What is Río de Oro?
[[Image:Western sahara landscape.jpg|thumb|240px|Desolate landscape terrain in the Río de Oro region, near the town of [[Guerguerat]]]] '''Rio de Oro''' was one of the two territories of [[Western Sahara]], when the territory was under [[Spain|Spanish]] rule. Rio de Oro, which literally means ''river of gold'' is more to the south. The other part was called [[Saguia el Hamra]]. The territory is named after a [[wadi]]. The capital of the territory is called [[Dakhla, Western Sahara|Dakhla]]. When the territory was ruled by the Spanish, its name was ''Villa Cisneros''. It has a size of roughly {{convert|184000|km2}}. To the north, the 26th parallel is the border, and to the south, the territory is limited by the 21° 20' parallel (and the border with [[Mauritania]]).<ref>{{cite book|title=Morocco's Saharan Frontiers|page=442|last=Trout|first=Frank|year=1969}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Western Sahara and the Frontiers of Morocco|page=23|last=Rézette|first=Robert|year=1975}}</ref> Originally, [[Portugal|Portuguese]] traders called the territory ''Rio do Ouro'', they traded goods for gold dust, in the year 1442. They believed to be in [[Mali]] ruled by [[Mansa Musa]]. Mali was famed for its gold deposits, despite the fact that gold was never found there, and only further south in [[Akjoujt]] and south of the [[Niger River]]. Historic maps show a river running from the center of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, newer maps show a shorter river which ends in a [[wadi]] named [[Megeta Mersug]]. In 1886, a Spanish expedition searched for this river, but did not find it. == References == {{reflist}} {{geo-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rio de Oro}} [[Category:Western Sahara]] [[Category:Spanish Africa]]