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. The country
continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population
(Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities,
although the new government is attempting to ameliorate some of these
tensions.
Geography
Mauritania
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the
North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 12 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than three
times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 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
Climate:
desert; constantly hot, dry,
dusty
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat plains of
the Sahara; some central hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebkhet
Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, gypsum, copper,
phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
total: 1.7 cu km/yr
(9%/3%/88%) per capita: 554 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden
sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
overgrazing, deforestation, and
soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification;
limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the
only perennial river; locust infestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the population
concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the
Senegal River in the southern part of the country
total: 17.2 years
male: 16.9 years female: 17.4 years (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
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66
male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.65
deaths/1,000 live births male: 69.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.91
years male: 51.61 years female: 56.28 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.69 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)
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)
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 51.2%
male: 59.5% female: 43.4% (2000 census)
Government
Mauritania
Country name:
conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania conventional short form:
Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al
Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah
Government type:
Democratic Republic
Capital:
name: Nouakchott
geographic coordinates: 18 07 N, 16 02 W time
difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
12 regions (regions, singular -
region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri,
Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza
Independence:
28 November 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November
(1960)
Constitution:
12 July 1991
Legal system:
a combination of Islamic law
and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Sidi
Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI (since 19 April 2007) head of government:
Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed El WAGHEF (since 6 May 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president
elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second
consecutive term); election last held 11 March 2007 with a runoff between
the two leading candidates held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held 2012);
prime minister appointed by the president election results:
percent of vote - (second round) Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI 52.8%, Ahmed
Ould DADDAH 47.2%
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists
of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members elected by
municipal leaders and 3 members elected by Mauritanians abroad to serve
six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and
the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last
held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National
Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in
2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated
with the former regime) 37, CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15,
representatives of the diaspora 3, undecided 1; National Assembly -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Mithaq 51 (independents
37, PRDR 7, UDP 3, RDU 3, Alternative (El-Badil) 1), CFCD 41 (RFD 16, UFP
9, APP 6, Centrist Reformists 4, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, PUDS 1), RNDLE 1, UCD
1, FP 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
Court of Appeals; lower courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alternative or El-Badil;
Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists); Coalition for Forces
for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including
APP, Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists), HATEM-PMUC,
PUDS, RD, RFD, UFP); Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS;
Democratic Renewal or RD; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or
HATEM-PMUC; Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with
the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU);
National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; Popular Front
or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP
[Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould
DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA]
(formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS);
Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and
Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Centre or UCD;
Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Arab nationalists; Ba'thists;
General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould
MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian
Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union
or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ibrahima DIA chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW,
Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mark M. BOULWARE embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between
Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing
address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222]
525-2660/525-2663 FAX: [222] 525-1592
Flag description:
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
Economy
Mauritania
Economy - overview:
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.
China 26.1%, Italy 11.7%,
France 10.5%, Spain 6.9%, Belgium 6.8%, Japan 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6%
(2006)
Imports:
$1.475 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment,
petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
France 11.9%, China 8.1%,
Belgium 6.8%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.9%, Spain 5.7%, Brazil 5.5% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$190.4 million (2005)
Debt - external:
NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
ouguiya (MRO)
Currency code:
MRO
Exchange rates:
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA
(2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Mauritania
Telephones - main lines in use:
34,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.06 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay
links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular
services expanding rapidly domestic: Mauritel, the national
telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the
monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas
with a teledensity approaching 35 per 100 persons; mostly cable and
open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links
Nouakchott with regional capitals international: country code -
222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
410,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)
Televisions:
98,000 (2001)
Internet country code:
.mr
Internet hosts:
14 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2001)
Internet users:
100,000 (2006)
Transportation
Mauritania
Airports:
25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8 2,438 to
3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17 1,524
to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1
(2007)
Railways:
717 km standard
gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 7,660 km
paved: 866 km unpaved: 6,794 km (1999)
Ports and terminals:
Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Military
Mauritania
Military branches:
Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army,
Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air
Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.);
conscript service obligation - 2 years; majority of servicemen believed to
be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 740,675
females age 16-49: 744,709 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 463,305
females age 16-49: 484,777 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.5% (2006)
Transnational Issues
Mauritania
Disputes - international:
Mauritanian claims to Western
Sahara remain dormant
Trafficking in persons:
current situation:
Mauritania is a source and destination country for children trafficked for
the purpose of forced labor, begging, and domestic servitude; adults and
children are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral
master-slave relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter
economy exists tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is
placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of
increased efforts to combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law
enforcement
