Cities
Laayoune
Northern Africa
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
Laayoune, also spelled El Aaiun, is the largest city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, with 262,791 residents as of 2024, and capital of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region administered by Morocco under United Nations supervision through MINURSO. Founded in 1938 by Spanish captain Antonio de Oro as a military outpost, it became the administrative center of Spanish Sahara in 1958, was annexed by Morocco after Spain's 1975 withdrawal, and grew rapidly on phosphate mining at nearby Bou Craa; it also serves as the de jure capital claimed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.