Transport in Western Sahara is very limited by sea, road and air with camels being the primary means of transportation in the desert area.[1] Road transport by buses remain the major mode of transportation. The longest conveyor belt in the world is 100 kilometres (62 mi) long, from the phosphatemines of Bu Craa to the coast south of Laayoune. The belt moves about 2,000 metric tons of rock containing phosphate every hour from the mines to El-Aaiun, where it is loaded and shipped.
Portions of Western Sahara were a Spanish Colony till 1975 as the last colonial province in Africa. A war erupted between those countries and the Sahrawi national liberation movement, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, and Morocco eventually secured control of most of the territory, including all the major cities and natural resources. A UN brokered ceasefire was implemented from 1997 between Polisario and Moroccan forces.
The world's longest cargo train, the Mauritania Railway cargo train, crosses the southeastern corner of Western Sahara for a short distance. Transit through Western Sahara was disrupted during the war between Polisaro and Moroccan forces before the ceasefire was implemented in 1997.
Portions of Western Sahara were a Spanish Colony till 1975 as the last colonial province in Africa.[2] A war erupted between those countries and the Sahrawi national liberation movement, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, and Morocco eventually secured control of most of the territory, including all the major cities and natural resources.[3] Polisario was formed in 1973 to fight for the rights of Sahawari Arab African People. Polisario attacked Moroccan positions many times and have retaliated. Continued war was waged between Polisario and Morocco over prominence in the region backed by Algeria for Polisario and US, France and Saudi Arabia for Morocco. [4] Polisario were successful in cutting the transport of Phosphorus across Western Sahara to the Atlantic Coast. The transport infrastructure of the region, including the border towns of Morocco was affected during the wars.[5]
Road transportedit
Western Sahara has no rail service,[6] with the exception of a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) section of the Mauritania Railway; which (since the closure of the Choum Tunnel), cuts across the extreme south-eastern corner of the territory. The rail-route is considered the world's longest cargo train covering a distance of 437 mi (703 km).[citation needed] Passengers with tickets ride in cramped cars while many illegal passengers, sometimes with livestock, ride on top of freight cars.[7]
There are only 6,200 kilometres (3,900 mi) of roads, of which 1,126 kilometres (700 mi) are metalled.[8] A small network of highways provide limited ground travel connections. N1 highway is a major roadway traversing along the Atlantic coastline of the country. There are a few roads in the north and only two roads in the south that branch off of N1. All other roads are local ones in the various cities and towns. Off road driving is considered dangerous since there are "thousands of unexploded mines" in the area.[6] Highway road plans in the region started by Algeria have been used to increase its own influence in the region.[9] There are only 4 companies licensed to use buses in Western Sahara which are: CTM, Supratours, Satas and Sat; CTM and Supratours buses have daily service from Dakhla to Marrakech via Laayoune and Agadir.[10]
The major port in Western Sahara are Ad Dakhla - small docking facility (Port Marchand Lassarga/Port-Îlot) located in a shelter bay south of the airport, Cabo Bojador - small port with fishing boats store inland and Laayoune (El Aaiun) - major deep water port facility; used by vessels carrying phosphate, large fishing vessels and military patrol boats. The longest conveyor belt in the world is 100 kilometres (62 mi) long, from the phosphatemines of Bu Craa to the coast south of Laayoune.[11] The belt moves about 2,000 metric tons of rock containing phosphate every hour from the mines to El-Aaiun, where it is loaded and shipped.[11]
There are six airfields, three with paved runways and three unpaved surfaces, and one helipad (military in Cape Bojador). Hassan I Airport, serving El Aaiún (Laâyoune), is an international airport, but the carriers at the airport connect only to regional destinations (to Morocco or the Canary Islands). Dakhla Airport is located in Dakhla and has commercial operational flights. Smara Airport in Smara and La Güera Airport serving La Güera are other smaller airports in Western Sahara.[12]
^Pablo San Martin (1 October 2010), Western Sahara: The Refugee Nation, University of Wales Press, p. 28, ISBN978-0-70-832381-6
^González Campo, Julio. (PDF) (in Spanish). Real Instituto Elcano. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.
