1.
[syn: Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mauritanie, Muritaniya]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Mauritania
n 1: a country in northwestern Africa with a provisional
military government; achieved independence from France in
1960; largely western Sahara Desert [syn: Mauritania,
Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mauritanie,
Muritaniya]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Mauritania
Introduction Mauritania
-----------------------
Background: 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. 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. Mauritania remains,
in reality, a one-party state. The
country continues to experience
ethnic tensions between its black
minority population and the dominant
Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.
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: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the
edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the
Sahara; some central hills
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -
3 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m
Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate,
diamonds, gold, oil; fish
Land use: arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.51% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 490 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
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
People Mauritania
-----------------
Population: 2,828,858 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.1% (male 653,005;
female 650,530)
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 720,473;
female 741,094)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male
26,251; female 37,505) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.92% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 42.54 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 13.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 75.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.53 years
female: 53.71 years (2002 est.)
male: 49.42 years
Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.8% (2000 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 6,600 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 610 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian
Ethnic groups: mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%,
black 30%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar,
Soninke, Wolof (official), French
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 41.2%
male: 51.5%
female: 31.3% (2002 est.)
Government Mauritania
---------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Islamic
Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania
local short form: Muritaniyah
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al
Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
Government type: republic
Capital: Nouakchott
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 Shari'a (Islamic
law) and French civil law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Maaouya
Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12
December 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister
Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed KHOUNA
(since 17 November 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 12 December 1997
(next to be held NA December 2003);
prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: President Maaouya
Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with
90.9% of the vote
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of
the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56
seats, a part of the seats up for
election every two years; members
elected by municipal leaders to
serve six-year terms) and the
National Assembly or Majlis al-
Watani (81 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: Senate - last held 17
April 1998 (next to be held NA April
2002); National Assembly - last held
19 and 26 October 2001 (next to be
held NA 2006)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - PRDS 98%, others
2%; seats by party - PRDS 56;
National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP
3.5%, AC 5%, RDF 4%, UFP 3.5%, FP
1.5%; seats by party - PRDS 64, UDP
3, RDU 3, AC 4, RDF 3, UFP 3,and FP
1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court
of Appeals; lower courts
Political parties and leaders: Action for Change or AC [Messoud
Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for
Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe
ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social
Republican Party or PRDS (ruling
party) [President Maaouya Ould Sid
Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for
Renewal and Concorde or PMRC [Molaye
El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National
Union for Democracy and Development
or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for
Liberty, Equality and Justice or
PLEJ [Daouda M'BAGNIGA]; Popular
Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH
MALAININE]; Popular Progress
Alliance or APP [Mohamed El Hafed
Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and
Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed
Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force
Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould
MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic
Forces or RDF [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU
[Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union for
Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha
Mint MOUKNASS]
note: the Action for Change party
was banned in January 2002; parties
legalized by constitution ratified
12 July 1991, however, politics
continue to be tribally based
Political pressure groups and Arab nationalists; Ba'athists;
leaders: 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]
International organization ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
participation: AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending
member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Mohamedou Ould MICHEL
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW,
Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador John W.
US: LIMBERT
embassy: Rue Abdallaye, 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 most of the
nomads and many 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 half of total exports. The
decline in world demand for this
ore, however, has led to cutbacks in
production. 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. 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.
Mauritania withdrew its membership
in the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) in 2000 and
subsequently increased commercial
ties with Arab Maghreb Union members
Morocco and Tunisia, most notably in
telecommunications. In 2001,
exploratory oil wells in tracts 80
km offshore indicated potential
viable extraction at current world
oil prices. However, the refinery in
Nouadhibou historically has not
exceeded 20% of its distillation
capacity, and it handled no crude in
the year 2000. A new Investment Code
approved in December 2001 improved
the opportunities for direct foreign
investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5 billion
(2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,800
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%
industry: 29%
services: 46% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.5%
percentage share: highest 10%: 30.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini 37.3 (1995)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 786,000 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 50%, services 40%,
industry 10% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 21% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million,
including capital expenditures of
$154 million (2002 est.)
Industries: fish processing, mining of iron ore
and gypsum
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 154 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 84.42%
hydro: 15.58%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 143.22 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn,
dates; cattle, sheep
Exports: $359 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: iron ore, fish and fish products,
gold
Exports - partners: France 18%, Japan 16%, Italy 13%,
Spain 10% (2000)
Imports: $335 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum
products, capital goods, foodstuffs,
consumer goods
Imports - partners: France 33%, US 10%, Spain 9%,
Algeria 6%, Germany 6%, Benelux 5%
(2000)
Debt - external: $1.6 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $220 million (2000)
Currency: ouguiya (MRO)
Currency code: MRO
Exchange rates: ouguiyas per US dollar - 254.350
(December 2001), 238.923 (2000),
209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998),
151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Mauritania
-------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 26,500 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 35,000 (2001)
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
international: satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2001)
Internet users: 7,500 (2001)
Transportation Mauritania
-------------------------
Railways: 704 km
standard gauge: 704 km 1.435-m gauge
note: owned and operated by
government mining company (2001)
Highways: total: 7,720 km
paved: 830 km
unpaved: 6,890 km (2000)
Waterways: note: ferry traffic on the Senegal
River
Ports and harbors: Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou,
Nouakchott, Rosso
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 26 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Military Mauritania
-------------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National
Gendarmerie, National Guard,
National Police, Presidential Guard
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 644,294 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 312,276 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $37.1 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 3.7% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Mauritania
-------------------------------
Disputes - international: none