Al-Dakhla

Western Sahara

Also known as: Villa Cisneros

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June 25, 2026

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Al-Dakhla is a principal town and small port located in the southern region of Western Sahara, known historically as Río de Oro. The climate is extremely arid, with minimal rainfall and significant temperature fluctuations. The town, formerly called Villa Cisneros, relies on imported water. Historically, the Portuguese named the inlet "River of Gold" due to local trade in gold dust. Spain claimed a protectorate over the area in the 1880s. Following Spain's withdrawal in 1976, the region experienced administrative changes and conflict involving Mauritania, Morocco, and the Polisario Front, with a UN-sponsored ceasefire declared in 1991.12

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Río de Oro
Its principal town, Al-Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros), has a small port and must rely on imported drinking water. The Portuguese called the narrow inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at Al-Dakhla the Rio do Ouro (“River of Gold”), because the local inhabitants traded the gold dust of western Africa.…
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Its principal town, Al-Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros), has a small port and must rely on imported drinking water. The Portuguese called the narrow inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at Al-Dakhla the Rio do Ouro (“River of Gold”), because the local inhabitants traded the gold dust of western Africa.…
Read More