Saguia el Hamra was one of the two territories that made up the territory Western Sahara, when it was under Spanish rule, until 1978. At that time, Western Sahara was called "Sahara Occidental". It makes up the northern part of the territory, that extends from about 26° northern longitude, to about 27° 50'. It covers an area of roughly . It is named after the river Saguia el Hamra, which only exists during part of the year - a wadi. During the rainy season, it turns into a lake, located near the capital, El Aaiún. The other territory was called Río de Oro