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As nomads, Saharawis were distinct from Berber Tuareg nomads to their east, as well as from black African farmers to the south, and semi-nomadic or sedentary Berbers to their immediate north. Saharawi society is highly stratified along tribal, caste and gender lines. Until the late 1950s most Saharawis were still nomadic. Their lives began to change rapidly when the territory's rich mineral resources became known to the West. The Western Sahara has rich iron ore and phosphate deposits onshore, as well as suspected offshore oil reserves.
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As nomads, Saharawis were distinct from Berber Tuareg nomads to their east, as well as from black African farmers to the south, and semi-nomadic or sedentary Berbers to their immediate north. Saharawi society is highly stratified along tribal, caste and gender lines. Until the late 1950s most Saharawis were still nomadic. Their lives began to change rapidly when the territory's rich mineral resources became known to the West. The Western Sahara has rich iron ore and phosphate deposits onshore, as well as suspected offshore oil reserves.