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Africa :: MAURITANIA
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MAURITANIA
  • Introduction :: MAURITANIA

  • 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 more than 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. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. He was reelected in 2014 to a second and final term as president (according to the present constitution). The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among three major groups: Arabic-speaking descendants of slaves (Haratines), Arabic-speaking "White Moors" (Bidhan), and members of Sub-Saharan ethnic groups mostly originating in the Senegal River valley (Halpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof). Mauritania confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, which launched successful attacks between 2005 and 2011.
    The activities of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and similar groups, pose a severe security threat to Mauritanians and foreign visitors. AQIM launched a series of attacks in Mauritania between 2005 and 2011, murdering American and foreign tourists and aid workers, attacking diplomatic and government facilities, and ambushing Mauritanian soldiers and gendarmes. A successful strategy against terrorism that combines dialogue with the terrorists and military actions has prevented the country from further terrorist attacks since 2011.
  • Geography :: MAURITANIA

  • Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
    20 00 N, 12 00 W
    Africa
    total: 1,030,700 sq km
    land: 1,030,700 sq km
    water: 0 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 30
    slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
    total: 5,002 km
    border countries (4): Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km
    754 km
    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
    desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
    mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
    mean elevation: 276 m
    elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
    highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
    iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
    agricultural land: 38.5%
    arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1%
    forest: 0.2%
    other: 61.3% (2011 est.)
    450 sq km (2012)
    with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal
    hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
    overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation
    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
    Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
  • People and Society :: MAURITANIA

  • 3,758,571 (July 2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 129
    noun: Mauritanian(s)
    adjective: Mauritanian
    black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Bidhan) 30%, Sub-Saharan Mauritanians (non-Arabic speaking, Halpulaar, Soninke, Wolof, and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%
    Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French
    note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from the modern standard Arabic used for official written purposes or in the media; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Berber words, is referred to as Hassaniya
    Muslim (official) 100%
    With a sustained total fertility rate of about 4 children per woman and almost 60% of the population under the age of 25, Mauritania’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Mauritania’s large youth cohort is vital to its development prospects, but available schooling does not adequately prepare students for the workplace. Girls continue to be underrepresented in the classroom, educational quality remains poor, and the dropout rate is high. The literacy rate is only about 50%, even though access to primary education has improved since the mid-2000s. Women’s restricted access to education and discriminatory laws maintain gender inequality – worsened by early and forced marriages and female genital cutting.
    The denial of education to black Moors also helps to perpetuate slavery. Although Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981 (the last country in the world to do so) and made it a criminal offense in 2007, the millenniums-old practice persists largely because anti-slavery laws are rarely enforced and the custom is so ingrained. Up to 20% of Mauritania’s population is estimated to be enslaved, the highest rate worldwide.
    Drought, poverty, and unemployment have driven outmigration from Mauritania since the 1970s. Early flows were directed toward other West African countries, including Senegal, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, and Gambia. The 1989 Mauritania-Senegal conflict forced thousands of black Mauritanians to take refuge in Senegal and pushed labor migrants toward the Gulf, Libya, and Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Mauritania has accepted migrants from neighboring countries to fill labor shortages since its independence in 1960 and more recently has received refugees escaping civil wars, including tens of thousands of Tuaregs who fled Mali in 2012.
    Mauritania was an important transit point for sub-Saharan migrants moving illegally to North Africa and Europe. In the mid-2000s, as border patrols increased in the Strait of Gibraltar, security increased around Spain’s North African enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla), and Moroccan border controls intensified, illegal migration flows shifted from the Western Mediterranean to Spain’s Canary Islands. In 2006, departure points moved southward along the West African coast from Morocco and Western Sahara to Mauritania’s two key ports (Nouadhibou and the capital Nouakchott), and illegal migration to the Canaries peaked at almost 32,000. The numbers fell dramatically in the following years because of joint patrolling off the West African coast by Frontex (the EU’s border protection agency), Spain, Mauritania, and Senegal; the expansion of Spain’s border surveillance system; and the 2008 European economic downturn.
    0-14 years: 38.56% (male 727,855/female 721,508)
    15-24 years: 19.81% (male 364,570/female 379,866)
    25-54 years: 33.21% (male 578,422/female 669,628)
    55-64 years: 4.67% (male 79,162/female 96,297)
    65 years and over: 3.76% (male 59,928/female 81,335) (2017 est.)
    population pyramid:
    total dependency ratio: 76.5
    youth dependency ratio: 71
    elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
    potential support ratio: 18.3 (2015 est.)
    total: 20.5 years
    male: 19.5 years
    female: 21.4 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 189
    2.17% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 37
    30.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 38
    7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 95
    -0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 132
    with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal
    urban population: 61% of total population (2017)
    rate of urbanization: 3.2% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
    NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)
    at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
    total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
    602 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 14
    total: 51.9 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 56.7 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 46.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 26
    total population: 63.4 years
    male: 61.1 years
    female: 65.8 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 193
    3.86 children born/woman (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 39
    17.8% (2015)
    3.8% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 166
    0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
    0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
    improved:
    urban: 58.4% of population
    rural: 57.1% of population
    total: 57.9% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 41.6% of population
    rural: 42.9% of population
    total: 42.1% of population (2015 est.)
    improved:
    urban: 57.5% of population
    rural: 13.8% of population
    total: 40% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 42.5% of population
    rural: 86.2% of population
    total: 60% of population (2015 est.)
    0.5% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 62
    11,000 (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 93
    <1000 (2016 est.)
    degree of risk: very high
    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
    vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
    respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
    animal contact disease: rabies (2016)
    12.7% (2016)
    country comparison to the world: 132
    24.9% (2015)
    country comparison to the world: 32
    2.9% of GDP (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 120
    definition: age 15 and over can read and write
    total population: 52.1%
    male: 62.6%
    female: 41.6% (2015 est.)
    total: 9 years
    male: 9 years
    female: 9 years (2015)
  • Government :: MAURITANIA

  • conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
    conventional short form: Mauritania
    local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
    local short form: Muritaniyah
    etymology: named for the ancient kingdom of Mauretania (3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D.), which existed further north in present-day Morocco; the name derives from the Mauri (Moors), the Berber-speaking peoples of northwest Africa
    presidential republic
    name: Nouakchott
    geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W
    time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
    15 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott Nord, Nouakchott Ouest, Nouakchott Sud, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza
    28 November 1960 (from France)
    Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
    history: previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991
    amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by either house of Parliament; consideration of amendments by Parliament requires approval of at least one-third of the membership of either house; a referendum is held only if it is approved by two-thirds majority vote in both houses; passage by referendum requires simple majority vote by eligible voters; passage of amendments proposed by the president can bypass a referendum if approved by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament in joint session; amended 2004, 2006, 2017 (2017)
    mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law
    has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
    citizenship by birth: no
    citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mauritania
    dual citizenship recognized: no
    residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
    18 years of age; universal
    chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009); note - AZIZ deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as president in August 2008; he subsequently retired from the military, stepped down from the appropriated presidency in April 2009 to run for the legitimate presidency; he was elected president in July 2009 and reelected in June 2014
    head of government: Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014)
    cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
    elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
    election results: Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president in first round; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (UPR) 81.9%, Biram Dah ABEID (IRA) 8.7%, Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT (El Wiam) 4.5%, Ibrahima Moctar SARR (SJD/MR) 4.4%, other 0.5%
    description: unicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (147 seats; 107 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with 3 or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve a 5-year term); note - a referendum held in August 2017 approved a constitutional amendment to change the Parliament structure from bicameral to unicameral by abolishing the Senate
    elections: Senate - last held on 23 November 2013 (next election scheduled for 2015 but delayed because of opposition party threats to boycott election); National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
    election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16, El Wiam 10, APP 7, El Karama Party 6, UDP 6, AJD/MR 4, Burst of Youth for the Nation 4, El Vadila Party 3, PRDR 3, PUD 3, Ravah Party 3, other 6; note - parties winning fewer than 3 seats sit as independents unless they join a coalition
    highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 1 criminal and 2 civil chambers, each with a president and 5 counselors); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 members)
    judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
    subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (cases involving treason and criminal acts of high government officials, including the president); courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts
    Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]
    Burst of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA]
    Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam)
    Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (includes UPR, UDP)
    Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH] (coalition includes RNRD-TAWASSOUL)
    El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]
    El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY]
    El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT]
    Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement [Biram Dah ABEID]
    National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould SEYIDI]
    Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice [Ba ALASSANE]
    Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO]
    Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR]
    Ravah Party
    Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed VALL]
    Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
    Union for Progress [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
    Union for the Republic or UPR [Sidi Mohamed Ould MAHAM]
    Association of Women Heads of Household [Aminetou Mint ElMOCTAR]
    General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED]
    Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM and El Hor [Samory Ould BEYE] (civil society organization, anti-slavery)
    Initiative for Resurgent Abolitionist Movement or IRA-Mauritania [Biram Dah ABEID] (US-based, anti-slavery group)
    Mauritanian Human Rights Association or AMDH [Fatimata M'BAYE]
    Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM]
    National Forum for Democracy and Unity [Mohamed Jamil Ould MANSOUR]
    SOS-Esclaves [Boubacar Ould MESSAOUD] (anti-slavery)
    other: Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; Islamists; Nasserists
    ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU (candidate), EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MIUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
    chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamedoun DADDAH (since 27 June 2016)
    chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
    telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701
    FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
    chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 3 November 2014)
    embassy: 288, rue 42-100 (rue Abdallaye), Nouakchott
    mailing address: B.P. 222, Nouakchott
    telephone: [222] 4525-2660 or [222] 2660-2663
    FAX: [222] 4525-1592
    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; green also represents hope for a bright future; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara
    star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow
    name: "Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania)
    lyrics/music: Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY
    note: adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing
  • Economy :: MAURITANIA

  • Mauritania's economy is dominated by extractive industries (oil and mines), fisheries and agriculture. Half the population still depends on farming and raising livestock, even though many nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s, 1980s and 2000s. Recently, GDP growth has been driven largely by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors.
    Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, and exploration is ongoing for tantalum, uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports, subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue, rising from 13% to 30% of total revenue from 2006 to 2016. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for about 20% of budget revenues, 45% of foreign currency earnings. Mauritania processes a total of 1,800,000 tons of fish per year, but overexploitation by foreign and national fleets threaten the sustainability of this key source of revenue.
    The economy is highly sensitive to international food and extractive commodity prices. Other risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country’s public expenditures.
    $17.37 billion (2017 est.)
    $16.74 billion (2016 est.)
    $16.45 billion (2015 est.)
    note: data are in 2017 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 155
    $4.985 billion (2016 est.)
    3.8% (2017 est.)
    1.7% (2016 est.)
    0.9% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 79
    $4,500 (2017 est.)
    $4,400 (2016 est.)
    $4,400 (2015 est.)
    note: data are in 2017 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 175
    28.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
    24.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
    18.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 35
    household consumption: 56.9%
    government consumption: 19.1%
    investment in fixed capital: 48.6%
    investment in inventories: 21.7%
    exports of goods and services: 30.1%
    imports of goods and services: -76.4% (2017 est.)
    agriculture: 22.5%
    industry: 37.8%
    services: 39.7% (2017 est.)
    dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, camel and sheep
    fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
    note: gypsum deposits have never been exploited
    0.7% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 177
    1.437 million (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 134
    agriculture: 50%
    industry: 1.9%
    services: 48.1% (2014 est.)
    11.7% (2016 est.)
    11.7% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 151
    31% (2014 est.)
    lowest 10%: 2.5%
    highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)
    37 (2014)
    39 (2006 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 80
    revenues: $1.248 billion
    expenditures: $1.301 billion (2017 est.)
    25% of GDP (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 114
    -1.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 61
    99.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
    98.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 17
    calendar year
    2.1% (2017 est.)
    1.5% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 93
    9% (31 December 2009)
    12% (31 December 2007)
    country comparison to the world: 32
    17% (31 December 2017 est.)
    17% (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 27
    $1.451 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $1.495 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 158
    $NA
    -$709 million (2017 est.)
    -$707 million (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 113
    $1.606 billion (2017 est.)
    $1.401 billion (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 149
    iron ore, fish and fish products, livestock, gold, copper, crude oil
    China 36.9%, Switzerland 13.5%, Spain 8.9%, Japan 7.5%, Russia 4.8%, Nigeria 4.1%, Italy 4.1% (2016)
    $2.097 billion (2017 est.)
    $1.9 billion (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 157
    machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
    US 13.4%, UAE 11.9%, Belgium 9.2%, China 8.9%, Netherlands 7.1%, France 6.6%, Morocco 6.3%, Vanuatu 5% (2016)
    $4.117 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
    $3.899 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 139
    ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -
    363.6 (2017 est.)
    352.37 (2016 est.)
    352.37 (2015 est.)
    319.7 (2014 est.)
    299.5 (2013 est.)
  • Energy :: MAURITANIA

