SAGUIA EL HAMRA

northern region of the Western Sahara, West Africa. Stretching between Cabo (cape) Bojador and the de jure Moroccan border, its area is 31,660 sq mi (82,310 sq km). After Spain withdrew from the country in 1976, the region was under de facto administration of Morocco. The chief town is El Aain (q.v.). The climate is quite arid, rainfall being erratic and actually absent during many successive years. The indigenous population prior to 1976 was primarily nomadic and entirely Muslim; many are now refugees of the civil war at camps in Algeria. The chief Muslim town is Smara, which is connected by road to El Aain. Settled population (1982 est.) El Aain, 50,000; Smara, 7,280. Remaining population was nomadic and may have numbered about 40,000.