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 installed 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. He was reelected in 2014 to a second and final term as president (according to the present constitution). The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among three major groups: Arabic-speaking descendants of slaves (Haratines) Arabic-speaking 'White Moors' (Bidhan) and members of Sub-Saharan ethnic groups mostly originating in the Senegal River valley (Halpulaar Soninke and Wolof). Mauritania confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb which launched successful attacks between 2005 and 2010.


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Location: Western 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: 1,030,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 29
Comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 5,002 km
Border countries: (4) Algeria 460 km; Mali 2,236 km; Senegal 742 km; Western Sahara 1564 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
Mean elevation: 276 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m: highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.5%
Forest: 0.2%
Other: 61.3%

Irrigated land: 450 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; 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
Distribution: with most of the country being a desert vast areas of the country particularly in the central northern and eastern areas are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal: 3,677,293 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 131
Growth rate: 2.2% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 38
Below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritanian
Adjective: Mauritanian

Ethnic groups: black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves former slaves and their descendants of African origin enslaved by white Moors) 40% white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent known as Bidhan) 30% black Africans (non-Arabic speaking Halpulaar Soninke Wolof and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%

Languages: Arabic (official and national) Pulaar Soninke Wolof (all national languages) French
Note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from the modern standard Arabic used for official written purposes or in the media; the Mauritanian dialect which incorporates many Berber words is referred to as Hassaniya

Religions: Muslim (official) 100%

Demographic profile:

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.87%
15-24 years: 19.86%
25-54 years: 32.96%
55-64 years: 4.61%
65 years and over: 3.71% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 76.1%
Youth dependency ratio: 70.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.7%
Potential support ratio: 17.7%

Median age
Total: 20.3 years
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 21.2 years
Rank: 189

Population growth rate: 2.2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 38

Birth rate: 30.9 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 37

Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 92

Net migration rate: -0.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 137

Population distribution: with most of the country being a desert vast areas of the country particularly in the central northern and eastern areas are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal

Urbanization
Urban population: 59.9% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.54% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 0.96 male/female
25-54 years: 0.86 male/female
55-64 years: 0.82 male/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 53.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 58.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 48.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 28

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63 years
Male: 60.7 years
Female: 65.4 years
Rank: 192

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 39

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 9.3% (2007)

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:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.57% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 57
People living with hivaids: 13,700 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 87
Deaths: 1000 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 66

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.6% (2014)
Rank: 127

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 19.5% (2012)
Rank: 32

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 120

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 52.1%
Male: 62.6%
Female: 41.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 8 years

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
Etymology: named for the ancient Kingdom of Mauretania which existed further north in present-day Morocco; the name derives from the Mauri (Moors) the Berber-speaking peoples of northwest Africa

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Nouakchott
Geographic coordinates: 18 04 N 15 58 W
Time difference: UTC 0

Administrative divisions: 15 regions (wilayas singular - wilaya); Adrar Assaba Brakna Dakhlet Nouadhibou Gorgol Guidimaka Hodh ech Chargui Hodh El Gharbi Inchiri Nouakchott Nord Nouakchott Ouest Nouakchott Sud Tagant Tiris Zemmour Trarza

Dependent areas

Independence: 28 November 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 28 November (1960)

Constitution: previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2004 2006 2012 (2016)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mauritania
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ ; note - AZIZ deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as president in August 2008; he subsequently retired from the military stepped down from the appropriated presidency in April 2009 to run for the legitimate presidency and was elected president on 18 July 2009
Head of government: Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ 81.9% Biram Dah ABEID (independent) 8.7% Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT (El Wiam) 4.5% Ibrahima Moctar SARR (SJD/MR) 4.4% other 0.5%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (146 seats; 106 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with three or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve a 5-year term)
Elections: Senate - last held on 23 November 2013 ; National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75 RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16 El Wiam 10 APP 7 El Karama Party 6 UDP 6 AJD/MR 4 Burst of Youth for the Nation 4 El Vadila Party 3 PRDR 3 PUD 3 Ravah Party 3 other 6; note - parties winning fewer than 3 seats sit as independents unless they join a coalition

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ; Constitutional Council (consists of 6 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic 2 by the president of the National Assembly and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: High Court of Justice ; courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ABEDA ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU CAEU (candidate) EITI (compliant country) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO (pending member) ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA MIUSMA NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamedoun DADDAH
In the us chancery: 2,129 Leroy Place NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 232-5,700 through 5,701
In the us FAX: [1] 319-2,623
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE Jr.
From the us embassy: 288 rue 42-100 Nouakchott
From the us mailing address: B.P. 222 Nouakchott
From the us telephone: [222] 4,525-2,660 or [222] 2,660-2,663
From the us FAX: [222] 4,525-1592

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; green also represents hope for a bright future; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara

National symbols: star and crescent; national colors: green yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie'
Lyrics and music: 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:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 151

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 158

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 175

Gross national saving:
Rank: 97

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 69.6%
Government consumption: 25.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 44.5%
Investment in inventories: -7.3%
Exports of goods and services: 28.1%
Imports of goods and services: -60.3%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.7%
Industry: 35.8%
Services: 40.5%

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn; cattle sheep

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2015 est.)
Rank: 87

Labor force: 1.318 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 134
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 2%
By occupation services: 48%

Unemployment rate: 31% (2013 est.)
Rank: 191

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%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 70

Budget
Revenues: $1.342 billion
Expenditures: $1.591 billion
Surplus or deficit: -5.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 168

Taxes and other revenues: 28.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 94

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 65

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 33

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 25

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 143

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 133

Exports:
Rank: 147
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 32.7% Switzerland 11.1% Spain 8.6% Italy 6.7% Cote dIvoire 6.6% Japan 5.7% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 164
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: China 25.5% Algeria 8.4% France 6.3% Morocco 5.1% Spain 4.8% Brazil 4.5% US 4% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 137

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 2,800,000
Access electrification total population: 28%
Access electrification urban areas: 47%
Access electrification rural areas: 2%
Production: 800 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 148
Consumption: 800 million kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 153
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 170
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 176
Installed generating capacity: 400,000 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 152
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 119
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 144
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 68
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 202

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 5,247 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 83
Crude oil exports: 11,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 65
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 99
Crude oil proven reserves: 20 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 85

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 213
Products consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 147
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 205
Products imports: 16,390 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 130

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 105
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 173
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 149
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 102
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 70

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 147

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 51,294
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 160
Mobile cellular total: 3.644 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101
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: fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 100 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 ; fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2015)

Broadcast media: one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2 which cover news sports and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)

Internet
Country code: .mr
Users total: 547,000
Users percent of population: 15.2%
Users rank: 134

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 248,158
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5T (2016)

Airports: 30 (2013)
Rank: 116
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways total: 21
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 728 km
Standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge
Rank: 99

Roadways
Total: 10,628 km
Paved: 3,158 km
Unpaved: 7,470 km
Rank: 133

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Nouadhibou Nouakchott


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Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 26,007 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2015); 42,867 (Mali) (2016)

Illicit drugs