The Islamic Republic of Western Africa, Muritaniyah, or commonly known as Mauritania, is located in the northern part of the African continent, in the Sahel region, between Senegal and Western Sahara. Its geographical coordinates are 20º 00′ North and 12º 00′ West and its capital Nouakchott. With a total surface of 1,030,700 sq km, Mauritania has 5,074 km of land borders. It borders on Western Sahara or Morocco in the north (with a 1,561 km border), on Mali (2,237 km) in the east and south, where it also borders on Senegal (813 km), on Algeria in the northeast (463 km), and finally on the Atlantic Ocean in the west (with 754 km coastline).
Mauritania is basically a large Saharan plain of sand and bushes. Two-thirds of the country, in the north, are part of the Sahara desert. A sea of sand dunes makes up the largest part of the terrain, but in some parts, the land rises to build rocky hills with deep cliffs. It has tropical and desert weather, always dry, hot and dusty. The first foothills of the Adrar plateau are in the northeast, with a central region reaching 500 metres, and the Tagant in the southern end with 600 m, as well as other mountains. Several small villages and oasis can be found along the territory. To the south, the desert starts giving way to the Sahel Savannah with some rain and vegetation. The hydrography is poor and the banks of the Senegal River in the south-western part of the country, building the border with the country it is named after, are the only area in the country with permanent vegetation and a large animal variety. The population concentrates in this region, in small towns such as Atar, Chinguetti, Tidjikja, Walata or Nema, as well as the productive activities, except for the nomad shepherds, who are spread all over the country. The coastline is straight, with several salted-water lagoons, where dunes change about with cliffs.
Mauritania has a population of de 2.3 millions inhabitants with a population density of 2.1 inhabitants per sq km, a yearly growth rate of 3% and a life expectancy of 51 years. The birth rate is of 46.92 births per 1,000 population but the infant mortality rate is of 81.7 per 1,000 born alive.
The official languages are Arab and French. Other important languages are Hassaniya spoken by the Berbers, Sarakole (language of the Soninké) and the Fulani (language of the Pulaar) in the south of the country. It is difficult to find people speaking English. Although increasing, the rate of people able to read and write is just about 40% of the population. The ethnic conglomerate of Mauritania is made up by mixes of Berbers and black people (40 %), Mauriyans (30 %) and black people (30 %). Only three-fourths of the Mauritanians are Moorish, descendants of the founders of the Almoravid Empire in the Middle Age. Product of the miscegenation of Arabs, Berbers and other people, Moor was the generic name used for the nomad shepherds of north-eastern Africa. The remaining 25% is made up by African people, living in the south, the most important of which are the Pulaar (called “toucouleur” by the French) and the Soninké; there are also some Uolof and Bamabara minorities. The majority religion is Muslim.
The official currency is the Mauritanian Ouguiya, equivalent to 0,003 ¬. The largest part of the population depends on agriculture and cattle raising to survive, although many of them fled to the cities after the repeated droughts in the 70s and 80s. They subsist thanks to cattle raising (cattle, sheep, goats and camels), because most of them are nomad shepherds, as well as to the exploitation of date palms and rubber. Other products are rice (on the banks of the Senegal River), millet, corn, tobacco and peanuts. Its coast in one of the richest as regards fishing with sardines, lobster, codfish and tuna fish in their 200-mile territorial sea. The overexploitation by foreign companies can however endanger this income source. The fishing products are import as well. Mauritania has large iron mineral beds, making up more than 50% of the exports, although the less international demand has reduced them. The exploitation of other natural resources is also important such as gypsum, copper, phosphates, diamonds, gold and oil. Trade is fundamentally based on the export of iron mineral, copper, rubber and leather. The sedentary population is grouped in small towns in the southern part of the country. Their yearly income is of $1,200. Of the 7,496 km roads crossing Mauritania, only 1,342 km are asphalted. There are also 704 km railway, five ports (Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso) and channels for the goods traffic on the Senegal River. The first big port of the country, nearby Nouakchott, was inaugurated in 1986.
Droughts and bad administration in recent years, considerably increased the foreign debt, amounting to almost 2 thousand million dollars and the government has started the second stage of its financial reform in agreement with the IMF, the World Bank and some countries. The growth perspectives in the short term are not brilliant due to the hindrance of the debt, the fast growth of the population and the vulnerability against weather conditions. The GDP is of 2.8 thousand million dollars.
Mauritania is in the path of one of the large transsaharian trade routes. The Empire of Ghana, located to the south of todays Mauritania, dominated the region until the 12th century, when the Almoravids took control of the gold, salt and slave trade, thus becoming the dominant society until their overthrow by the Arab army in 1674. The contact with European navigators was sporadic and the French dominance of the region did not arrive until the late 19th and early 20th century. It became a French colony in 1921 and got the autonomy for internal affairs in 1958, becoming a Republic within the French Community, which was created when the 5th Republic was established.
Mauritania achieved full independence on November 28th, 1960, nowadays a public holiday. The first political party to take the lead in the country was the Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (PPM), lead by Ould Daddah. In 1978, as a result of the political instability caused by the war for the dominance of Western Sahara, the military took over the government and stayed for 14 days. Today, Mauritania is a republic in which the main political figure is Maawiya Sid’Ahmed Taya, who came into power after a military coup in 1984, while being Chief of the Personal Guard of the overthrown President Haidallahque. One of the first measures he took in the government was the recognition of the Saharawi Region and the Polisario Front as its legitimate representative. As many other African dictators, Taya joined the democratic changes which spread over many countries in the early 90s, favoured by France.
Since its independence, Mauritania has been trying to strengthen its relationships with the French-speaking countries in northern Africa. An obstacle for this strategy was the dispute over Western Sahara (former Spanish Sahara), which was ceded by Spain to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975. The Polisario Front opposed this plan and demanded the recognition of the territory as an independent country with the name of Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its relationships with Senegal have been difficult as well. A border dispute between both countries in 1989 caused an armed confrontation during several months, until international mediation forced an agreement on the cessation of hostilities. The dispute was resolved and diplomatic relations were re-established in early 1992. Since the enactment of the new Constitution, approved by referendum on July 12th, 1991, Mauritanians aged 18 and over decide who will be their President for a period of six years. It has a bicameral legislative system made up by the National Assembly (79 members elected every five years) and the Senate (56 members elected every six years), and a triple legal system, constituted by Islamic Courts (Shari’a), special courts and state security courts (in the course of being removed).
