Background: The Amazigh and Bafour people were among the earliest settlers in what is now Mauritania and among the first in recorded history to convert from a nomadic to agricultural lifestyle. These groups account for roughly one third of Mauritania’s ethnic makeup. The remainder of Mauritania’s ethnic groups derive from Sub-Saharan ethnic groups originating mainly from the Senegal River Valley, including descendants of former enslaved peoples. These three groups are organized according to a strict caste system with deep ethnic divides that impact access to resources and power dynamics. A former French colony, Mauritania achieved independence from France in 1960. Mauritania initially began as a single-party, authoritarian regime and experienced 49 years of dictatorships, flawed elections, failed attempts at democracy, and military coups. Ould Abdel AZIZ led the last coup in 2008, was elected president in 2009, and was reelected in 2014. Mohamed Ould Cheikh GHAZOUANI was elected president in 2019, and his inauguration marked the first peaceful transition of power from one democratically elected president to another, solidifying the country's status as an emerging democracy. International observers recognized the elections as relatively free and fair. GHAZOUANI is seeking re-election in June 2024 for a second, and final, five-year term. The country is working to address vestigial practices of slavery and its hereditary impacts. Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1981, but the practice was not criminalized until 2007. Between 2005 and 2011, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) launched a series of attacks killing western tourists and aid workers, attacking diplomatic and government facilities, and ambushing Mauritanian soldiers and gendarmes. Although Mauritania has not seen an attack since 2011, AQIM and similar groups remain active in the Sahel region.

Area
Total: 1,030,700 km²
Land: 1,030,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico; about six times the size of Florida

Land boundaries
Total: 5,002 km
Border countries (4): (4) Algeria 460 km; Mali 2,236 km; Morocco 1,564 km; Senegal 742 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
Highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
Lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
Mean elevation: 276 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 38.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1% (2023 est.)
Other: 60.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 450 km² (2012)

Major rivers: Senegal river mouth (shared with Guinea [s], Senegal and Mali) - 1,641 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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

Geography
Note: Mauritania is considered part of both 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
Total: 4,328,040 (2024 est.)
Male: 2,083,690
Female: 2,244,350
Distribution: vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are desert and lack 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, as shown in this population distribution map
Growth rate: 1.92% (2024 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French
Major-language sample(s): ; كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from Modern Standard Arabic; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Tamazight words, is referred to as Hassaniya

Religions: Muslim (official) 100%

Age structure
0-14 years: 35.7% (male 776,035/female 770,132)
15-64 years: 59.9% (male 1,227,347/female 1,363,938)
65 years and over: 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 80,308/female 110,280)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 85.4 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 78.5 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.5 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 21.1 years
Female: 23.1 years

Population growth rate: 1.92% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 27.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are desert and lack 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, as shown in this population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 57.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.492 million NOUAKCHOTT (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 381 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 48.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 54.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 42.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 63.4 years
Female: 68.5 years

Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 5.4% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 44.4% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 22.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 10.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 66.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 34.5% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 22.4% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 10.4% (2024 est.); 10.5% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Nouakchott
Geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the meaning of the name is unclear; it may derive from the Berber nawakshut, meaning 'place of the winds;' other variants could translate as 'the place where water appears in a new well,' 'the land where shells abound,' 'a place with pasture,' 'a windy place,' or 'without ears' (the last referring to a local chieftain who could have been the place's namesake)

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

Legal system: mixed system of Islamic and French civil law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (since 1 August 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Moctar Ould DIAY (since 2 August 2024)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominees suggested by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 29 June 2024
2024: Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (UPR) 56.1%, Biram Dah Ould ABEID (independent) 22.1%, Hamadi Sidi el MOKHTAR independent) 12.8%, other 9.0%
2019: Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI elected president in first round; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (UPR) 52%, Biram Dah Ould ABEID (independent) 18.6%, Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBACAR (independent) 17.9%, other 11.5%
Expected date of next election: June 2,029

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Barlamane)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Chamber name: National Assembly (Al Jamiya-Al-Wataniya)
Number of seats: 176 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: mixed system
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 5/13/2023 to 5/27/2023
Percentage of women in chamber: 23.3%
Expected date of next election: May 2,028
Note: the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GHAZOUANI, elected in 2019 in the first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons

Flag description: green with red stripes along the top and bottom edges; on the green field, a five-pointed yellow star is centered over a yellow, upward-pointing crescent moon

National anthem
Title: 'National Anthem of Mauritania'
Lyrics/music: unknown/Rageh DAOUD
History: adopted 2017

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 5.2% (2024 est.); 6.5% (2023 est.); 6.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 5.2% (2024 est.); 6.5% (2023 est.); 6.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 55.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 17.2% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 18.9% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 38.3% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -53.2% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 18.6% (2024 est.)
Industry: 30.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 43.2% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 1.21 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 10.4% (2024 est.); 10.5% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 10.4% (2024 est.); 10.5% (2023 est.); 10.6% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $1.617 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $1.407 billion (2019 est.)

Exports: $3.955 billion (2023 est.); $4.132 billion (2022 est.); $3.18 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: gold, iron ore, fish, processed crustaceans, copper ore (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $5.271 billion (2023 est.); $5.77 billion (2022 est.); $4.312 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, raw sugar, palm oil, wheat, soybean oil (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 812,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.7 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 378 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 320 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 49% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 91.6%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 72.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 12.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 32,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 20 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Proven reserves: 28.317 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 4.86 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.86 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 14.135 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 48,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 5.36 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 37% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 14,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Military expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.); 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 25 (2025)

Heliports: 3 (2025)

Railways
Total: 728 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 728 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Merchant marine
Total: 11 (2023)
By type: general cargo 2, other 9