Laâyoune, also El Aaiún, is the unofficial capital of Western Sahara, a former Spanish country now mostly controlled and occupied by Morocco.
The city has a population of around 198,200 and is the largest city in Western Sahara.
The term "El Aaiún" is the Spanish name for the territory, and one that was used exclusively before the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara. The term "Laâyoune" is a French transliteration used in Moroccan literature. The former is the preferred nomenclature of Saharawis, the traditional inhabitants of the land.
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