regions of Morocco
Regions are currently the highest administrative divisions in Morocco. Since 2015, Morocco officially administers 12 regions, including one (Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab) that lies completely within the disputed territory of Western Sahara and two (L ...
. It is mainly located in the disputed territory of
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...
: the western part of the region is administered by
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and the eastern part by the
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara, is a partially recognized state in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only ...
. The region as claimed by Morocco covers an area of and had a population of 367,758 as of the
2014 Moroccan census
The 2014 Moroccan census was held in Morocco between 1 September and 20 September 2014. The census was conducted by the High Planning Commission.Laâyoune.
Geography
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra borders the region of
Guelmim-Oued Noun
Guelmim-Oued Noun () is one of the twelve regions of Morocco, regions of Morocco. The southeastern part of the region is located in the disputed territory of Western Sahara and a small strip of land in this area is administered by the Sahrawi A ...
to the north and
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab () is one of the twelve regions of Morocco. Before September 2015 it was known as Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira (). It is situated in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, considered by Morocco to be the southern part of the ...
to the south. It shares its eastern border with
Mauritania
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
are located offshore. The regional capital Laâyoune is located inland near El Marsa, and the region's second-largest town Smara is located near its geographic centre. The Moroccan Wall runs through the region and the area to its east is under the control of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Polisario Front
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...
carried out an operation in the Es Semara Province of the region, dropping four explosive projectiles, killing one Moroccan civilian and injuring three.
Government
The first president of the regional council, Hamdi Ould Errachid, was elected on 14 September 2015. He is a member of the Istiqlal Party and previously headed the council of the former Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region. His uncle Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid is the mayor of Laayoune. Yahdih Bouchab was appointed governor (''wali'') of the region on 13 October 2015.