Map of Mauritania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. 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).


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N 12 00 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 29
Comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries

Coastline: 754 km

Maritime claims

Climate: desert; constantly hot dry dusty

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

Elevation

Natural resources: iron ore gypsum copper phosphate diamonds gold oil fish

Land use

Irrigated land: 450 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 is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country


top of page


Population: 3,359,185 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 133
Growth rate: 2.323% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 37
Below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.323% (2012 est.)
Rank: 37

Birth rate: 32.78 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 34

Death rate: 8.66 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 77

Net migration rate: -0.89 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 150

Population distribution

Urbanization

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 33

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 186

Total fertility rate: 4.22 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 36

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1000 population (2009)

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

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

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: 88
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 75

Major infectious diseases

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name

Government type: military junta

Capital

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

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)

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 El 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 (candidate) EITI (compliant country) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO (pending member) ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

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

National heritage


top of page


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. Economic growth remained around 5% in 2010-12 mostly because of rising prices of gold copper iron ore and oil.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 156

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 51

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 190

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn; cattle sheep

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Rank: 121

Labor force: 1.318 million (2007)
Rank: 135

Unemployment rate: 20% (2004 est.)
Rank: 179

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.3 (1995)
Rank: 66

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -1.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 71

Taxes and other revenues: 38.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 58

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 174

Central bank discount rate: 12% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 14

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 18% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 25

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $1.95 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 135

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$549.4 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 103

Exports: $2.799 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 131
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 46.6% Italy 8.8% France 8.1% Cote dIvoire 5.1% Spain 4.6% Japan 4.5% Belgium 4.3% Netherlands 4% (2011)

Imports: $2.854 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 147
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: China 12.5% Netherlands 9% France 8.7% US 7.8% Spain 6.5% Germany 5.4% Brazil 5.2% Belgium 4.3% Malaysia 4.1% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.816 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 133

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 474 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 162
Consumption: 440.8 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 169
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 103
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 215
Installed generating capacity: 253,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 151
Generation sources fossil fuels: 61.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 137
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 141
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 38.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 56
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 160

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 7,738 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 82
Crude oil exports: 10,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 57
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 97
Crude oil proven reserves: 20 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 87

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 177
Products consumption: 18,120 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 135
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 203
Products imports: 12,870 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 126

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 168
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 174
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 119
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 100
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 71

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.89 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 142

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 72,300 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 157
Mobile cellular: 3.315 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 122

Telephone system

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: 22 (2012)
Hosts rank: 221
Users: 75,000 (2009)
Users rank: 170

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 12

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for obligatory conscription of all males; 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


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2012)
Rank: 122

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 728 km

Roadways
Rank: 133

Waterways: (some is navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Nouadhibou Nouakchott


top of page


Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs