Mauritania: Map & History
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in the Maghreb region of West Africa.
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Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in the Maghreb region of West Africa. It 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. By land area Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and the 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara desert. Most of its population of 5.4 million live in the temperate south of the country; roughly a third of the population is concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, on the Atlantic coast.
Modern Countries Once Part of Mauritania
At its mapped extent, Mauritania covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Mauritania'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.
Mauritania in Depth
History
The ancient tribes of Mauritania were the Niger-Congo, and Bafour peoples. The Bafour were among the first Saharan peoples to abandon their previously nomadic lifestyle and adopt a primarily agricultural one. In response to the gradual desertification of the Sahara, they eventually migrated southward. The Bafour peoples were displaced by the Berber people when that group arrived in the 3rd to 7th centuries. Many of the Berber tribes have claimed to have Yemeni (and sometimes other Arab) origins. Little evidence supports those claims; however, a 2000 DNA study of the Yemeni people suggested that some ancient connection might exist between the peoples.
The Umayyads were the first Arab Muslims to enter Mauritania.
Government and politics
The Mauritanian Parliament is composed of a single chamber, the National Assembly. Composed of 176 members, representatives are elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies.
Until August 2017, the parliament had an upper house, the Senate. The Senate had 56 members, 53 members elected for a six-year term by municipal councilors with a third renewed every two years and three elected by Mauritanians abroad. It was abolished in 2017 after a referendum. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz called for the referendum in August 2017 after the Senate rejected his proposals to change the constitution.
Economy
Despite being rich in natural resources, Mauritania has a low GDP. A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50% of total exports. Gold and copper mining companies are opening mines in the interior such as Firawa mine. The country's gold production in 2015 was 9 metric tons.
In recent years, drought and economic mismanagement have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt.
Culture
Mauritania's culture reflects a blend of Arab-Berber, African, and Islamic influences shaped by centuries of trans-Saharan exchange. Daily life and social customs vary across ethnic groups. Islam forms a unifying cultural foundation.
Mauritanian craftsmanship is renowned for its metalwork, leatherwork, and textiles. Tuareg and Mauritanian silversmiths maintain long-standing traditions of Berber jewelry design, producing ornate pieces worn by both men and women.
Leatherwork—including bags, saddles, cushions, and tent decorations—remains an important nomadic craft, traditionally produced by women.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mauritania (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mauritania: Key Facts
| Capital | Nouakchott |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Arabic, French |
| Form of government | presidential system |
| Currency | Mauritanian ouguiya |
| Founded | 28 November 1960 |
Preceded by
- French West Africa
Facts from Wikidata Q1025 (CC0).
Mauritania: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mauritania exist?
Mauritania is dated to 1961 CE – 2024 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Mauritania?
The capital of Mauritania was Nouakchott.
How large was Mauritania at its peak?
At its peak in 2024 Mauritania covered about 1,053,247 km².
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