-
You are here:
- Homepage » Mauritania
Mauritania Country Guide
Explore Mauritania in Africa
Mauritania with the capital city Nouakchott is located in Africa (Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 1,030,700 square kilometres (slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico) with 3,364,000 citizens.
The terrain features mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara with some central hills. The average density of population is approximately 3 per km². The notable climate conditions in Mauritania can be described as desert with constantly hot, dry, dusty. Potential natural disasters are hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April or periodic droughts.
To reach someone in Mauritania dial +222 prior to a number. There are 74,500 installed telephones. And there are 2,182,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".mr". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Mauritania
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.
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. 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).
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Senegal, Algeria, Western Sahara, Mali Capital: Nouakchott |
| Size | 1,030,700 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 397,955 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Population | 3,364,000 |
| Currency | Name Ouguiya, Currency Code:MRO |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .mr |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +222 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 2,182,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 74,500 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 1,030,700 (sq km) | 29 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,437,610 | 133 |
| Population growth rate | 2.29 (%) | 36 |
| Birth rate | 32.31 (births/1,000 population) | 35 |
| Death rate | 8.50 (deaths/1,000 population) | 81 |
| Net migration rate | -0.87 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 145 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 510.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 18 |
| Infant mortality rate | 57.48 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 31 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 61.91 (years) | 188 |
| Total fertility rate | 4.15 (children born/woman) | 36 |
| Health expenditures | 4.40 (% of GDP) | 157 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.70 (%) | 61 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 14,000 | 88 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 1,000 | 77 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 12.70 (%) | 127 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 15.90 (%) | 48 |
| Education expenditures | 3.90 (% of GDP) | 114 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 7,824,000,000 | 157 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.40 (%) | 39 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 2,200 | 190 |
| Labor force | 1,318,000 | 135 |
| Unemployment rate | 30.00 (%) | 182 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 39.00 | 67 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 37.30 (% of GDP) | 56 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1.80 (% of GDP) | 83 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.00 (%) | 177 |
| Central bank discount rate | 12.00 (%) | 17 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 18.00 (%) | 24 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 2,349,000,000 | 136 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.00 (%) | 113 |
| Current account balance | -659,800,000 | 103 |
| Exports | 2,878,000,000 | 132 |
| Imports | 3,152,000,000 | 147 |
| Debt - external | 2,942,000,000 | 134 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 474,000,000 (kWh) | 162 |
| Electricity - consumption | 440,800,000 (kWh) | 170 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 253,000 (kW) | 152 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 61.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 134 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 38.30 (% of total installed capacity) | 58 |
| Crude oil - production | 7,738 (bbl/day) | 83 |
| Crude oil - exports | 10,000 (bbl/day) | 59 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 20,000,000 (bbl) | 86 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 18,120 (bbl/day) | 134 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 12,870 (bbl/day) | 126 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 28,320,000,000 (cu m) | 72 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 2,890,000 (Mt) | 142 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 72,300 | 157 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,315,000 | 122 |
| Internet hosts | 22 | 221 |
| Internet users | 75,000 | 170 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 28 | 121 |
| Roadways | 11,066 (km) | 133 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 5.50 (% of GDP) | 13 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that evolved between the 12th and 16th centuri ... | 1996 |
| Banc d'Arguin National Park Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand-dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal waters. The contrast between the harsh desert environment and the biodiversity of the marine zone has resulted in a land- and seascape of ou ... | 1989 |