Mauritania

republicIndependence 28 November 1960 (from France)

Mauritania as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 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

Populationas each edition published it

2 million July 1991 · 1.93m in 1990

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

7.2 children per woman 1991 · 7.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

94 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 96 in 1990

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

10 fields

Total area

1,030,700km2

land area: 1,030,400 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries

5,074km total

Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline

754 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Terrain

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

Natural resources

iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate

Land use

arable land 1%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 38%;
forest and woodland 5%;
other 56%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

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

1,995,755

(July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

49Death

18Net migration

Ethnic divisions

mixed Maur/black 40%Maur 30%black 30%

Labor force

465,000

(1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services 29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working age (1985)

Literacy

34%

(male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

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

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

Type

republic;
military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978;
a palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to power

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

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

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. Maaouya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

Elections

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

ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 [222] (2) 252-660 or 252-663

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

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$942million

per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

8.2%

(1989 est.)

Unemployment rate

21%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$2.3billion

(December 1989)

Budget

Revenues

$280 millionExpenditures

$346 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 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 droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. 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. 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 recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.

Exports

$519 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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

$567 million (c.i.f., 1989);
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.); accounts for 10% of GDP

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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

ouguiya (UM) per US$1--77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (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

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 1,290 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