Mauritania
Mauritania (/ˌmɒrɪˈteɪniə, ˌmɔːrɪ-/ (About this
soundlisten);[9] Arabic: موريتانيا, Mūrītānyā, French:
Mauritanie; Berber: Agawej or Cengit: Pulaar: Moritani;
Wolof: Gànnaar; Soninke: Murutaane), officially the Islamic
Republic of Mauritania (Arabic: الجمهورية الإسلامية
الموريتانية), is a country in Northwest Africa. It is the
eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa and 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.
The country derives its name from the ancient Berber kingdom
of Mauretania, which existed from the 3rd century BCE into
the 7th century CE in the modern-day Morocco and West
Algeria. Prior to the Islamization of the country by Arab
conquests in the 8th century, Mauritania was inhabited by
nomadic Berbers since the 3rd century. Mauritania became a
French colony during the European Scramble for Africa.
Approximately 90% of Mauritania's land is within the Sahara;
consequently, the population is concentrated in the south,
where precipitation is slightly higher. The capital and
largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast,
which is home to around one-third of the country's 4 million
people. The country's official religion is Islam, with
almost the entire population being Sunni Muslims. Arabic is
the official language, with French also widely used due to
its colonial history.
Despite an abundance of natural resources, Mauritania
remains poor. The country's economy is based on agriculture
and livestock, and major industries include mining
(particularly iron ore), petroleum, and fishing.
After becoming independent from France in 1960, Mauritania's
independence has been characterized by recurrent coups and
periods of military rule, the most recent of which was in
2008 and led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. On 16 April
2009, Aziz resigned from the military to run for president
in the 19 July elections, which he won.[10]
Mauritania has been criticized for its poor human rights
record, including for Mauritania's continued practice of
slavery, despite criminalizing it.
Learn more about Mauritania Here!