Laayoune

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Laayoune

Total population

262,791

Coordinates27.15°, -13.20°

Demographic figures from HCP Morocco. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

Overview

Laayoune or El Aaiún is the largest city of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, with a population of 262,791 in 2024. The city is the de jure capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, though it is under de facto Moroccan administration as occupied territory. The modern city is thought to have been founded by the Spanish captain Antonio de Oro in 1938. From 1958, it became the administrative capital of the Spanish Sahara, administered by the Governor General of Spanish West Africa.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.