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. 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).

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)

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

Population: 3,205,060 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 133
Growth rate: 2.373% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 35
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%

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) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.3 years
Male: 18.5 years
Female: 20.2 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.373% (2010 est.)
Rank: 35

Birth rate: 33.67 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 37

Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 74

Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 155

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

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

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 (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 61.94 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 34
Male: 67.13 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 56.6 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.75 years
Rank: 184
Male: 58.57 years
Female: 62.99 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.37 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 38

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 58
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 89
Deaths: fewer than 1000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 78

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)

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 95

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)

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

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

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 on November 2009; National Assembly - last held on 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM (Coalition of Majority Parties) 45 COD (Coordination of Democratic Opposition) 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/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 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; the gold color stands for the sands of the Sahara

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

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: 152
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 58

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 187
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

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
Note: gypsum deposits have never been exploited

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Rank: 132

Labor force: 1.318 million (2007)
Rank: 135
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 40% (2001 est.)

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

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

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: 71

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.3% (2007 est.)
Rank: 185

Central bank discount rate: 12% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 33

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of domestic credit: $NA

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$184 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 86

Exports: $1.395 billion (2006)
Rank: 141
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 42.06% Italy 9.71% Japan 7.57% Cote d'Ivoire 6.16% Spain 5.63% Netherlands 4.32% (2009)

Imports: $1.475 billion (2006)
Rank: 163
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 14.3% Netherlands 10.33% China 9.94% Brazil 5.58% Belgium 4.87% Germany 4.04% Spain 4.02% (2009)

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - 261.5 (2010 est.) 262.4 (2009) 238.2 (2008) 258.6 (2007) 271.3 (2006)

Electricity
Production: 415.3 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 162
Consumption: 386.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 164
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 146
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 137
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 151
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 94
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 72

Telephones
Main lines in use: 74,500 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 151
Mobile cellular: 2.182 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 130

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); optical-fiber 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

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

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)

Airports: 28 (2010)
Rank: 120
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)

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

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

Waterways: some navigation possible on Senegal River (2010)

Ports and terminals: Nouadhibou Nouakchott

Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant