Country Facts - Mauritania

The People

Nationality

Mauritanian(s)

Ethnic Composition

Mixed Maur/black	40%
Maur	30%
Black	30%

Religious Composition

Muslim 100%.

Languages Spoken

Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French.

Education and Literacy

Mauritania's overall adult literacy is around 46.7 percent. Among males it is 53.4 percent and females 40 percent.
(1998 est.)

Labor Force

Total: 750,000 by occupation:

Agriculture	47.0%
Industry	14.0%
Services	39.0%

(1999 est.)

Geography

Land Mass Total

397,955 sq mi (1,030,700 sq km)

Land

397,839 sq mi (1,030,400 sq km)

Water

115 sq mi (300 sq km)

Land Boundaries

Total: 3,152 mi (5,074 km)
Border countries: Algeria 287 mi (463 km), Mali 1,390 mi (2,237 km), Senegal
505 mi (813 km), Western Sahara 969 mi (1,561 km)

Coastline

468 mi (754 km)

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

Desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty.

Terrain

Mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills.

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha 9 ft (3 m)
Highest point: Kediet Ijill 2,985 ft (910 m)

Natural Resources

Iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold

Land use

Arable land	0%
Permanent crops	0%
Other	100%

(1998)

Natural hazards

Hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts.

Environment - current issues

Overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is the only perennial river.

Geography Note

Most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country.

Demographics

Population

2,747,312
(July 2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:	46.14%	Male: 634,940	Female: 632,654
15-64 years:	51.59%	Male: 698,433	Female: 718,883
65 years and over:	2.27%	Male: 25,840	Female: 36,562

(2001)

Growth Rate

2.93%
(2001 est.)

Life Expectancy

51.14 years
Male: 49.06 years
Female: 53.29 years
(2001)

GDP Per Capita

$2,000
(2000 est.)

Infant Mortality

76.7 deaths per 1,000 live births
(2001 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.00 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	0.71 male(s)/female
Total population:	0.98 male(s)/female

(2001 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s) per 1,000 population.
(2001 est.)

Economy & Trade

Of all the West African countries, Mauritania has taken the most aggressive approach to its economic woes. While still primarily an agricultural nation, Mauritania has taken sharp control of its foreign exchange regimen and has kept tight reins on debt in an effort to wring the greatest benefit from its limited financial resources. The government has also consolidated its foreign debt to the Paris Club and brought all of it arrears current so as to free up access to debt financing. It is pursuing a major investment policy in telecommunications and transport construction as well as exploration of the petroleum and diamond resources. Unemployment is still above 20 percent, and 50 percent of the population is still living beneath the poverty line. Mauritania's fisheries and fish processing continue to make major contributions to the economy, but agriculture remains dominant with 47 percent of the workforce. Mauritania's economic potential is massive, and it remains to be seen if the government's forward-looking policies will actualize that potential. GDP growth has been above the norm for the region since 2000 (6.3 percent) with an average through 2002 at 4.5 percent. However, the political violence that erupted in 2003 will most likely shatter the possibility of achieving the +5-percent growth predicted through 2004.

Unemployment

23%
(1995 est.)

Inflation Rate

4.5%
(2000 est.)

Industries

Fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum.

Exports

US$333 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports

US$305 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Total Trade

US$638 million
(1999)

Top Export Partners

Japan 18%, France 17%, Italy 16%, Spain 11%
(1998)

Top Import Partners

France 27%, Benelux 9%, Germany 7%, Spain 7%
(1998)

Top Exports

Iron ore, fish and fish products, gold.

Top Imports

Machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods.

Industries

Fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum.

Debt - external

US$2.1 billion
(1999)

Economic aid

US$300 million
(1998)

Fiscal Year:

Calendar year.

Business Workweek

	Saturday - Thursday (Islamic workweek)	Friday
Offices	Saturday through Wednesday, 8a.m. to 3p.m., and Thursday 8a.m. to 1p.m.	Closed
Retail	8a.m. to noon, and 2:30p.m. to 6p.m.	Closed
Banks	Sunday through Wednesday, 7:30a.m. to 2:30p.m., and Thursday 8a.m. to 3p.m.	Closed
Government	8a.m. to 3p.m., and Thursday 8a.m. to 1p.m.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)¹	February 12	February 2	January 21
Women's Day	March 8	March 8	March 8
Islamic New Year²	March 5	February 22	February 10
Labor Day	May 1	May 1	May 1
Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)³	May 14	May 2	April 21
African Unity Day	May 25	May 25	May 25
Armed Forces Day	July 10	July 10	July 10
Ascent of the Prophet (Lailat al Miraj, Islamic Observance)*¹	September 24	September 12	September 1
Start of Ramadan*²	October 27	October 14	October 4
Independence Day	November 28	November 28	November 28
End of Ramadan (Eid Al Fitr)*³	November 26	November 14	November 3

¹	Culmination of the Haj or Holy Pilgrimage.
²	The lunar Islamic Hijara calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days per year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and annually moves 11 days backward through the seasons.
³	The Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twelfth day in the month of Rabi'l of the Islamic calendar.
*¹	The Ascent of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the 27th day in the month of Rajab of the Islamic calendar.
*²	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*³	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for three days.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press