Location of Mauritania. Source: Vardion/Wikipedia

Map of Mauritania. (Source: EIA)

Mauritania is a nation in northern-Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara. Three quarters of the country is desert or semi desert; the mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara Desert with some central hills. Most of the population is concentrated in the coastal cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

Mauritania's major environmental issues include: overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought, which are contributing to desertification; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal River, which is the only perennial river; and, locust infestation. It is also susceptible to the hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind which blows primarily in March and April; and, to periodic droughts.

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 over 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 deposed him and ushered in a military council government. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.

Geography

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Geographic Coordinates: 20 00 N, 12 00 W

Area: 1,030,700 km² (1,030,400 km² land and 300 km² water)

arable land: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.79% (2005)

Land Boundaries:  5,074 km. Border countries: 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

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

Terrain: Mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara Desert; some central hills. Its lowest point is Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha (-5 metres) and its highest point is Kediet Ijill (915 metres).

Climate: Desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Government

Government Type: Democratic Republic

Capital: Nouakchott

Independence Date: 28 November 1960 (from France)

Legal System: a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

International Environmental Agreements

Mauritania is party to international agreements on: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, and Whaling.

People and Society

Population: 3,364,940 (July 2008 est.)

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 45.3% (male 763,845/female 759,957)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 872,924/female 894,980)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 29,147/female 44,087) (2008 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 2.852% (2008 est.)

Birth Rate: 40.14 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death Rate: 11.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net Migration Rate: NA

Life Expectancy: 53.91 years (2008 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 5.69 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya

Literacy(2000 census):  51.2% (male: 59.5% - female: 43.4%)

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 11.4 cu km (1997)

Freshwater Withdrawal:  Total: 1.7 cu km/yr (9% domestic, 3% industrial, 88% agricultural). Per capita: 554 cu m/yr (2000)

Agricultural

Agricultural Products: dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep

Irrigated Land: 490 sq km (2002)

Resources

Natural Resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish.

Energy

Health

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 (2008)

Conflict

International Disputes: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Economy

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. 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. Oil prospects, while initially promising, have failed to materialize. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $5.947 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $2.756 billion (2007 est.)

GDP- real growth rate: 0.9% (2007 est.)

GDP- per capita (PPP): $2,000 (2007 est.)

GDP- composition by sector:

agriculture: 25%
industry: 29%
services: 46% (2001 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 40% (2004 est.)

Industries: fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Exports: iron ore, fish and fish products, gold

Export Partners: China 33.1%, France 9.1%, Italy 8.2%, Spain 8.2%, Japan 5.3%, Netherlands 5.1%, Belgium 4.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2006)

Imports: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Import Partners: France 16.6%, China 8.4%, Spain 6.7%, US 6.1%, Belgium 5.8%, Brazil 5.4% (2006)

Economic Aid Recipient: $190.4 million (2005)

Currency: ouguiya (MRO)

Ports and Terminals: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Further Reading

1. CIA World factbook