Western Sahara

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/western-sahara

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is Western Sahara?Northwestern Africa
2. How many people live in Western Sahara?Estimated 600,000 inhabitants
3. How big is Western Sahara?272,000 square kilometers (105,000 square miles)
4. What language do people speak in Western Sahara?Arabic (official), Hassaniya Arabic
5. What is the capital of Western Sahara?Laayoune (claimed by SADR, administered by Morocco)
6. What kind of government does Western Sahara have?Non-self-governing territory; contested sovereignty (Morocco claims sovereignty, SADR claims independence)

Decolonization: The process by which colonies become independent from their ruling countries.
Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory; the right to govern oneself.
Geopolitical: Relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors.