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. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. Accordingly, parliamentary elections were held in late 2006-early 2007 and presidential elections in March 2007. The newly-elected legislature is expected to assume power following the inauguration of the new president in April 2007. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.
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
Land use
arable land
0.2%
permanent crops
0.01%
other
99.79% (2005)
Irrigated land
490 sq km (2002)
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; very 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
Population
3,270,065 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
45.5% (male 744,995/female 741,369)
15-64 years
52.4% (male 845,272/female 866,998)
65 years and over
2.2% (male 28,564/female 42,867) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
17.1 years
male
16.8 years
female
17.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.867% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.005 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.975 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.666 male(s)/female
total population
0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
68.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male
71.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female
64.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
53.51 years
male
51.24 years
female
55.85 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.78 children born/woman (2007 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
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations
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 Zeine Ould ZEIDANE (since 20 April 2007)
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; members elected by municipal leaders 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 - Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime) 37, CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15, representatives of the diaspora (yet to be chosen) 3, undecided 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Al 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
Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU); 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; 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]
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles H. TWINING
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 - 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. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports began in early 2006 and averaged 75,000 barrels per day for the year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$8.124 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.569 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
14.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
25%
industry
29%
services
46% (2001 est.)
Labor force
786,000 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
50%
industry
10%
services
40% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
20% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line
40% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.5%
highest 10%
30.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
39 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7% (2003 est.)
Budget
revenues
$421 million
expenditures
$378 million; including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products
dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep
Industries
fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Industrial production growth rate
2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production
176.7 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
85.9%
hydro
14.1%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
164.3 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
75,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
24,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
1 billion bbl (2005)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Exports
$784 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold
Exports - partners
China 26.3%, Italy 11.8%, France 10.2%, Belgium 6.8%, Spain 6.7%, Japan 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2006)
Imports
$1.124 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners
France 11.9%, China 8.2%, US 6.8%, Belgium 6.7%, Italy 5.9%, Spain 5.5%, Brazil 4.1% (2006)
Debt - external
$2.5 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient
$305.7 million (2002)
Currency (code)
ouguiya (MRO)
Currency code
MRO
Exchange rates
ouguiyas per US dollar - 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
41,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
745,600 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)
domestic
mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals
Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2007)
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 18-49
606,463
females age 18-49
607,955 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
370,513
females age 18-49
384,269 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
5.5% (2006)
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
