Spanish Sahara (Russian America)

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Flag	Coat of Arms
Location of Spanish Sahara (red)

Anthem "Marcha Granadera"

Capital El Aaiún

Largest city Las Palmas

Language
official Spanish

others Arabic, French, German, Italian

Religion
main Catholics

others Buddhists, Muslims, Protestants

Ethnic Groups
main Spaniards

others Arabs, French, Germans, Italians

Demonym (Spanish) Saharan

Government Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

Legislature Cortes Generales

Established 17 July 1936 (civil war)
1 April 1939 (retreat to Africa)

Currency Peseta (Pta/Pts) (EHP)

Time Zone GMT (UTC+00:00)

Driving Side Right

Electricity 220 V, 50 Hz

Plug Types C, E

Internet TLD .eh

Organizations United Nations

The Spanish State (Spanish: Estado Español), colloquially known as Spanish Sahara (Sahara Español), is a sovereign nation located in West Africa. The nation is bordered in the north by Morocco, in the east by Algeria, and in the southeast by Mauritania. The nation also includes several exclaves and islands in the Mediterranean Sea which border Morocco.

Before the Spanish Civil War, the territories of Spanish Sahara were overseas provinces of Spain. As the civil war turned in favor of the reds, Francisco Franco and the Nationalist Forces retreated to the African colonies (which had acted as the base of operations for Franco in the early years of the war). A government in exile was established in Las Palmas. Fighting with Communist Spain would continue until World War II, at which point the mainland was under attack by the Axis Powers.

During the Cold War, Spanish Sahara proclaimed itself the rightful government of all of Spain. They gained international support from NATO, Japan, and Peru and Bolivia. Saharan forces were able to repel attempts by neighboring Mauritania and Morocco to cease the disputed territories on the African continent. The capital was formally moved to El Aaiún in the late 1950s to encourage continental development. The population of Spanish Sahara was quickly rising, in part due to refugees arriving from Spain, Italy, the former German states, and the Pied-Noirs of Algeria.

Following the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, Luis Carrero Blanco would slowly transition Spanish Sahara towards democracy. Despite the collapse of Spanish Socialist Republic in the early 1990s, relations between Spanish Sahara and the Spanish Republic in Europe have remained informal. This is because Spanish Sahara still claims to be the rightful government for all of Spain.

Administrative Divisions[]

Map of Western Sahara (Russian America) — Provinces of Spanish Sahara.

The Spanish State is a unitary state currently comprised of eleven provinces (Spanish: provincias). Spanish Sahara also lays claim to several uninhabited islands in the Mediterranean Sea which are in dispute with Morocco and (in the case of Alboran Island) Spain.