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Mauritania
Background :
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 more than 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 military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and ushered in a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in August 2009. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, and is having to confront a growing terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Mahgreb.
Location :
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Geographic Coordinates Center :
20 00 N, 12 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -17.07 |
| North | 27.30 |
| East | -4.83 |
| South | 14.72 |
Map references :
Africa
Area :
| total | 1 030 700 | square km |
| land | 1 030 700 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 5 074 | km |
| Algeria (dz) | 463 | km |
| Mali (ml) | 2 237 | km |
| Senegal (sn) | 813 | km |
| Western Sahara (eh) | 1 561 | km |
Coastline :
754.00 km
Climate :
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain :
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 5 | metres |
| highest point | 915 | metres |
Natural resources :
| copper | diamonds |
| fish | gold |
| gypsum | iron ore |
| oil | phosphates |
Land use :
| arable land | 0.20 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.01 | % |
| other | 99.79 | % |
Irrigated land :
490 square km
Total renewable water resources :
11 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| periodic droughts |
current issues :
overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Hazardous Wastes |
| Law of the Sea | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
| Whaling |
Population :
3 129 486
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 2.40 | % |
| Birth rate | 34.11 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 4.45 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 9.16 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -0.96 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 41.00 | % |
| 15-64 years | 55.70 | % |
| 65 years and over | 3.40 | % |
Median age :
| total | 19.20 | years |
| male | 18.30 | years |
| female | 20.00 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.03 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.01 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.89 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.74 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.93 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 63.42 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 60.37 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 58.22 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 62.59 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.80 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 14 000 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 1 000 |
Religions :
| Muslim | 100.00 | % |
Languages :
| Arabic | |
| Pulaar | |
| Soninke | |
| Wolof | |
| French | |
| Hassaniya |
Literacy :
| total population | 51.20 | % |
| male | 59.50 | % |
| female | 43.40 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Islamic Republic of Mauritania |
| conventional short form | Mauritania |
| local long form | Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah |
| local short form | Muritaniyah |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | MR |
| ISO Numeric | 478 |
| ISO3 | MRT |
| FIPS | MR |
| ccTLD | mr |
| English | Mauritania |
Administrative divisions :
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
Capital :
| name | Nouakchott |
| geographic coordinates | 18 07 N, 16 02 W |
| time difference | 0.00 |
International organization participation :
| ABEDA | ACP |
| AFESD | AMF |
| AMU | AU |
| AfDB | CAEU |
| FAO | G-77 |
| IAEA | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICRM |
| IDA | IDB |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IOC | IOM |
| IPU | ISO (correspondent) |
| ITSO | ITU |
| ITUC | Interpol |
| LAS | MIGA |
| NAM | OIC |
| OIF | OPCW |
| UN | UNCTAD |
| UNESCO | UNIDO |
| UNWTO | UPU |
| WCO | WFTU |
| WHO | WIPO |
| WMO | WTO |
Independence :
1960-11-28
National holiday :
Independence Day
1960-11-28
Executive branch :
| President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ | Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 6 494 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 3 241 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 1.50 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 2 100 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 12.50 | % |
| industry | 46.70 | % |
| services | 40.70 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 50.00 | % |
| industry | 10.00 | % |
| services | 40.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 1 318 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 30.00 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 40.00 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 39.00 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.30 | % |
| Current account balance | - 184 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 5.50 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 2.50 | % |
| highest 10% | 29.50 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 770 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 770 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| cattle | corn |
| dates | millet |
| rice | sheep |
| sorghum |
Industries :
| copper | fish processing |
| gold | gypsum deposits have never been exploited |
| mining of iron ore | oil production |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 415 300 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 386 200 000 | kWh |
| Oil Production | 12 830 | bbl/day |
| Oil Consumption | 21 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 30 620 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 20 610 | bbl/day |
| Oil Proved reserves | 100 000 000 | bbl |
| Electricity Exports | 28 320 000 000 | cubic metres |
Value :
1 395 000 000 $
Partners :
| China (cn) | 41.60 | % |
| France (fr) | 10.40 | % |
| Spain (es) | 7.10 | % |
| Italy (it) | 7.00 | % |
| Netherlands (nl) | 5.40 | % |
| Belgium (be) | 4.70 | % |
Commodities :
| copper | crude oil |
| fish and fish products | gold |
| iron ore |
Value :
1 475 000 000 $
Partners :
| France (fr) | 17.00 | % |
| China (cn) | 8.90 | % |
| Netherlands (nl) | 6.50 | % |
| Spain (es) | 6.10 | % |
| Belgium (be) | 5.50 | % |
| United States (us) | 5.10 | % |
Commodities :
| capital products | consumer products |
| foodstuffs | machinery and equipment |
| petroleum products |
Currency-code :
MRO
Currency-name :
ouguiya
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 76 400 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 2 092 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 14 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | mr | |
| Internet Hosts | 15 | |
| Internet Users | 45 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 9 | |
| Roadways - total | 11 066 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 2 966 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 8 100 | km |
Flag
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