Mauritania

From World travel guide

Mauritania is a country in Africa. Geographically part of the Maghreb, Mauritania borders Algeria, Senegal and Mali, along with the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Military 26 Transnational Issues

Regions

Cities

• Nouakchott

Other destinations

Understand

Mauritania is about desert and ocean, and sometimes both at the same time. Twice bigger than France it has only 3 millions inhabitants. You can imagine how remote some places can be.

Mauritania is an Islamic Republic. Don't be afraid of this political status : mauritanians are not extremists and are, as most desert people, incredibly friendly. The poorest nomad family will always welcome you friendly with some tea and biscuits.

Mauritania main attractions are the desert and the ocean. The desert in Adrar and Tagant areas (around Atar) and the ocean in Banc d'Arguin (a natural reserve dunes ending in the sea, full of millions of birds and protected by UNESCO).

Adrar is exactly how you've always imagined Sahara : endless ergs (dunes) and regs (rocky desert) with tabular small moutains. No need to go to the Moon or to Mars if you know Mauritania desert !

Travelling there becomes easier and easier. There are charters flight from France to Atar all along the winter and guides and tourists agencies are quite easy to find.

Other places then Banc d'Arguin and Adrar are slightly more adventurous.

Get in

By plane

There are charter flights from France to Atar and regular flights from Europe to Nouakchott. A charter flight cost around 400 euros.

By train

By car

One can go to Mauritania by land from Morocco and from Senegal.

By bus

By boat

Get around

Public transport exist between main cities. However if you really want to enjoy Mauritania, renting a 4x4 is almost mandatory and not so expensive if you share the cost.

Talk

Buy

Eat

Drink

Despite being an Islamic country there are a number of fun bars in the capital. When I was there however there were only two nightclubs one of which was located inside the French Embassy compound.

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Homosexuality is punishable by death.

Following the 2005 coup, the security situation in Mauritania has been unreliable. Potential visitors should take care.

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.

Geography

Geographic coordinates 

20 00 N, 12 00 W

Area 

total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries 

total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline 

754 km

Maritime claims 

contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate 

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain 

mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m

Natural resources 

iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil; fish

Land use 

arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.51% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards 

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues 

overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is the only perennial river

Environment - international agreements 

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note 

most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

People

Population 

2,828,858 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 46.1% (male 653,005; female 650,530)
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 720,473; female 741,094)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 26,251; female 37,505) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

2.92% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

42.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

13.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

75.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 51.53 years
female: 53.71 years (2002 est.)
male: 49.42 years

Total fertility rate 

6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

1.8% (2000 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

6,600 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

610 (1999 est.)

Nationality 

noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups 

mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%

Religions 

Muslim 100%

Languages 

Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (official), French

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.2%
male: 51.5%
female: 31.3% (2002 est.)

Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania
local short form: Muritaniyah
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

Government type 

republic

Capital 

Nouakchott

Administrative divisions 

12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

Independence 

28 November 1960 (from France)

National holiday 

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

Constitution 

12 July 1991

Legal system 

a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed KHOUNA (since 17 November 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote

Legislative branch 

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats, a part of the seats up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (81 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2004); National Assembly - last held 19 and 26 October 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 54, RFD 1, UNDD 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, RDF 4%, UFP 3.5%, FP 1.5%; seats by party - PRDS 64, UDP 3, RDU 3, AC 4, RFD 3, UFP 3, and FP 1

Judicial branch 

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts

Political parties and leaders 

Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concorde or PMRC [Molaye El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice or PLEJ [Daouda M'BAGNIGA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progress Alliance or APP [Mohamed El Hafed Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based

Political pressure groups and leaders 

Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

International organization participation 

ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamedou Ould MICHEL
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador John W. LIMBERT
embassy: Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott
mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
telephone: [222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63, 25-11-41, 25-11-45
FAX: [222] 25-25-92

Flag description 

green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy

Economy - overview 

Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for half of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February, 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000 and subsequently increased commercial ties with Arab Maghreb Union members Morocco and Tunisia, most notably in telecommunications. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential viable extraction at current world oil prices. However, the refinery in Nouadhibou historically has not exceeded 20% of its distillation capacity, and it handled no crude in the year 2000. A new Investment Code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

4% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 25%
industry: 29%
services: 46% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line 

50% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 30% (2000) (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index 

37 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

4.4% (2001 est.)

Labor force 

786,000 (2001) (2001)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 50%, services 40%, industry 10% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate 

21% (1999 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million

Industries 

fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Industrial production growth rate 

2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production 

154 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 84%
hydro: 16%

Electricity - consumption 

143.22 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep

Exports 

$359 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities 

iron ore, fish and fish products, gold

Exports - partners 

France 18%, Japan 16%, Italy 13%, Spain 10% (2000)

Imports 

$335 million f.o.b. (2000)

Imports - commodities 

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners 

France 33%, US 10%, Spain 9%, Algeria 6%, Germany 6%, Benelux 5% (2000)

Debt - external 

$1.6 billion (2000) (2000)

Economic aid - recipient 

$220 million (2000) (2000)

Currency 

ouguiya (MRO)

Currency code 

MRO

Exchange rates 

ouguiyas per US dollar - 254.350 (December 2001), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

26,500 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

35,000 (2001)

Telephone system 

general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)
domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios 

410,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations 

1 (2002)

Televisions 

98,000 (2001)

Internet country code 

.mr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

5 (2001)

Internet users 

7,500 (2001)

Transportation

Railways 

704 km
standard gauge: 704 km 1.435-m gauge
note: owned and operated by government mining company (2001)

Highways 

total: 7,720 km
paved: 830 km
unpaved: 6,890 km (2000)

Waterways 

note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River

Ports and harbors 

Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso

Merchant marine 

none (2002)

Airports 

26 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 10 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 6 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 16 17
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6 7
under 914 m: 6 3 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 644,294 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 312,276 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$37.1 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

3.7% (FY01)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

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