Portal:Mauritania

The Mauritania Portal - بوابة موريتانيا

Flag of Mauritania Seal of Mauritania

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. By land area Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara. Most of its population of some 4.3 million lives in the temperate south of the country; roughly a third of the population is concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, on the Atlantic coast.

The country's name derives from Mauretania, the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania by the beginning of the third century AD. Groups of Arab tribes migrated to this area in the late seventh century, bringing with them Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960. However, the country has since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014. He was succeeded by General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections, head of an autocratic government with a very poor human rights record, particularly because of its perpetuation of slavery; the 2018 Global Slavery Index estimates there are about 90,000 slaves in the country (or 2.1% of the population).

Despite an abundance of natural resources, Mauritania remains poor; its economy is based primarily on agriculture and fishing. Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world. It is a member of the Arab League and Arabic is the official language. The official religion is Islam, and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. Despite its prevailing Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic. The Bidhan, or so-called "white moors", make up 30% of the population, while the Haratin, or so-called "black moors", comprise 40%. Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups. (Full article...)

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Landscape in Hodh El Gharbi (near Ayoun)

Hodh El Gharbi (Arabic: ولاية الحوض الغربي, romanized: Wilāyat al-Ḥawḍ al-Gharbī, lit. 'Western Basin Region') is a region in southern Mauritania, with an area of 53,400 square km. The population at the 2013 census was 294,109. Its capital is Aïoun (formerly called Ayoun el Atrous). The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Tagant to the north, Hodh Ech Chargui to the east and Assaba to the west. To the south in borders Mali, and a part of Malian territory protrudes into the region. The Aoukar basin, which formerly gave name to a greater region, is located in the northern and central part of Hodh El Gharbi, extending eastwards.

As of 2013, the population of the region was 294,109, compared to 274,443 in 2011. There were 47.53 per cent females and 52.47 per cent males. As of 2008, the activity rate was 52.00 and economic dependency ratio was 0.88. As of 2008, the literacy rate for people aged 15 years and over was 67.10. (Full article...)

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Nouakchott (/nwækˈʃɒt, nwɑː-/ nwa(h)k-SHOT) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.

Once a mid-sized coastal village, Nouakchott was selected as the capital for the nascent nation of Mauritania, with construction beginning in 1958. It was originally designed to accommodate a population of 15,000, but experienced significant population growth in the 1970s when many Mauritanians fled their home villages due to drought and increasing desertification. Many of the newcomers settled in slum areas of the city that were poorly maintained and extremely overcrowded. By the mid-1980s, Nouakchott's population was estimated to be between 400,000 and 500,000. (Full article...)

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Ten Hamadi Malouma Mauritania at the 2012 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2008 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2000 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2004 Summer Olympics

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The following are images from various Mauritania-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Portuguese Empire ruled Arguin (Portuguese: Arguim) from 1445, after Prince Henry the Navigator set up a feitoria, until 1633. (from Mauritania)
Image 22011–12 Mauritanian protests. (from Mauritania)
Image 3Terjit oasis in the Adrar Region (from Mauritania)
Image 4Rock art in the Sahara Desert (from Mauritania)
Image 5Sandy area west of Chinguetti (from Mauritania)
Image 6Qur'an collection in a library in Chinguetti (from Mauritania)
Image 7Camel market in Nouakchott (from Mauritania)
Image 8Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in his hometown, Akjoujt, on 15 March 2009. (from Mauritania)
Image 9French West Africa, circa 1913. (from History of Mauritania)
Image 10A Moorish family in the Adrar Plateau. (from Mauritania)
Image 11Chinguetti was a center of Islamic scholarship in West Africa. (from Mauritania)
Image 12Nouakchott is the capital and the largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. (from Mauritania)
Image 13After the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the French, took control of Arguin until abandoning it in 1685. (from Mauritania)
Image 14Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (from Mauritania)
Image 15Mauritanian blogger and political prisoner Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir. (from Mauritania)

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Religions in Mauritania

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WikiProjects

You are invited to participate in WikiProject Mauritania, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Mauritania.

WikiProject Africa

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Topics in Mauritania

Cities and towns

v t e Largest cities or towns in Mauritania National Agency for Statistics, Demographic and Economic Analysis (2023 census)
Rank	Name	Region	Pop.	Rank	Name	Region	Pop.
1	Nouakchott	Nouakchott	1,446,761	11	Adel Bagrou	Hodh Ech Chargui	37,048
2	Nouadhibou	Dakhlet Nouadhibou	173,525	12	Aïoun el Atrous	Hodh El Gharbi	36,517
3	Kiffa	Assaba	84,101	13	Hamed	Assaba	36,448
4	Vassala	Hodh Ech Chargui	79,508	14	Tintane	Hodh El Gharbi	35,995
5	Kaédi	Gorgol	62,790	15	Atar	Adrar	35,171
6	Zouérat	Tiris Zemmour	62,380	16	Néma	Hodh Ech Chargui	35,042
7	Rosso	Trarza	61,156	17	Gouraye	Guidimagha	35,021
8	Boghé	Brakna	50,205	18	Timbédra	Hodh Ech Chargui	34,244
9	Sélibaby	Guidimagha	44,966	19	Voum Legleita	Gorgol	33,314
10	Guerou	Assaba	40,315	20	Boutilimit	Trarza	32,347