^"Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara (paragraph 37, p. 10)" (PDF). 2 March 1993. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
^The Air Force role in low-intensity conflict. DIANE Publishing. 1986. p. 47. ISBN9781428928275.
^Boukhars, Anouar; Roussellier, Jacques, eds. (2013). Perspectives on Western Sahara: Myths, Nationalisms, and Geopolitics. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 18. ISBN9781442226869.
^ ab"Western Sahara". Gov.Uk. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
^Sutter, John D. (26 January 2016). "The 'Normal Train' That Crosses the Sahara". CNN. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
^United States. Office of International Marketing; United States. Domestic and International Business Administration (15 June 2009). Market profiles for Africa. Dept. of Commerce, Domestic and International Business Administration, Bureau of International Commerce, Office of International Marketing : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1976. p. 26. {{cite book}}: |author2= has generic name (help)
^Ammour, Laurence Aida (2014). "The Algerian Foreign Policy on Western Sahara". In Boukhars, Anouar; Roussellier, Jacques (eds.). Perspectives on Western Sahara: Myths, Nationalisms, and Geopolitics. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN9781442226852.
^Jacobs, Daniel (2004). Marrakesh. Rough Guides. p. 125. ISBN9781843533214.
^ abZhang, Sarah (24 April 2014). "The World's Longest Conveyor Belt System Can Be Seen From Space". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
transport, western, sahara, very, limited, road, with, camels, being, primary, means, transportation, desert, area, road, transport, buses, remain, major, mode, transportation, longest, conveyor, belt, world, kilometres, long, from, phosphate, mines, craa, coa. Transport in Western Sahara is very limited by sea road and air with camels being the primary means of transportation in the desert area 1 Road transport by buses remain the major mode of transportation The longest conveyor belt in the world is 100 kilometres 62 mi long from the phosphate mines of Bu Craa to the coast south of Laayoune The belt moves about 2 000 metric tons of rock containing phosphate every hour from the mines to El Aaiun where it is loaded and shipped Portions of Western Sahara were a Spanish Colony till 1975 as the last colonial province in Africa A war erupted between those countries and the Sahrawi national liberation movement the Polisario Front which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic SADR with a government in exile in Tindouf Algeria Mauritania withdrew in 1979 and Morocco eventually secured control of most of the territory including all the major cities and natural resources A UN brokered ceasefire was implemented from 1997 between Polisario and Moroccan forces The world s longest cargo train the Mauritania Railway cargo train crosses the southeastern corner of Western Sahara for a short distance Transit through Western Sahara was disrupted during the war between Polisaro and Moroccan forces before the ceasefire was implemented in 1997 Contents 1 Background 2 Road transport 3 Rail transport 4 Ports 5 Air transport 6 See also 7 Sources 8 References 9 External linksBackground edit nbsp The road into El Aaiun from the north crosses the Saguia el Hamra a seasonal river Portions of Western Sahara were a Spanish Colony till 1975 as the last colonial province in Africa 2 A war erupted between those countries and the Sahrawi national liberation movement the Polisario Front which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic SADR with a government in exile in Tindouf Algeria Mauritania withdrew in 1979 and Morocco eventually secured control of most of the territory including all the major cities and natural resources 3 Polisario was formed in 1973 to fight for the rights of Sahawari Arab African People Polisario attacked Moroccan positions many times and have retaliated Continued war was waged between Polisario and Morocco over prominence in the region backed by Algeria for Polisario and US France and Saudi Arabia for Morocco 4 Polisario were successful in cutting the transport of Phosphorus across Western Sahara to the Atlantic Coast The transport infrastructure of the region including the border towns of Morocco was affected during the wars 5 Road transport editWestern Sahara has no rail service 6 with the exception of a 5 kilometre 3 1 mi section of the Mauritania Railway which since the closure of the Choum Tunnel cuts across the extreme south eastern corner of the territory