1884 - Spain colonises Western Sahara

1957 - Morocco first raises centuries-old historical claim to Western Sahara at United Nations

1973 - Polisario is formed and establishes itself as sole representative of Saharan people

1975

June - Morocco's King Hassan takes territorial dispute to World Court in The Hague. The Court finds some tribes had paid allegiance in past to Moroccan rulers, but rules that people should be allowed to settle sovereignty issue through self-determination. Spain agrees to organise referendum

Nov - King Hassan launches so-called Green March with 350,000 unarmed Moroccan men and women crossing into territory. Spain agrees to transfer administration of territory to Morocco and Mauritania

Dec - Morocco sends forces to occupy territory

1976

Feb - As Spanish troops withdraw, Polisario guerrillas backed by Algeria and Libya proclaim Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with government-in-exile based in Algeria

1979 - Mauritania signs peace deal with Polisario and renounces claim to Western Sahara

1980 - Morocco annexes Mauritania's share of territory

1981 - Morocco proposes referendum to settle dispute

1984 - SADR admitted as member state to Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Morocco leaves OAU in protest

1988 - Morocco and Algeria restore relations

1991 - U.N. brokers ceasefire, ending guerrilla war between Polisario and Moroccan forces. U.N. Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) established to oversee ceasefire. Referendum set for January 1992

1992

Jan - U.N. referendum postponed because of dispute over who is eligible to vote

1993 - U.N. representative in Western Sahara announces process for identification and registration of referendum voters

1996 - U.N. Security Council votes unanimously to suspend registration process. More than 60,000 voter applicants are identified but more than 156,000 remain to be processed

1997

Sep - Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, personal envoy of Kofi Annan for Western Sahara, holds talks with representatives of Morocco and Polisario Front

Dec - U.N. resumes voter identification process

1998

Sep - U.N. mission completes identification of 147,000 people wishing to take part in referendum

2001

Jun - Baker proposes autonomy for Saharawis under Moroccan sovereignty, a referendum after a four-year transition period, voting rights for Moroccan settlers resident in Western Sahara for over a year. Proposal is rejected by Polisario and Algeria

2003 - U.N. proposes Western Sahara becomes semi-autonomous region of Morocco for a transition period of up to five years, to be followed by referendum on whether territory should become independent, semi-autonomous or integrated with Morocco. Polisario endorses plan but Morocco rejects it, saying it will never give up sovereignty

2004 - Baker resigns

2005

May - An anti-Moroccan demonstration in Western Sahara turns violent and Moroccan authorities arrest dozens. Amnesty International receives reports that Moroccan security forces used torture and force to put down demonstration

Jun - Morocco prevents two delegations of Spanish lawmakers entering territory. The lawmakers had planned to investigate human rights. Reporters Without Borders calls on Morocco to stop detaining and threatening journalists in territory

Jul - U.N. appoints Dutch ambassador Peter Van Walsum to replace Baker and re-start negotiations

Aug - Polisario releases 404 Moroccan prisoners of war - the last of 2,400 soldiers it captured during guerrilla war

2006

Feb - 50,000 Sahrawi refugees made homeless following torrential rains in Algerian desert near Tindouf

Feb 26 - Polisario marks 30 years of struggle for independence

Mar 3 - The Geneva Call humanitarian group says Polisario has begun destroying its landmines

Mar 25 - Morocco's King Mohammed vows Western Sahara will remain part of Morocco but offers autonomy

Apr 24 - Polisario rejects U.N. call for direct talks with Rabat on whether Western Sahara gets vote of independence

May - Violent refugee camp protests follow visit of U.N. human rights delegation

Oct - U.N. mission extended to April 2007

Dec - Morocco issues plan for Western Saharan autonomy, rejecting possibility of independence

2007

Feb - Polisario Front rejects Moroccan plan for autonomy

U.N. Refugee Agency and World Food Programme experts visit camps and say conditions are dire

Apr - Morocco presents autonomy proposal to U.N. Polisario rejects plan and puts forwards own proposal

Jun - Officials from Morocco, Polisario, Algeria and Mauritania hold talks in Long Island near New York to try to break deadlock

Dec - Polisario threatens to resume its armed struggle unless a deal is reached

2008

March - Fourth round of U.N.-sponsored talks ends without solution