Mauritania

republicIndependence 28 November 1960 (from France)

Mauritania as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalNouakchott
Area1,030,700 km2
1990

Every edition of Mauritania

Populationas each edition published it
1.93 million July 1990 · 5.2m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.14% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 16.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 47.59 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
7.3 children per woman 1990 · 4.76 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
96 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 29.9 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $555 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Land useshare of 1,030,700 km2

arable land 1%meadows and pastures 38%forest and woodland 5%other 56%NEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated
Total area
1,030,700km2
land area: 1,030,400 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Coastline
754km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
5,074km total
Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Continental shelf

edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Disputes

armed conflict in Western Sahara; boundary with Senegal

Climate

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain

mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Natural resources

iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate

Environment

  • hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April;
  • desertification;
  • only perennial river is the Senegal

People

14 fields
Population
1,934,549
(July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
49Death
18Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

mixed Maur/black 40%Maur 30%black 30%
Labor force
465,000
(1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); 47% agriculture, 29% services, 14% industry and commerce, 10% government; 53% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

96 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

44 years male, 49 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

7.3 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Mauritanian(s); adjective--Mauritanian

Religion

nearly 100% Muslim

Language

  • Hasaniya Arabic (national);
  • French (official);
  • Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof

Organized labor

30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union

Government

Republic

18 fields

Long-form name

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Type

  • republic;
  • military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978;
  • a palace coup that took place on 24 December 1984 brought President Taya to power

Capital

Nouakchott

Administrative divisions

  • 12 regions (regions, singular--region);
  • Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza;
  • note--there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott

Independence

28 November 1960 (from France)

Constitution

  • 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978;
  • provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981;
  • new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

Executive branch

president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Col. Maaouiya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

Elections

  • none;
  • last presidential election August 1976;
  • National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978;
  • no national elections are scheduled

Communists

no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers

Member of

ACP, AfDB, AIOEC, Arab League, CCC, CEAO, CIPEC (associate), EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH;
  • Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 232-5700;
  • US--Ambassador William H. TWADDELL;
  • Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott);
  • telephone [2222] 52660 or 52663

Flag

  • 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

A majority of 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 drought in 1983.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.0billion
per capita $520; real growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Unemployment rate
50%
(1988 est.)
External debt
$2.3billion
(December 1989)

Budget

Revenues
$358 millionExpenditures
$334 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $79 million (1988 est.)

Overview

A majority of 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 drought in 1983. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports.

The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production in recent years. 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.

Exports

  • $424 million (f.o.b., 1988);
  • commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal;
  • partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%

Imports

  • $365 million (c.i.f., 1988);
  • commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods;
  • partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%

Industrial production

growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.)

Electricity

189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Agriculture

  • accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing);
  • largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley;
  • crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops;
  • fish products number-one export;
  • large food deficit in years of drought

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $160 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-88), $277 million

Currency

ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums

Exchange rates

ouguiya (UM) per US$1--83.838 (January 1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 30 total, 29 usable

permanent-surface runways
9runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
4runways 1,220-2,439 m
17

Networkskm

Highways
7,525Railroads
670
Highways: ; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks · Railroads: , single track, owned and operated by government mining company

Railroads

670 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, owned and operated by government mining company

Highways

  • 7,525 km total;
  • 1,685 km paved;
  • 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved;
  • 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks

Inland waterways

mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River

Ports

Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,272 GRT/ 1,840 DWT

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications stations;
  • 5,200 telephones;
  • stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
  • satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with a third planned

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary National Guard, paramilitary National Police, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary Nomad Security Guards

3 fields
Defense expenditures
4.2%of GDP
(1987)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary National Guard, paramilitary National Police, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary Nomad Security Guards

Military manpower

  • males 15-49, 410,153;
  • 200,212 fit for military service;
  • conscription law not implemented

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mauritania.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mauritania/1990.

How to cite 1991 edition →