Based on the former colonial borders between French Mauritania and the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco, the 1545 km long boundary between Mauritania and Western Sahara largely extends through remote desert areas. The status of Western Sahara is disputed and Morocco claims the entire territory. The UN designated Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory in 1963, and there has been a conflict between the Moroccan government and the indigenous Sahrawi population over the area for more than 40 years. Mauritania initially asserted claims to certain regions of Western Sahara following its independence but eventually rescinded these claims and has maintained a generally neutral stance on the issue. The Moroccan government and Western Sahara agreed in the late 1980s to allow for a referendum to decide the status of Western Sahara, but this referendum has yet to occur.