Global InformationMauritania information
Islamic Republic of Mauritania الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية (Arabic) al-Jumhūrīyah al-Islāmīyah al-Mūrītānīyah | |
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| Motto: شرف، إخاء، عدل "Honour, Fraternity, Justice" | |
| Anthem: النشيد الوطني الموريتاني "Land of the Proud, Guided by Noblemen" | |
 Location of Mauritania (dark green) in western Africa | |
| Capital and largest city | Nouakchott 18°09′N 15°58′W / 18.150°N 15.967°W |
| Official languages |
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| Recognised national languages |
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| Other languages | French |
| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion | Sunni Islam (official) |
| Demonym(s) | Mauritanian |
| Government | Unitary presidential Islamic republic |
• President | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani |
• Prime Minister | Mohamed Ould Bilal |
• President of the National Assembly | Mohamed Ould Meguett |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Independence | |
• Republic established | 28 November 1958 |
• Independence from France | 28 November 1960 |
• Current constitution | 12 July 1991 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,030,000 km2 (400,000 sq mi)[2] (28th) |
• Water (%) | 0.03 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 4,244,878[3] (128th) |
• Density | 3.4/km2 (8.8/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $33.414 billion[4] (146th) |
• Per capita | $7,542[4] (132nd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $10.357 billion[4] (151st) |
• Per capita | $2,337[4] (144th) |
| Gini (2014) |  32.6[5]medium |
| HDI (2022) |  0.540[6]low (164th) |
| Currency | Ouguiya (MRU) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | MR |
| Internet TLD | .mr |
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Mauritania,[a] officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (Arabic: الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-Islāmīyah al-Mūrītānīyah), is a sovereign country in Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. By land area, Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and 28th-largest in the world, and 90% of its territory is situated in the Sahara. Most of its population of approximately 4.3 million lives in the temperate south of the country, with roughly one-third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast.
The country's name derives from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, located in North Africa within the ancient Maghreb. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania beginning in the third century AD. Arabs under the Umayyad Caliphate conquered the area in the late seventh century, bringing Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, but has since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The most recent coup, in 2008, was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014.[8] He was succeeded by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections, which were considered Mauritania's first peaceful transition of power since independence.[9]
Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world; it is a member of the Arab League and Arabic is the official language. The official religion is Islam, and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. Despite its prevailing Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic; the Bidhan, or so-called "white moors", make up 30% of the population,[10] while the Haratin, or so-called "black moors", comprise 40%.[10] Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups.
Despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum, Mauritania remains poor; its economy is based primarily on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritania is generally seen as having a poor human rights record, and is particularly censured for the perpetuation of slavery as an institution within Mauritanian society, with an estimation by the 2018 Global Slavery Index of about 90,000 slaves in the country (or 2.1% of the population).[11][12][13]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CIAwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "1: Répartition spatiale de la population" (PDF). Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat (RGPH) 2013 (Report) (in French). National Statistical Office of Mauritania. July 2015. p. v. Retrieved 20 December 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Mauritania". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Mauritania)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24". United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
- ^ Diagana, Kissima (23 June 2019). "Ruling party candidate declared winner of Mauritania election". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "First peaceful transfer of power in Mauritania's presidential polls". RFI. 22 June 2019. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Mauritania - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Global Slavery Index country data – Mauritania". Global Slavery Index. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Activists warn over slavery as Mauritania joins U.N. human rights council". reuters.com. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Mauritania". United States Department of State. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
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