Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western SaharaPopulation: 3,086,859 (July 2005 est.)
Total Area: 1,030,700 sq km - slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands. Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements .
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November
Economy - brief 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 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.
Budget: revenues: $421 million: expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.)Labor force: 786,000
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep
Industries: fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 1 billion bbl (2005)
Exports: $784 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - partners: Japan 13.1%, France 11%, Spain 9.7%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 9.6%, Belgium 7.5%, China 6.1%, Russia 4.6%, Cote d''Ivoire 4.1% (2004)
Imports: $1.124 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - partners: France 14.1%, US 7.6%, China 6.4%, Spain 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004)
Government departments:
Government of Mauritania
National Office of Statistics
Commission on Human Rights, for the Battle against Poverty and for Integration
Media:
allAfrica.com: Mauritania
Mauritania News
Mauritania Post
Travel Information:
Mauritania Travel Information Lonely Planet Destination Guide
Travel Advice for Mauritania - Australian Department of Foreign ...
Other useful links:
Coalition Against Slavery in Mauritania And Sudan, Inc. (CASMAS)
Committee to Protect Journalists
World Bank for Schools - Mauritania Page
News headlines
Permanent High Oil Prices and Their Impact on North Africa (North Africa Journal, MA - 28 Jan 2006)
Islamist detainees relatives protest in Mauritania Arabicnews.com Friday Jan 13
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