  • population without electricity: 2,800,000
    electrification - total population: 28%
    electrification - urban areas: 47%
    electrification - rural areas: 2% (2013)
    1.191 billion kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 148
    1.108 billion kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 154
    0 kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 170
    0 kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 175
    412,000 kW (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 151
    63.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 118
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 144
    23.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 82
    16.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 40
    5,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 81
    6,750 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 61
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    20 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 86
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 176
    16,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 147
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 181
    16,390 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 124
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 171
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 210
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 152
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 157
    28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 72
    2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 147
  • Communications :: MAURITANIA

  • total subscriptions: 53,191
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 160
    total: 3,614,172
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 126
    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: fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 100 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); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2016)
    1 state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations, as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)
    .mr
    total: 661,913
    percent of population: 18.0% (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 134
  • Transportation :: MAURITANIA

  • number of registered air carriers: 1
    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 248,158
    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
    5T (2016)
    30 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 116
    total: 9
    2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2017)
    total: 21
    2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
    914 to 1,523 m: 8
    under 914 m: 2 (2013)
    total: 728 km
    standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 99
    total: 10,628 km
    paved: 3,158 km
    unpaved: 7,470 km (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 133
    (some navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)
    total: 6
    by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 2, other 3 (2017)
    country comparison to the world: 154
    major seaport(s): Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
  • Military and Security :: MAURITANIA

  • 2.97% of GDP (2016)
    2.75% of GDP (2015)
    2.7% of GDP (2014)
    2.56% of GDP (2013)
    2.72% of GDP (2012)
    Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)
    18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
  • Terrorism :: MAURITANIA

  • al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM):
    aim(s): replace the Mauritanian Government with Sharia and, ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate across all of North and West Africa
    area(s) of operation: maintains a heavy operational presence throughout the country, especially in the central and northwestern regions; AQIM is Mauritania's leading terrorist threat
  • Transnational Issues :: MAURITANIA

  • Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
    refugees (country of origin): 26,001 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2016); 49,825 (Mali) (2017)
    current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children from traditional slave castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships; Mauritanian boy students called talibes are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; Mauritanian girls, as well as girls from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African countries, are forced into domestic servitude; Mauritanian women and girls are forced into prostitution domestically or transported to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose, sometimes through forced marriages
    tier rating: Tier 3 - Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts were negligible; one slavery case identified by an NGO was investigated, but no prosecutions or convictions were made, including among the 4,000 child labor cases NGOs referred to the police; the 2007 anti-slavery law remains ineffective because it requires slaves, most of whom are illiterate, to file their own legal complaint, and the government agency that can submit claims on them did not file any in 2014; authorities arrested, prosecuted, and convicted several anti-slavery activists; NGOs continued to provide the majority of protective services to trafficking victims without support from the government; some steps were taken to raise public awareness about human trafficking (2015)