El Marsa, Western Sahara
El Marsa | |
|---|---|
City | |
Fishing port of El Marsa | |
| Coordinates: 27°04′N 13°24′W / 27.067°N 13.400°W | |
| Non-self-governing territory | Western Sahara |
| Claimed by | Kingdom of Morocco Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
| Controlled by | Kingdom of Morocco |
| Area | |
• Total | 104.8 km2 (40.19 sq mi) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 17,917 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (450/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 10,229 | — |
| 2014 | 17,917 | +75.2% |
El Marsa Arabic: المرسى is a port city in Western Sahara.
According to the Moroccan authorities, El Marsa belongs to Laayoune Province in the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra. Its population in 2014 is 17,917, the second-largest in the province (behind the regional capital El Aaiún) and third in the region. It has a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean and therefore is also known as Laayoune Plage (El Aaiún Beach). The town also has a hospital.
El Marsa is to the west of El Aaiún, on the N1, Morocco's main highway, which also goes into the Western Sahara, where it is the last settlement south until Boujdour.