Laayoune
العيون (Arabic) El Aaiún | |
---|---|
City | |
![]() Left to right, top to bottom: Footprints on the sand, Place Mechouar, Street, Monumental Arch, Laayoune Cathedral | |
Coordinates: 27°9′13″N 13°12′12″W / 27.15361°N 13.20333°W | |
Non-self-governing territory | Western Sahara |
Claimed by | ![]() ![]() |
Controlled by | ![]() |
Region | Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra |
Province | Laâyoune |
Settled | 1934 |
Founded | 1938 |
Founded by | Antonio de Oro |
Area | |
• Total | 247.8 km2 (95.68 sq mi) |
Population (2014)[1] | |
• Total | 217,732 |
• Density | 880/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+1:00 (Central European Time) |
Laayoune[note 1] or El Aaiún[note 2] (Arabic: العيون, lit. 'The Springs', Hassaniyya: [ˈləʕyuːn] ) is the largest city of the disputed territory named Western Sahara, with a population of 271,344 in 2023.[7] The city is de facto under Moroccan administration as occupied territory. The modern city is thought to have been founded by the Spanish captain Antonio de Oro in 1938.[8] From 1958, it became the administrative capital of the Spanish Sahara, administered by the Governor General of Spanish West Africa.[9]
In 2023, Laayoune is the capital of the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region administered by Morocco, it is still under the supervision of MINURSO, an UN mission.
The town is located south of the dry river of Saguia el-Hamra, where the old lower town constructed by Spanish colonists is located.[10] The St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral was constructed during the Spanish period and is still active with a few Catholic missionaries.
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