Mauretania: Map & History
Mauretania is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Mediterranean Maghreb.
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Mauretania is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Mediterranean Maghreb. Originally established in the northwest of Morocco, it encompassed at its height northern-central Morocco and western-central Algeria. Its Indigenous inhabitants were known to the peninsular Romans as the Mauri, and the Masaesyli. The population was also called Libyan or Libu, a label used to indicate all the populations of Berber origin who lived west of Egypt.
Modern Countries Once Part of Mauretania
At its mapped extent, Mauretania covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Mauretania's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Mauretania in Depth
History
Bagas was the first historically documented king of Mauretania. His reign liberated the region from the centuries-old Carthaginian sphere of influence around 225 BC. The kingdom of Baga extended from the Atlantic coast of northern Morocco to the Moulouya River and had as its capital the city of Voluibilis. During the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome, unlike the neighboring kingdoms of Masaesyli and Massylii, Mauretania maintained formal neutrality. However, in 206 BC, when the Massylian prince Massinissa was defeated by his rivals and sought refuge in Mauretania, Bagas chose to offer him protection. The king provided him with an escort of 4,000 Moorish cavalry to escort him and open a passage for him through the hostile territories controlled by the king Syphax.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mauretania (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mauretania: Key Facts
| Capitals | Volubilis, Cherchell |
|---|---|
| Founded | 3rd century BCE |
| Dissolved | 698 CE |
Succeeded by
- Mauretania Tingitana
- Mauretania Caesariensis
Facts from Wikidata Q309272 (CC0).
Mauretania Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Mauretania appears, with the other states of the time.
Mauretania Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 215,292 km² in 36 CE.
Mauretania: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mauretania exist?
Mauretania is dated to 212 BCE – 42 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Mauretania?
The capital of Mauretania was Volubilis, Iol / Caesarea.
How large was Mauretania at its peak?
At its peak in 36 AD Mauretania covered about 215,292 km².
How did the map of Mauretania change over time?
Mauretania appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 200 BCE to 1 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.