Facts, Background and History
| Geographical size | 1,030,700 sq km |
| Population size | 3,364,940 (July 2008 est.) |
| Composition of population | mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% |
| Official Languages | Arabic |
| Other Languages | Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya |
| Main religions | Muslim 100% |
| Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
| Form of Government | Democratic Republic |
| Last Democratic Elections | 25 March 2007 |
| Global Peace Index | |
| Main Economic Activities | Agriculture and Mining |
| Main Trading Partners | Italy, Spain, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Cote d'Ivoire, France, China, Spain, US, Belgium and Brazil |
| Capital | Nouakchott |
| Other Cities | Nouadhibou and Rosso |
| Currency | ouguiya (MRO) |
| Total GDP | $5.974 billion (2007 est.) |
| Per Capita Income | $1,800 (2007 est.) |
| Ranking- Human Development Index | No//137-(0.550) |
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Ranking: Ibrahim Index |
No// 32- (50.8) |
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FIFA Rating |
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Main Creative Industries |
Background and History
Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for over two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a coup deposed him and ushered in a military council government. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.
