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.

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

20 00 N, 12 00 W

Africa

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

754 km

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1%

450 sq km (2012)

with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without 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

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

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

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

3,677,293 (July 2016 est.)

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%

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

Muslim (official) 100%

With a sustained total fertility rate of about 4 children per woman and almost 60% of the population under the age of 25, Mauritania’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Mauritania’s large youth cohort is vital to its development prospects, but available schooling does not adequately prepare students for the workplace. Girls continue to be underrepresented in the classroom, educational quality remains poor, and the dropout rate is high. The literacy rate is only about 50%, even though access to primary education has improved since the mid-2000s. Women’s restricted access to education and discriminatory laws maintain gender inequality – worsened by early and forced marriages and female genital cutting.

The denial of education to black Moors also helps to perpetuate slavery. Although Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981 (the last country in the world to do so) and made it a criminal offense in 2007, the millenniums-old practice persists largely because anti-slavery laws are rarely enforced and the custom is so ingrained. Up to 20% of Mauritania’s population is estimated to be enslaved, the highest rate worldwide.

Drought, poverty, and unemployment have driven outmigration from Mauritania since the 1970s. Early flows were directed toward other West African countries, including Senegal, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, and Gambia. The 1989 Mauritania-Senegal conflict forced thousands of black Mauritanians to take refuge in Senegal and pushed labor migrants toward the Gulf, Libya, and Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Mauritania has accepted migrants from neighboring countries to fill labor shortages since its independence in 1960 and more recently has received refugees escaping civil wars, including tens of thousands of Tuaregs who fled Mali in 2012.

Mauritania was an important transit point for sub-Saharan migrants moving illegally to North Africa and Europe. In the mid-2000s, as border patrols increased in the Strait of Gibraltar, security increased around Spain’s North African enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla), and Moroccan border controls intensified, illegal migration flows shifted from the Western Mediterranean to Spain’s Canary Islands. In 2006, departure points moved southward along the West African coast from Morocco and Western Sahara to Mauritania’s two key ports (Nouadhibou and the capital Nouakchott), and illegal migration to the Canaries peaked at almost 32,000. The numbers fell dramatically in the following years because of joint patrolling off the West African coast by Frontex (the EU’s border protection agency), Spain, Mauritania, and Senegal; the expansion of Spain’s border surveillance system; and the 2008 European economic downturn.

2.2% (2016 est.)

30.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without 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

NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)

602 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

3.93 children born/woman (2016 est.)

9.3% (2007)

3.8% of GDP (2014)

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)

urban: 58.4% of population

rural: 57.1% of population

total: 57.9% of population

urban: 41.6% of population

rural: 42.9% of population

total: 42.1% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 57.5% of population

rural: 13.8% of population

total: 40% of population

urban: 42.5% of population

rural: 86.2% of population

total: 60% of population (2015 est.)

0.57% (2015 est.)

13,700 (2015 est.)

1,000 (2015 est.)

8.6% (2014)

19.5% (2012)

3.3% of GDP (2013)

presidential republic

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

28 November 1960 (from France)

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2004, 2006, 2012 (2016)

mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]

Burst of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA]

Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam)

Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (including UPR, UDP)

Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH] (coalition including RNRD-TAWASSOUL)

El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]

El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY]

El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT]

National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil Ould MANSOUR]

Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO]

Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR]

Ravah Party

Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed VALL]

Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]

Union for the Republic or UPR [Sidi Mohamed Ould MAHAM]

General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]

Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM and El Hor [Samory Ould BEYE] (civil society organization)

Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

SOS-Esclaves [Boubacar MESSAOUD] (anti-slavery group)

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

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

star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow

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 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. 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.

$16.29 billion (2015 est.)

$15.98 billion (2014 est.)

$15 billion (2013 est.)

$4.752 billion (2015 est.)

1.9% (2015 est.)

6.6% (2014 est.)

6.4% (2013 est.)

$4,400 (2015 est.)

$4,400 (2014 est.)

$4,200 (2013 est.)

16.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

8.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

12.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep

fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)

2.5% (2015 est.)

1.318 million (2015 est.)

31% (2013 est.)

40% (2004 est.)

39 (2000)

37.3 (1995)

28.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

-5.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

0.5% (2015 est.)

3.5% (2014 est.)

9% (31 December 2009)

12% (31 December 2007)

17% (31 December 2015 est.)

17% (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.853 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$NA

-$917 million (2015 est.)

-$1.471 billion (2014 est.)

$1.385 billion (2015 est.)

$1.935 billion (2014 est.)

iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum

China 32.7%, Switzerland 11.1%, Spain 8.6%, Italy 6.7%, Cote dIvoire 6.6%, Japan 5.7% (2015)

$1.93 billion (2015 est.)

$2.646 billion (2014 est.)

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

China 25.5%, Algeria 8.4%, France 6.3%, Morocco 5.1%, Spain 4.8%, Brazil 4.5%, US 4% (2015)

$3.415 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.522 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -

319.7 (2015 est.)

303.26 (2014 est.)

299.5 (2013 est.)

296.6 (2012 est.)

281.12 (2011 est.)

800 million kWh (2014 est.)

800 million kWh (2014 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

400,000 kW (2014 est.)

66.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

33.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

5,247 bbl/day (2015 est.)

11,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

20 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

16,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

16,390 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)

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)

.mr

5T (2016)

30 (2013)

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

Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)

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