For the three regions the city is divided in, see Nouakchott-Nord Region, Nouakchott-Ouest Region, and Nouakchott-Sud Region.
Capital city in Mauritania
Nouakchott
Arabic: نواكشوط
Berber: Nwakcoṭ
Capital city
From the top to bottom-right, View of the City, Saudi Mosque, Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière Tower, Presidential Palace, Avenue Général de Gaulle
Nouakchott (/nwækˈʃɒt,nwɑː-/; French:[nwakʃɔt]; Arabic: نواكشوط, romanized: Nuwākshūṭ; Berber: Nwakcoṭ, originally derived from Berber: Nawākšūṭ, "place of the winds")[2] is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara.[3] The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.
Once a mid-sized coastal village, Nouakchott was selected as the capital for the nascent nation of Mauritania, with construction beginning in 1958. It was originally designed to accommodate a population of 15,000, but experienced significant population growth in the 1970s when many Mauritanians fled their home villages due to drought and increasing desertification. Many of the newcomers settled in slum areas of the city that were poorly maintained and extremely overcrowded. By the mid-1980s, Nouakchott's population was estimated to be between 400,000 to 500,000.[4]
As of 2019[update], the city had a population of nearly 1.2 million people and serves as the hub of the Mauritanian economy. It is home to a deepwater port and Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport, one of the country's two international airports. It also hosts the University of Nouakchott and several other more specialized institutions of higher learning.
^Nouakchott, Mauritania in Geonames.org (cc-by)
^Lorenz, Ralph D.; Zimbelman, James R. (2014). Dune Worlds: How Windblown Sand Shapes Planetary Landscapes. Heidelberg: Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-540-89725-5. Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2016-07-10. page 273.
^"The Sahara: Facts, Climate and Animals of the Desert". Live Science. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
^Handloff, Robert E. (1990). Mauritania: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. p. 50. ISBN 9780160197970.
The Nouakchott tramway (Arabic: ترام نواكشوط, French: Tramway de Nouakchott), also known as the Nouakchott Train (Arabic: قطار نواكشوط, French: Train de...
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...
Nouakchott International Airport (ICAO: GQNN) (Arabic: مطار نواكشوط الدولي) was an airport located in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. It closed...
The Diocese of Nouakchott is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church situated in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It is the only...
University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya (French: Université de Nouakchott Al Aasriya, Arabic: جامعة نواكشوط) is a university in the city of Nouakchott, capital...
of defeat since 1967. On 28 March, Mauritania lost their home leg in Nouakchott 2–0 and the Upper Volta advanced 3–1 on aggregate. On 12 October 1980...
The 2023 Nouakchott prison break was the result of a prison riot in the Nouakchott Civil Prison, the central prison of Mauritania. Four AQMI members managed...
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Nouakchott, Mauritania. 1903 - French military outpost built. 1908 - Military outpost abandoned...
Nouakchott Kings (Arabic: نواكشوط كينغ) is a Mauritanian football club based in Nouakchott and one of the main competitors for the Ligue 1 Mauritania title...
with adjacent countries. In 2008, a railway was proposed that would link Nouakchott with Tiguint, Mederdra, R'Kiz, Leguatt, Leeleibatt, Menjem Boffal, Kaedi...
previously Mauritania Airlines International, is an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania, serving as flag carrier of the country. The company was set...
the Trarza Region and the city of Nouakchott (comprising the regions of Nouakchott-Nord, Nouakchott-Ouest and Nouakchott-Sud since 2014) combined. "Sub-national...
Friendship Port (Port de l'Amité) is an artificial deepwater port located in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It was built during the 1980s by a Chinese company to allow...
Council of Nouakchott (Arabic: المجلس نواكشوط الجهوي, French: Conseil régional de Nouakchott) is the elected assembly of the city of Nouakchott, Mauritania...
ceased operations in 2007 due to financial difficulties. It was based at Nouakchott International Airport, from where it operated domestic services, as well...
Mauritania Airways S.A. was an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania, operating out of Nouakchott International Airport. The company was established...
personnel and 11 patrol and coastal combatants, with bases at Nouadhibou and Nouakchott. The CIA reports that the navy includes naval infantry. The small Air...
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