Guelmim-Es Semara is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 122,825 km² and has a population of 462,410 (2004 census). The capital is Guelmim. Southern half of the region is a part of Western Sahara.Guelmim , also spelt Goulimine or Guelmin), is a town in southern Morocco, often nicknamed Gateway to the Desert . The population of the city is 95,749 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region which includes southern Morocco (south of the Souss-Massa-Dra region) and northern Western Sahara. It is home to a camel market. When hippies "discovered" certain types of colorful African trade beads there in the 1960s, these became known as "Goulamine beads" tho they were actually manufactured in Europe, primarily in Venice.