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. 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. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. For now however Mauritania remains an autocratic state and the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.

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: 0.2%
Permanent crops: 0.01%
Other: 99.79% (2005)

Irrigated land: 490 km² (2002)

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

Population: 3,177,388 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.88% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 40% (2004 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.6% (male 726,376/female 723,013)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 818,408/female 839,832)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,042/female 41,717) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 17 years
Male: 16.8 years
Female: 17.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.88% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 40.99 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 12.16 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 69.48 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 72.44 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 66.43 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.12 years
Male: 50.88 years
Female: 55.42 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 9,500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

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 Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 41.7%
Male: 51.8%
Female: 31.9% (2003 est.)

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
Name: Nouakchott
Geographic coordinates: 18 06 N, 15 57 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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005
Head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since 8 August 2005)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); note - passage of a constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to two five-year terms; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held 11 March 2007); 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 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held 21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

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

Political parties and leaders
Note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005 because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of Mauritanian law

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven KOUTSIS
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] 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

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 which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. 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. 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. In 2001 exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports are scheduled to begin in early 2006 and may average 75,000 barrels per day for that year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty improvement of health and education and promoting privatization of the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $6.901 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,200 (2005 est.)

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

Agriculture products: dates millet sorghum rice corn; 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: 20% (2004 est.)

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

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 39 (2000)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7% (2003 est.)

Exports: $784 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold
Partners: Italy 14.9% Japan 12.3% France 11.8% Belgium 8.5% Germany 8.3% Cote d'Ivoire 7.2% Spain 6.5% Russia 5% Netherlands 4.4% (2005)

Imports: $1.124 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 18.5% UK 7.2% US 7% China 6% Spain 5% Belgium 4.3% (2005)

Debt external: $2.5 billion (2000)

Exchange rates: ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2005) NA (2004) 263.03 (2003) 271.74 (2002) 255.63 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 185.6 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 172.6 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2005)

Telephones
Mobile cellular: 745,600 (2005)

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

Internet
Country code: .mr
Hosts: 32 (2006)
Users: 14,000 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - two years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

Airports: 25 (2006)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 17
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Railways
Standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways
Total: 7,660 km
Paved: 866 km
Unpaved: 6,794 km (1999)

Ports and terminals: Nouadhibou Nouakchott

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