natural resources of Western Sahara.
^ abDíaz Hernández, Ramón; Domínguez Mujica, Josefina; Parreño Castellano, Juan Manuel (2014). "Gestión de la población y desarrollo urbano en el Sahara Occidental: un análisis comparado de la colonización española (1950–1975) y de la ocupación marroquí (1975–2013)" [Population management and urban development in the Western Sahara: a comparative analysis of the Spanish colonization (1950-1975) and of the Moroccan occupation (1975-2013)]. Scripta Nova (in Spanish). Vol. XVIII, no. 493 [43]. University of Barcelona. ISSN 1138-9788.
SpanishSahara (Spanish: Sahara Español; Arabic: الصحراء الإسبانية, romanized: As-Sahrā'a Al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara...
Morocco-controlled Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara. Occupied by Spain until 1975, Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing...
and Edchera. By February 1958, a joint Spanish and French offensive had driven the Moroccans out of SpanishSahara. Hostilities ceased in April 1958 (although...
The Western Sahara War (Arabic: حرب الصحراء الغربية, French: Guerre du Sahara occidental, Spanish: Guerra del Sahara Occidental) was an armed struggle...
recognized independence for Western Sahara. The conflict escalated after the withdrawal of Spain from the SpanishSahara in accordance with the Madrid Accords...
Resolution 3292 regarding the disputed territory of Western Sahara (then SpanishSahara). Morocco had approached the UN to adjudicate its and Mauritania's...
The flag of Western Sahara (Arabic: علم الصحراء الغربية, Spanish: Bandera del Sáhara Occidental), also known as the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic...
Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish colony of SpanishSahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for...
Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. Between 1884 and 1975, Western Sahara was known as SpanishSahara, a Spanish colony...
Saharan Spanish (Spanish: español saharaui) is the variety of the Spanish language spoken in Western Sahara and adjacent regions. This non-native variety...
The Moroccan Western Sahara Wall or the Berm, also called the Moroccan sand wall (Arabic: الجدار الرملي المغربي في الصحراء الغربية, lit. 'Moroccan sand...
along the then SpanishSahara. In 1884, Spain claimed a protectorate over the coast from Cape Bojador to Cap Blanc. Later, the Spanish extended their...
independent, Spain surrendered Spanish Morocco to the new nation, but retained control of Sidi Ifni, the Tarfaya region and SpanishSahara. Moroccan Sultan...
Spain ceded the Cape Juby Strip to Morocco by the Treaty of Angra de Cintra, and created separate provinces for Ifni and the Sahara in 1958. Spanish West...
been founded by the Spanish captain Antonio de Oro in 1938. From 1958, it became the administrative capital of the SpanishSahara, administered by the...
The Sahara (/səˈhɑːrə/, /səˈhærə/) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of 9,200,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi), it is the...
Libya and Mauritania, the movement eventually relocated to Spanish-controlled SpanishSahara to start an armed rebellion.[citation needed] The Polisario...
The annexation of Western Sahara occurred in two stages: 1976 and 1979. Shortly after Spain gave up control over SpanishSahara in 1975, both Mauritania...
Spanish Africa may refer to: Spanish North Africa (disambiguation) Contemporary Spanish North Africa, i.e. Spain's autonomous cities Ceuta, on the north...
the SpanishSahara. The northern zone became part of independent Morocco on 7 April 1956, shortly after France relinquished its protectorate. Spain finally...
Référendum au Sahara Occidental; Spanish: Misión de las Naciones Unidas para la Organización de un Referéndum en el Sáhara Occidental; MINURSO) is the United...
military, to force Spain to hand over to Morocco the disputed, autonomous semi-metropolitan province of SpanishSahara. The Spanish government was preparing...
and official statements). Western Sahara was formerly a Spanish colony known as the SpanishSahara. In the 1970s, Spain faced mounting pressure from Morocco...
empleo en la Policía Territorial de la Provincia de Sahara Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) Used in explanatory note 422 of the Police Reform Act...
Africa. Not including Western Sahara. A disputed territory with undetermined political status. Formerly SpanishSahara up to 1976, administration is currently...
Provincias Africanas: Spanish Morocco Spanish Sahara Ifni Cape Juby Spanish Africa (disambiguation) Spanish West Africa Ceuta and Melilla (disambiguation)...
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