The rail route is considered the world s longest cargo train covering a distance of 437 mi 703 km citation needed Passengers with tickets ride in cramped cars while many illegal passengers sometimes with livestock ride on top of freight cars 7 There are only 6 200 kilometres 3 900 mi of roads of which 1 126 kilometres 700 mi are metalled 8 A small network of highways provide limited ground travel connections N1 highway is a major roadway traversing along the Atlantic coastline of the country There are a few roads in the north and only two roads in the south that branch off of N1 All other roads are local ones in the various cities and towns Off road driving is considered dangerous since there are thousands of unexploded mines in the area 6 Highway road plans in the region started by Algeria have been used to increase its own influence in the region 9 There are only 4 companies licensed to use buses in Western Sahara which are CTM Supratours Satas and Sat CTM and Supratours buses have daily service from Dakhla to Marrakech via Laayoune and Agadir 10 Rail transport editSince the closure of the Choum Tunnel a 5 km 3 1 mi section of Mauritania Railway cuts through the Polisario Front controlled part of the Western Sahara 21 21 18 N 13 00 46 W 21 354867 N 13 012644 W 21 354867 13 012644 Ports editThe major port in Western Sahara are Ad Dakhla small docking facility Port Marchand Lassarga Port Ilot located in a shelter bay south of the airport Cabo Bojador small port with fishing boats store inland and Laayoune El Aaiun major deep water port facility used by vessels carrying phosphate large fishing vessels and military patrol boats The longest conveyor belt in the world is 100 kilometres 62 mi long from the phosphate mines of Bu Craa to the coast south of Laayoune 11 The belt moves about 2 000 metric tons of rock containing phosphate every hour from the mines to El Aaiun where it is loaded and shipped 11 Air transport edit nbsp Dakhla Airport There are six airfields three with paved runways and three unpaved surfaces and one helipad military in Cape Bojador Hassan I Airport serving El Aaiun Laayoune is an international airport but the carriers at the airport connect only to regional destinations to Morocco or the Canary Islands Dakhla Airport is located in Dakhla and has commercial operational flights Smara Airport in Smara and La Guera Airport serving La Guera are other smaller airports in Western Sahara 12 See also editList of airports in Western SaharaSources editCIA World Factbook 2010 References edit Pablo San Martin 1 October 2010 Western Sahara The Refugee Nation University of Wales Press p 28 ISBN 978 0 70 832381 6 Gonzalez Campo Julio Documento de Trabajo num 15 DT 2004 Las pretensiones de Marruecos sobre los territorios espanoles en el norte de Africa 1956 2002 PDF in Spanish Real Instituto Elcano p 6 Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 04 Report of the Secretary General on the situation concerning Western Sahara paragraph 37 p 10 PDF 2 March 1993 Retrieved 4 October 2014 The Air Force role in low intensity conflict DIANE Publishing 1986 p 47 ISBN 9781428928275 Boukhars Anouar Roussellier Jacques eds 2013 Perspectives on Western Sahara Myths Nationalisms and Geopolitics Rowman amp Littlefield p 18 ISBN 9781442226869 a b Western Sahara Gov Uk Retrieved 17 October 2016 Sutter John D 26 January 2016 The Normal Train That Crosses the Sahara CNN Retrieved 17 October 2016 United States Office of International Marketing United States Domestic and International Business Administration 15 June 2009 Market profiles for Africa Dept of Commerce Domestic and International Business Administration Bureau of International Commerce Office of International Marketing for sale by the Supt of Docs U S Govt Print Off 1976 p 26 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a author2 has generic name help Ammour Laurence Aida 2014 The Algerian Foreign Policy on Western Sahara In Boukhars Anouar Roussellier Jacques eds Perspectives on Western Sahara Myths Nationalisms and Geopolitics New York Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 9781442226852 Jacobs Daniel 2004 Marrakesh Rough Guides p 125 ISBN 9781843533214 a b Zhang Sarah 24 April 2014 The World s Longest Conveyor Belt System Can Be Seen From Space Gizmodo Retrieved 16 October 2016 ICAO Location Indicators by State PDF International Civil Aviation Organization 12 January 2006 Retrieved 11 November 2016 External links edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Transport in Western Sahara amp oldid 1196887601, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
