Economy

Economic overview: Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level. GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA GDP real growth rate: NA% GDP per capita: $NA GDP composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Labor force: 12,000 by occupation: animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Industries: phosphate mining, handicrafts Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity: capacity: 60,000 kW production: 79 million kWh consumption per capita: 339 kWh (1993) Agriculture: fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by the nomads) Exports: $NA commodities: phosphates 62% partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Imports: $NA commodities: fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs partners: Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts External debt: $NA Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA Currency: 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.607 (January 1996), 8.540 (1995), 9.203 (1994), 9.299 (1993), 8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991) Fiscal year: calendar year