Sahrawis
People living in the western Sahara desert / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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See also: Beidane
The Sahrawis, or Sahrawi people (Arabic: صحراويون ṣaḥrāwīyūn), are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Sahara desert, which includes the Western Sahara, southern Morocco, much of Mauritania, and along the southwestern border of Algeria. They are of mixed Hassani Arab and Sanhaji Berber descent, as well as West African and other indigenous populations.[9]
Quick Facts صحراويون, Total population ...
صحراويون | |
---|---|
Total population | |
652,271 (2020 est.) [1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Western Sahara | ~160,000[2] mostly in the Moroccan-controlled zone where they make up about 30% of the population |
Algeria | 174,000 refugees living in the Sahrawi refugee camps at Tindouf.[3] |
Morocco | 90,000[4] |
Mauritania | 26,000 (Refugees)[5] |
Spain | 3,000[6]–12,000[7] |
Languages | |
Hassaniya Arabic (native), Berber languages (native), Modern Standard Arabic (written only), Spanish (lingua franca), French (lingua franca) | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Sunni Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Beidane, Moroccans, other Maghrebi Arabs, other Arab-Berbers and Arabized Berbers, other Arab and Berber peoples, Haratin, Gnawa, Afro-Arabs, Tuaregs, other Maghrebis[8] |
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As with most peoples living in the Sahara, the Sahrawi culture is a mix of Arab and indigenous African elements.[9] Sahrawis are composed of many tribes and are largely speakers of the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic.[10]