Western Sahara is a territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its status as a territory is the subject of a long-standing dispute between Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the region and controls a large part, and the Polisario Front. This independence movement seeks to establish an independent state known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

Western Sahara is mostly desert and sparsely populated, with a mix of Berber, Arab, and African Sahrawi inhabitants. The indigenous Sahrawi people have their cultural traditions and speak Hassaniya, a variety of Arabic.

Historically, Western Sahara was a Spanish colony known as the Spanish Sahara. Spain withdrew from the territory in 1975, and Morocco and Mauritania claimed it. A war ensued between these countries and the Polisario Front, which had been formed in 1973 to fight for Sahrawi independence. Mauritania renounced its claim in 1979, but Morocco continued to fight the Polisario Front until a ceasefire was brokered by the United Nations in 1991.

The UN established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to monitor the ceasefire and organize a referendum on the territory's status, which was repeatedly postponed due to disagreements on voter eligibility and other issues. As a result, the political status of Western Sahara remains unresolved.

Most of the international community does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, and the territory is often listed as a non-self-governing territory in UN documents. However, Morocco administers approximately 80% of the territory, including most population centers and natural resources.

The SADR, proclaimed by the Polisario Front, is recognized by some countries and is a full member of the African Union (AU). Still, it controls only part of the territory, primarily a section of the desert interior called the "Free Zone" or "Liberated Territories."

The region is rich in phosphate deposits and has potential offshore oil and natural gas resources. Fishing rights along the coast are also economically significant. The dispute over Western Sahara has implications for regional stability and relations, particularly between Morocco and its neighboring countries, as well as for the Sahrawi people's human rights and self-determination.