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. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta deposed him and ushered in a military council government. Meanwhile the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.


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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
Rank: 29
Land: 1,030,700 km²
Water: 0 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 1561 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: 0.2%
Permanent crops: 0.01%
Other: 99.79% (2005)

Irrigated land: 490 km² (2002)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 11.4 km³ (1997)

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: 3,129,486 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 135
Growth rate: 2.399% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 33
Below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritanian
Adjective: Mauritanian

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

Languages: Arabic (official and national) Pulaar Soninke Wolof (all national languages) French Hassaniya

Religions: Muslim 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41%
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 818,778/female 923,046)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 44,836/female 60,597) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.2 years
Male: 18.3 years
Female: 20 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.399% (2009 est.)
Rank: 33

Birth rate: 34.11 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 40

Death rate: 9.16 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 82

Net migration rate: -0.96 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 121

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 41% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing deforestation and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is the only perennial river; locust infestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 63.42 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 35
Male: 68.65 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 58.03 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.37 years
Rank: 182
Male: 58.22 years
Female: 62.59 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.45 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 41

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 59
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 90
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 76

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 149

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 51.2%
Male: 59.5%
Female: 43.4% (2000 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 8 years (2006)

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: military junta

Capital
Name: Nouakchott
Geographic coordinates: 18 07 N 16 02 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ note - AZIZ who deposed democratically elected President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as President of Military High Council of State on 6 August 2008 was elected president in an election held 18 July 2009
Head of government: Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF (since 14 August 2008)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: following the August 2008 coup the Military High Council of State pledged to hold a new presidential election which was subsequently scheduled and held on 18 July 2009; under Mauritania's constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 18 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014)
Election results: percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ 52.6% Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR 16.3% Ahmed Ould DADDAH 13.7% Other 17.4%

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members elected by municipal leaders and 3 members elected by Mauritanians abroad to serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held in 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011); note - it is unclear when the Senate elections originally scheduled for 2009 will be held
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime) 37 CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15 representatives of the diaspora 3 undecided 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Mithaq 51 (independents 37 PRDR 7 UDP 3 RDU 3 Alternative (El-Badil) 1) CFCD 41 (RFD 16 UFP 9 APP 6 Centrist Reformists 4 HATEM-PMUC 3 RD 2 PUDS 1) RNDLE 1 UCD 1 FP 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Alternative or El-Badil [Mohamed Yahdhi Ould MOCTAR HACEN]; Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists) [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR]; Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including APP Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists) HATEM-PMUC PUDS RD RFD UFP); Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE]; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA]; Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil PRDR UDP RDU); National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL (independents supporting President Abdellahi) [Yahya Ould Ahmed Ould WAGHEF]; National Rally for Freedom Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; National Rally for Reform and Development or Tawassoul (moderate Islamists) [Mohamed Jemil Ould MANSOUR]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA]; Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Center or UCD [Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould BABA]; Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD];

International organization participation: ABEDA ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU CAEU FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC LAS MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahima DIA
In the us chancery: 2,129 Leroy Place NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-5,700 through 5,701
In the us fax: [1] (202) 319-2,623
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark M. BOULWARE
From the us embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy) Nouakchott
From the us mailing address: BP 222 Nouakchott
From the us telephone: [222] 525-2,660 through 2,663
From the us fax: [222] 525-1592

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 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. Before 2000 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 nearly all of its foreign debt has since been forgiven. In December 2007 donors pledged $2.1 billion at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Mauritania and the IMF agreed to a three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement in 2006 and Mauritania made satisfactory progress but IMF and World Bank suspended their programs in Mauritania following the August 2008 coup; following the July 2009 Presidential elections the IMF and World Bank agreed to meet with the Goverment to discuss a resumption. Oil prospects while initially promising have largely failed to materialize. The Government continues to emphasize reduction of poverty improvement of health and education and privatization of the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 154
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 111

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 187
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.5%
Industry: 46.7%
Services: 40.7% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn; cattle sheep

Industries: fish processing oil production mining of iron ore gold and copper; gypsum deposits have never been exploited

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Rank: 104

Labor force: 1.318 million (2007)
Rank: 133
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 40% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2004 est.)
Rank: 177

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 29.5% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.3 (1995)
Rank: 70

Budget
Revenues: $770 million
Expenditures: $770 million (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.3% (2007 est.)
Rank: 119

Central bank discount rate: 12% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 27

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $NA (31 December 2008)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$184 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 87

Exports: $1.395 billion (2006)
Rank: 141
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 41.4% France 10.2% Spain 7% Italy 6.9% Netherlands 5.4% Belgium 4.7% Cote d'Ivoire 4% (2008)

Imports: $1.475 billion (2006)
Rank: 161
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 16.7% China 8.8% Netherlands 6.4% Spain 6% Belgium 5.4% US 5.1% Brazil 4.5% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007) 271.3 (2006) 267.04 (2005) 265.8 (2004) 263.03 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 415.3 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 163
Consumption: 386.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 165
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 155
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 156
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 149
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 92
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 72

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 76,400 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 152
Mobile cellular: 2.092 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 120

Telephone system
General assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines minor microwave radio relay links and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
Domestic: Mauritel the national telecommunications company was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of 60 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals
International: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean 2 Arabsat) (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .mr
Hosts: 15 (2009)
Hosts rank: 217
Users: 45,000 (2008)
Users rank: 173

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 14

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2 years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 27 (2009)
Rank: 125
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 728 km
Standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 11,066 km
Rank: 135
Paved: 2,966 km
Unpaved: 8,100 km (2006)

Waterways: some navigation possible on Senegal River

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Nouadhibou Nouakchott


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Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs