Mauritania

total:

1.7 cu km/yr (9%/3%/88%)

per capita:

554 cu m/yr (2000)

• overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification;
• limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river;
• locust infestation

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

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:

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.74 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and Rift Valley fever

respiratory disease:

meningococcal meningitis

animal contact disease:

rabies (2009)

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 07 N, 16 02 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:

President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009) note - AZIZ, who deposed democratically elected President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as President of Military High Council of State on 6 August 2008, was elected president in an election held 18 July 2009

head of government:

Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF (since 14 August 2008)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

elections:

• following the August 2008 coup, the Military High Council of State pledged to hold a new presidential election which was subsequently scheduled and held on 18 July 2009;
• under Mauritania's constitution, the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held on 18 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014)

election results:

percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ 52.6%, Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR 16.3%, Ahmed Ould DADDAH 13.7%, Other 17.4%

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

• Alternative or El-Badil [Mohamed Yahdhi Ould MOCTAR HACEN];
• Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists) [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR];
• Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including APP, Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists), HATEM-PMUC, PUDS, RD, RFD, UFP);
• Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE];
• Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA];
• Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including
  • Alternative or El-Badil,
  • PRDR,
  • UDP,
  • RDU)
  ;
• National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL (independents supporting President Abdellahi) [Yahya Ould Ahmed Ould WAGHEF];
• National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNDLE;
• National Rally for Reform and Development or Tawassoul (moderate Islamists) [Mohamed Jemil Ould MANSOUR];
• Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE];
• Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR];
• 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 [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA];
• Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS;
• Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS];
• Union of Democratic Center or UCD [Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould BABA];
• Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD];

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

other:

• Arab nationalists;
• Ba'thists;
• Islamists

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ibrahima DIA

chancery:

2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701

FAX:

[1] (202) 319-2623

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mark M. BOULWARE

embassy:

288 Rue Abdallaye, Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott

mailing address:

BP 222, Nouakchott

telephone:

[222] 525-2660 through 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%:

29.5% (2000)

general assessment:

• limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations;
• mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly

domestic:

• Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services;
• fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of 60 per 100 persons;
• mostly cable and open-wire lines;
• a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals

international:

country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat) (2008)

total:

11,066 km

country comparison to the world: 135

paved:

2,966 km

unpaved:

8,100 km (2006)

• 18 years of age (est.);
• conscript service obligation - 2 years;
• majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers;
• service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)

males age 16-49:

740,675

females age 16-49:

744,709 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

450,289

females age 16-49:

544,598 (2009 est.)

male:

34,546

female:

35,272 (2009 est.)