Map of Mauritania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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 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 population and the dominant Moor (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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: desert; constantly hot dry dusty

Terrain: mostly barren flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
Extremes highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 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% (2001)

Irrigated land: 490 km² (1998 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: 2,998,563 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 2.91% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritanian
Adjective: Mauritanian

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

Languages: Arabic (official) Pulaar Soninke French Hassaniya Wolof

Religions: Muslim 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.9% (male 689,371; female 686,486)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 767,551; female 788,520)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 27,106; female 39,529) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.9 years
Male: 16.7 years
Female: 17.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.91% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 41.79 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 12.74 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 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; locust infestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 72.35 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 75.22 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 69.39 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.32 years
Male: 50.15 years
Female: 54.56 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.01 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 9,500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 500 (2003 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: 41.7%
Male: 51.8%
Female: 31.9% (2003 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 Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sghair Ould M'BARECK (since 6 July 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held NA 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected for a third term with 60.8% of the vote

Legislative branch
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%, 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
Note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002 although its members were permitted to keep their seats in the National Assembly; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based

International organization participation: ABEDA ACCT ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU CAEU FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO (pending member) ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ITU LAS MIGA NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould KERIM
In the us chancery: 2,129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-5,700, 5,701
In the us fax: [1] (202) 319-2,623
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
From the us embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott
From the us mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
From the us telephone: [222] 525-2,660/525-2,663
From the us 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood even though many of the nomads and 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 nearly 40% 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. In 2001 exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil production and exports probably will not begin until 2005. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty improvement of health and education and promoting privatization of the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.5% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1800 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25%
Industry: 29%
Services: 46% (2001 est.)

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

Industries: fish processing mining of iron ore and gypsum

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 786,000 (2001)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 40% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 30.2% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.3 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $421 million
Expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7% (2003 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: $541 million f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold
Partners: Japan 12.5% France 12.1% Spain 11.4% Italy 10.4% Belgium 7.8% Germany 7.4% Russia 5% Cote d'Ivoire 4.2% Netherlands 4% (2003)

Imports: $860 million f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 16.8% Spain 7.7% China 6.3% Belgium 5.1% Germany 4.9% Japan 4.3% UK 4.1% US 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.5 billion (2000)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2003) 271.739 (2002) 255.629 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 157.4 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 146.3 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 31,500 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 300,000 (2003)

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: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .mr
Hosts: 25 (2003)
Users: 10,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $40.8 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 3.7% (2003)

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: 24 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 16
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Roadways

Waterways: some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004)

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs