Sahel Corridor

East of the Saguia el-Hamra, dry plains and rocky plateaus extend towards the interior of the western Sahara. The intermittent river runs west towards the Atlantic, its bed gathering water after rain as it passes the country around Smara. Farther northeast the stony Hamada of the Draa rises above the river basin. These contrasting landforms define a wide desert region between the coast and the Tindouf country.