Mauritania

republicIndependence 28 November 1960 (from France)

Mauritania as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 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

2.06 million July 1992 · 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

7.1 children per woman 1992 · 7.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

89 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

12 fields

Total area

1,030,700km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Coastline

754km

Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nmExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

5,074km

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

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

2,059,187

(July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

48Death

17Net 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

Languages

Hasaniya Arabic (official); Hasaniya Arabic, Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official)

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;
he was elected in 1992

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

currently 12 July 1991;
20 May 1961 Constitution abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978;
provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981;
constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 after Taya came to power;
latest constitution approved after general referendum 12 July 1991

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) and Senate

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991; emerging parties include Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), coalition of seven

opposition factions, three leaders:: Mohameden Ould BABAH, Diop Mamadou AMADOU, and Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR;
Assembly for Democracy (RDU), Mohamed Ould SIDI BABA;
Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDUN), Mohamed Ould Sidi BABA;
Popular Social and Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH;
Progressive Popular Alliance (APP), Taleb Ould Jiddou Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF;
Mauritanian Party for Renewal (PMR), Moulaye El Hassan Ould JEYID;
National Avant-Garde Party (PAN or PAGN), Khattry Ould Taleb JIDDOU;
Mauritanian Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould SIDI BADI;
Union for Planning and Construction (UPC), Mohamed Ould EYAHA;
Democratic Justice Party (PJD), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould EL BANE;
Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice (PLEJ), Ba Mamadou ALASSANE;
Labor and National Unity Party (PTUN), Ali Bouna Ould OUENINA

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

President:: last held January 1992 (next to be held NA)
results:: President Col. Maabuya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA elected
Senate:: last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (next to be held April 1998)
National Assembly:: last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1997)

Member of

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 Mohamed Fall OULD AININA;
Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 232-5700

US:: Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN;
Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott);
telephone [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63;
FAX [222] (2) 515-92

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

Inflation, consumer prices

6.5%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

20%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$1.9billion

(1990)

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, which 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 endemic conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.

But the reform process suffered a major setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's support of Saddam Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, per capita $535; real growth rate 3% (1991 est.)

Exports

$436 million (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:: iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal
partners:: EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Ivory Coast 3%

Imports

$389 million (c.i.f., 1990)

commodities:: foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods
partners:: EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%

Industrial production

growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GDP

Electricity

190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)

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 (1970-89), $1.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million;
Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 79.300 (January 1992), 81.946 (1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 28 total, 28 usable

permanent-surface runways

9runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

5runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

7,525Railroads

690

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

Railroads

690 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

poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications stations (improvements being made);
broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with six planned