Map of Mauritania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: 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 being flawed; 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.


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Location: Northern Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Senegal and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N 12 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,030,700 km²
Land: 1,030,400 km²
Water: 300 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 5,074 km
Border countries: (4) Algeria 463 km; , Mali 2,237 km; , Senegal 813 km; , Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline: 754 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 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
Extremes highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m

Natural resources: iron ore gypsum fish copper phosphate diamonds gold

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 38%
Forests and woodland: 4%
Other: 58% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 490 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population: 2,747,312 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.93% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (1996 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritanian
Adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups: mixed Maur/black 40% Maur 30% black 30%

Languages: Hasaniya Arabic (official) Pular Soninke Wolof (official) French

Religions: Muslim 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.14% (male 634,940; female 632,654)
15-64 years: 51.59% (male 698,433; female 718,883)
65 years and over: 2.27% (male 25,840; female 36,562) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.93% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 42.95 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 13.65 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 76.7 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.14 years
Male: 49.06 years
Female: 53.29 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.22 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.8% (2000 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,600 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 610 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 46.7%
Male: 53.4%
Female: 40% (1998 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Conventional short form: Mauritania
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
Local short form: 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Head of government: Prime Minister Cheik 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 Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 17 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); National Assembly - last held 11 and 18 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 71, AC 1, independents and other 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts

Political parties and leaders
Note: parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991; however, politics continue to be tribally based

International organization participation: ABEDA ACCT (associate) ACP AfDB AFESD AL AMF AMU CAEU CCC ECA ECOWAS FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO (pending member) ILO IMF IMO Intelsat 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 Ahmed Ben Khalifa BEN JIDOU
In the us chancery: 2,129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-5,700
In the us fax: [1] (202) 319-2,623
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John W. LIMBERT
From the us embassy: Rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott
From the us mailing address: B. P. 222, Nouakchott
From the us telephone: [222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63
From the us fax: [222] 25-15-92

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: A majority of 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 have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In March 1999 the government signed an agreement with a joint World Bank-IMF mission on a $54 million enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF). Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000. Privatization and debt relief are in full swing and the rate of economic growth appears to be accelerating especially in the construction telecommunication and information sectors. Diamonds and petroleum are beginning to be explored and exploited.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25%
Industry: 31%
Services: 44% (1997)

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn dates; cattle sheep

Industries: fish processing mining of iron ore and gypsum

Industrial production growth rate: 2.2% (1999)

Labor force: 750,000 (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 47%
By occupation services: 39%
By occupation industry: 14%

Unemployment rate: 23% (1995 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (1996 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 29.9% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $329 million
Expenditures: $265 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1996 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.5% (2000 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $333 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold
Partners: Japan 18% France 17% Italy 16% Spain 11% (1998)

Imports: $305 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 27% Benelux 9% Germany 7% Spain 7% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.1 billion (1999)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: ouguiyas per US dollar - 250.870 (December 2000) 238.923 (2000) 209.514 (1999) 188.476 (1998) 151.853 (1997) 137.222 (1996)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 151 million kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 82.78%
By source hydro: 17.22%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 140.4 million kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: NA

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

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .mr

Internet users: 3,500 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $41 million (FY97/98)
Percent of gdp: 2.7% (FY97/98)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 26 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 8
2438 to 3047 m: 3
15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 18
2438 to 3047 m: 2
15-24 to 2437 m: 4
914 to 1523 m: 9
Under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 750 km (single track); note - owned and operated by government mining company
Standard gauge: 750 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs