COUNTRY FACTS: MAURITANIA | |
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Name(official): | Islamic Republic of Mauritania |
Name(short): | Mauritania |
Capital City: | Nouakchott |
Location: | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara. Click to enlarge
Map of Mauritania |
Coordinate: | 20 00 N, 12 00 W |
Independence: | (From France) November 28th; 1960. |
President: |
|
Type of Government: | Republic |
Total Area: | 1 030 700sq.km. |
Population: | 3,281,634 (July 2011 est.) 3 177 388 (July 2006 est.) |
People: | Mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%. |
Religion: | Muslim 100% |
Languages: | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof. |
Literacy: | total 51.2%: Male 59.5%, Female 43.4% (2000 census) |
Currency: | Ouguiya (MRO) 1 ouguiya = 5 khoums |
GDP(per capita): | $2,100 (2010 est.) $2,100 (2008 est.) $2 200 (2005 est.) |
Arable Land: | 0.2% (2005 est.) |
Agriculture: | Dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cattle, sheep. |
Natural resources: | Iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamond, gold, oil, fish. |
Embassy in Japan: | Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Chancery: 5-17-5, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku. Post Code: 141-0001, Tel. 03-3449-3810 Embassy of the Islamic Republic pf Mauritania, Tokyo |
General Info: | |
International Phone Code: | +222 |
ECONOMY: BUSINESS, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
- Tourism: Great national parks, wild Saharan sand dunes with wind ripples, deep canyons, ancient cities - four of which are classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, and beautiful beaches along the Atlantic coast are few of the combinations that make Mauritania a great tourist attraction.
- Banc d'Arguin National park - UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to over 2 million birds, divers animal and plant species
- Diawling National park
- 4 Ancient Cities on UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Ksour of Oudane
- Chiguetti
- Tichitt
- Oulata
- Others on waiting list
- Cultural Landscape Azougui
- Archaeological site of Kumbi Saleh(capital city of Old Ghana Empire)
- Archaeological site of Tegdaoust(industrial city and old Ghana Empire center of trade in gold, iron and copper, city dates back to the 8th century)
MAJOR CITIES
Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Rosso.
NEWS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
GOVERNMENT: ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS
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.