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.

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

Irrigated land: 450.1 km² (2004)

Total renewable water resources: 11.4 km³ (2011)

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

Population: 3,596,702 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 133
Growth rate: 2.23% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 37
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 39.18%
15-24 years: 19.9%
25-54 years: 32.71%
55-64 years: 4.55%
65 years and over: 3.65% (2015 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: 20.1 years
Male: 19.2 years
Female: 21 years

Population growth rate: 2.23% (2015 est.)
Rank: 37

Birth rate: 31.34 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 36

Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 88

Net migration rate: -0.83 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 144

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

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

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.68 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 59.61 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 49.6 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 28

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.65 years
Male: 60.35 years
Female: 65.02 years
Rank: 189

Total fertility rate: 4 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 39

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 9.3% (2007)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1000 population (2009)

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

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.66% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 57
People living with hivaids: 15,900 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 87
Deaths: 1100 (2014 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

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

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2011)
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: 9 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 8 years

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: presidential republic

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

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

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

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 approprtiated 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 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 8 and 15 November 2009 ; 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 - CPM 14 RNRD-TAWASSOUL 1 independent 2; 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 Surge of Youth for the Nation 4 El Vadila Party 3 PRDR 3 PUD 3 Ravah Party 3 other 6

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 Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN
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 Abdallaye Rue 42-100 Nouakchott
From the us mailing address: BP 222 Nouakchott
From the us telephone: [222] 4,525-2,660 -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

Economy overview: Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. 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. Recently GDP growth has been driven by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore gold copper gypsum and phosphate rock and exploration is ongoing for uranium crude oil and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue rising from 13% to 29% of total revenue between 2006 and 2013. China was Mauritania’s main export and import partner 2013. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world and fishing accounts for about 25% of budget revenues but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts dependence on foreign aid and investment and insecurity in neighboring Mali as well as significant shortages of infrastructure institutional capacity and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country’s public expenditures.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 155

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 21

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 182

Gross national saving:
Rank: 148

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 50.9%
Government consumption: 29.5%
Investment in fixed capital: 60.6%
Investment in inventories: 5.2%
Exports of goods and services: 35.2%
Imports of goods and services: -81.4%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.1%
Industry: 48.7%
Services: 34.2%

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: 10% (2014 est.)
Rank: 12

Labor force: 1.292 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 136
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 2%
By occupation services: 48%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 185

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 29.5%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 66

Budget
Revenues: $1.953 billion
Expenditures: $1.999 billion
Surplus or deficit: -1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 62

Taxes and other revenues: 45.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 23

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 146

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 27

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 20

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 142

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 139

Exports:
Rank: 136
Commodities: iron ore fish and fish products gold copper petroleum
Partners: China 45.3% Italy 7.6% Spain 6.1% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 143
Commodities: machinery and equipment petroleum products capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: China 21.6% Netherlands 9.4% France 7.8% Spain 6% Morocco 5.3% US 4.6% (2014)

Debt external:
Rank: 131

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 930 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 149
Consumption: 864.9 million kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 171
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 174
Installed generating capacity: 293,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 154
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 118
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 142
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 68
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 204

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 6,750 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 87
Crude oil exports: 7,337 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 60
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 95
Crude oil proven reserves: 20 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 85

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 175
Products consumption: 17,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 137
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 200
Products imports: 12,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 125

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 168
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 173
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 147
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 100
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 70

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.408 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 147

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 51,400
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 160
Mobile cellular total: 3.8 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107
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 roughly 106 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 (2009)

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: 402,000
Users percent of population: 11.4%
Users rank: 134

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

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: 2 (2013)

Railways
Total: 728 km
Standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge
Rank: 100

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

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

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Nouadhibou Nouakchott

Disputes international: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 26,001 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2014); 49,911 (Mali) (2015)