Mauritania

• 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

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

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations

respiratory disease:

meningococcal meningitis (2005)

noun:

Mauritanian(s)

adjective:

Mauritanian

conventional long form:

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

conventional short form:

Mauritania

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

local short form:

Muritaniyah

name:

Nouakchott

geographic coordinates:

18 06 N, 15 57 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*;
• Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

chief of state:

Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005

head of government:

Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since 8 August 2005)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term);
• note - passage of a constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to two five-year terms;
• election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held 11 March 2007);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected for a third term with 60.8% of the vote

• Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
• Court of Appeals;
• lower courts

• Action for Change or AC (no longer active) [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR];
• Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Cisse Amadou CHEIKHOU];
• National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA];
• Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice or PLEJ [Ba Mamdou ALASSANE];
• Party of Democratic Convergence or PCD [Cheikh Ould HORMA];
• Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE];
• Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR];
• Progress Force Union or UFP (no longer active) [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD];
• Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH];
• Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA];
• Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA];
• Right Way or SAWAB [Cheikh Ould Sidi Ould HANANA];
• Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS];
• Union of Forces of Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]

note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005 because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of Mauritanian law

• Arab nationalists;
• Ba'thists;
• General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general];
• Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE];
• Islamists;
• Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM

chancery:

2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 232-5700, 5701

FAX:

[1] (202) 319-2623

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven KOUTSIS

embassy:

288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott

mailing address:

BP 222, Nouakchott

telephone:

[222] 525-2660/525-2663

FAX:

[222] 525-1592

• 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

agriculture:

50%

industry:

10%

services:

40% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.5%

highest 10%:

30.2% (2000)

total:

7,660 km

paved:

866 km

unpaved:

6,794 km (1999)

• 18 years of age (est.);
• conscript service obligation - two years;
• majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers;
• service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)

males age 18-49:

606,463

females age 18-49:

607,955 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

370,513

females age 18-49:

384,269 (2005 est.)

current situation:

• Mauritania is a source and destination country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor, begging, and domestic servitude;
• adults and children are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter economy exists

tier rating:

Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increased efforts to combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement