Geography

Area: 1,030,070 sq. km. (419,212 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Texas and New
Mexico combined.

Cities (2004): Capital--Nouakchott (pop. 708,000). Other cities--Nouadhibou
(72,000), Rosso (50,000), Kaedi (34,000), Zouerate (34,000), Kiffa (33,000),
Atar (24,000).


Terrain: Northern four-fifths barren desert; southern 20% mainly Sahelian with
small-scale irrigated and rain-fed agriculture in the Senegal River basin.

Climate: Predominantly hot and dry.



People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mauritanian(s).

Population: 3,162,338.

Annual population growth rate: 2.5%.

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber (White Moor), Arab-Berber-Negroid (Black Moor),
Haalpulaar, Soninke, Wolof (Black African Mauritanians).

Religion: Islam.

Languages: Arabic (official), Hassaniya (Arabic dialect), French, Pulaar, Wolof,
and Soninke.

Education: Years compulsory--six. Attendance (student population
enrolled in primary school)--82%. Adult literacy (% of population age
15+)--59%.

Health: Infant mortality rate--67/1,000. Life expectancy--64 yrs.


Work force: Agriculture and fisheries--50%. Services and commerce--20%.
Government--20%. Industry and transportation--10%.



Government

Type: Republic.

Independence: November 28, 1960.

Constitution: Approved 1991. Original constitution promulgated 1961.

Branches: Executive--president (head of state). Legislative--bicameral
national assembly, directly elected lower house (81 members), and upper house
(56 members) chosen indirectly by municipal councilors. Judicial--a
supreme court and lower courts are nominally independent but subject to control
of executive branch; judicial decisions are rendered mainly on the basis of
Shari'a (Islamic law) for social/family matters and a western style legal code,
applied in commercial and some criminal cases.

Political parties: 21.

Suffrage: Universal at 18.

National day: November 28, Independence Day.



Economy

GDP (at official exchange rate, 2009 est.): U.S. $3.029 billion.

Annual growth rate (2009): -0.9%.

Per capita GDP (2009): $939.

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, iron ore, gypsum, copper, gum arabic,
phosphates, salt and gold.

Agriculture (13% of GDP 2007): Products--livestock, traditional
fisheries, millet, maize, wheat, dates, rice.

Industry (47% of GDP 2007): Types--mining, commercial fishing.

Services (41% of GDP 2007).

Trade: Exports (2009) 1.37 billion: iron ore, fish and fish products,
gold, copper, petroleum. Export partners (2007)--China 30.5%, France
9.5%, Italy 8.6%, Spain 8.5%, Japan 5.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, Belgium 5%, Cote
d'Ivoire 4.7%. Imports (2009)--$1.43 billion: machinery and equipment,
petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods. Import
partners (2007)--France 16.7%, China 8.2%, Spain 6.8%, U.S. 6.2%, Belgium
5.8%, Brazil 5.5%.

Currency: Ouguiya (UM).

USAID: Total FY 2009 USAID humanitarian and development assistance to
Mauritania--$11,100,000.