Southern Provinces

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Morocco
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Historical background
This article is part of the series: History of Western Sahara Western Sahara

Western Sahara War History of Morocco Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Spanish Sahara Spanish Morocco Colonial wars in Morocco Moroccan Army of Liberation Ifni War ICJ Advisory Opinion UN in Spanish Sahara Madrid Accords Green March Berm (Western Sahara) Human rights in Western Sahara
Disputed regions
Saguia el-Hamra Río de Oro Southern Provinces
Politics
Legal status of Western Sahara Politics of Morocco Politics of the SADR Former members of the Polisario Front CORCAS Moroccan Initiative for Western Sahara
Rebellions
Moroccan Army of Liberation Harakat Tahrir Polisario Front Zemla Uprising Independence Uprising
UN involvement
UN Security Council Resolution 1495 UN Security Council Resolution 1754 UN visiting mission MINURSO Settlement Plan Free Zone Houston Agreement Baker Plan Manhasset negotiations
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The Southern Provinces or Moroccan Sahara are the Moroccan names for Western Sahara in reference to the provinces of Río de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra. Following the Madrid Accords with Spain in 1975, Morocco took control of Saguia el-Hamra, and the northern part of Rio de Oro, while Mauritania took control of the remaining part of Rio de Oro as Tiris al-Gharbiyya. A locally based Sahrawi political movement, the Polisario Front launched a guerrilla war, with the backing of the Algerian state, aiming to win independence of the territory, which caused Mauritania to pull out in 1979. Morocco then proceeded to take control of the remaining parts of Saguia el-Hamra as well.

Since a United Nations-sponsored cease-fire agreement in 1991, most of the territory is at present administered by Morocco. The Polisario Front claims to control most of the remainder, which is almost unpopulated. The cease-fire line corresponds to the route of the Moroccan Wall. Both sides claim the territory in its entirety. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is recognized by 44 nations, and is a full member of the African Union. Moroccan sovereignty over the territory is explicitly recognized by the Arab League ^[1],^[2] and supported by many other states.

Administratively, Morocco divided the territory under its control into administrative units (wilayas). Flags and coats of arms were created for the three wilayas of Boujdour ^[3], Smara and Laayoune.^[4] There was further changes in the territories in 1983, with the area becoming four wilayas through the addition of Dakhla.^[5] In 1990 Wadi al-Dhahab (Rio de Oro) was added.