Moroccan Wall

The Moroccan Wall of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long structure, mostly a sand wall (or "berm"), running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco. It separates the Moroccan-controlled areas (Southern Provinces) and the Polisario-controlled areas (Free Zone, nominally Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) that lies along its eastern and southern border.

According to maps from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) or the UNHCR, part of the wall extends several kilometers into internationally recognized Mauritanian territory.

Physical structure

The fortifications lie in uninhabited or very sparsely inhabited territory. They consist of sand and stone walls or berms about three meters in height, with bunkers, fences and landmines throughout. The barrier minebelt that runs along the structure is thought to be the longest continuous minefield in the world. Military bases, artillery posts and airfields dot the Moroccan-controlled side of the wall at regular intervals, and radar masts and other electronic surveillance equipment scan the areas in front of it.