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 led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and ushered in a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and white and black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities and is having to confront a growing terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).


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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: 450 km² (2008)

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 is 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: 3,281,634 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 134
Growth rate: 2.349% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 34
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 (official) 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.4%
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 866,859/female 975,821)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 48,075/female 65,213) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.5 years
Male: 18.6 years
Female: 20.4 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.349% (2011 est.)
Rank: 34

Birth rate: 33.23 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Death rate: 8.83 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Net migration rate: -0.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 149

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 41% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing deforestation and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater 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 (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 60.42 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 35
Male: 65.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 55.13 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.14 years
Rank: 183
Male: 58.94 years
Female: 63.41 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 35

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 160

Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1000 population (2006)
Rank: 175

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 60
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 87
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 75

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: 16.7% (2008)
Rank: 47

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 87

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 (2007)

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: 13 regions (wilayas singular - wilaya); 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: mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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 the High State Council on 6 August 2008 retired from the military and stepped down from the Presidency in April 2009 to run for president; he was elected president in an election held on 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 High State Council planned to hold a new presidential election in June 2009; the election was subsequently rescheduled to 18 July 2009 following the Dakar Accords which brought Mauritania back to constitutional rule; under Mauritania's constitution the president 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 for Mauritanians abroad to serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held in November 2009; National Assembly - last held on 19 November and 3 December 2006 (election scheduled for 16 October 2011 postponed)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM (Coalition of Majority Parties) 45 COD 7 RNRD-TAWASSOUL 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM 63 (UPR 50 PRDR 7 UDP 3 HATEM-PMUC 2 RD 1) COD 27 (RFD 9 UFP 6 APP 6 PNDD-ADIL 6) RNRD-TAWASSOUL 4 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]; Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (parties supporting the regime including PRDR UPR RD HATEM-PMUC UCD); Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD (coalition of opposition political parties opposed to the government including APP RFD UFP PNDD-ADIL Alternative or El-Badil); Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE]; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA]; National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL [Yahya Ould Ahmed Ould WAGHEF] (independents formerly supporting President Abdellahi); National Rally for Freedom Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR] (moderate Islamists); 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]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Mintata Mint HDEID]; Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union for the Republic or UPR; 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 ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC LAS MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN
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 Jo Ellen POWELL
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; the gold color stands for the sands of the Sahara

National symbols: star and crescent

National anthem
Name: 'Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie'
Lyricsmusic: Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY
Note: adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing

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. 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. Mauritania made satisfactory progress but the IMF World Bank and other international actors suspended assistance and investment in Mauritania after the August 2008 coup. Since the presidential election in July 2009 donors have resumed assistance. Oil prospects while initially promising have largely failed to materialize and the government has placed a priority on attracting private investment to spur economic growth. The Government also emphasizes reduction of poverty improvement of health and education and privatization of the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 154
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 77

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 188
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20%
Industry: 36.3%
Services: 43.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn; cattle sheep

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Rank: 133

Labor force: 1.318 million (2007)
Rank: 134
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 40% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2004 est.)
Rank: 178

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: $934.4 million
Expenditures: $1.078 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 119

Taxes and other revenues: 24.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 127

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 168

Central bank discount rate: 12% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 22

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 19.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of narrow money: $886 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 140

Stock of broad money: $1.061 billion 31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 164

Stock of domestic credit: $1.603 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$412.7 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 102

Exports: $1.37 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 134
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 41.5% France 9% Cote dIvoire 6.3% Italy 6.2% Japan 6% Spain 5.6% Netherlands 4% (2010)

Imports: $1.45 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 155
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: China 12.3% France 11.4% Netherlands 10.8% Belgium 5.7% Brazil 4.6% Spain 4.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $238 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 157

Debt external: $2.03 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 136

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 547 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 158
Consumption: 508.7 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 165
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 101
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 204
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 146
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 153
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 70

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 71,600 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 157
Mobile cellular: 2.745 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 126

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 70 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); fiber-optic and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) cables for Internet access (2008)

Broadcast media: broadcast media state-owned; 1 state-run TV and 1 state-run radio network; Television de Mauritanie the state-run TV station has an additional 6 regional TV stations that provide local programming (2008)

Internet
Country code: .mr
Hosts: 23 (2010)
Hosts rank: 216
Users: 75,000 (2009)
Users rank: 169

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 13

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for obligatory consription of all males; conscript service obligation - 2 years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2010)
Rank: 119
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 19
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 728 km
Standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 11,066 km
Rank: 133
Paved: 2,966 km
Unpaved: 8,100 km (2006)

Waterways: (some is navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2010)

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