Mauritania is one of the emptiest countries in the world. Nearly all its land lies in the Sahara Desert. In the west, flat, sandy plains give way to towering dunes while in the centre of the country, rocky escarpments rise steeply from the desert. The far southern part of Mauritania dips into the semi-desert region called the Sahel. Here, the climate is not so harsh; this region is home to about two-thirds of the country’s people and nearly all of its farmland. Mauritania has an extremely hot climate and its northern regions are very dry. Although there is a short rainy season between July and September, nearly all of the rain falls in the south.

People

More than two-thirds of Mauritanians are a people called Maures, or Moors, descended from a mixture of Arab and Berber peoples. Black African peoples, such as the Halpulaar (Toucouleur), Fulani, Soninke and Wolof, make up the rest of the population. Many of Mauritania’s rural dwellers are nomads. The Fulani are traditionally cattle-herders who graze their cattle on the Sahel. A combination of recent droughts and overgrazing have forced them to move to the cities in search of work.

There are political tensions between the black Africans of the south and the Moors in the north. Mauritania’s official language is Arabic, but many people speak the old colonial language, French, as well.

Farming

Although most of Mauritania’s land is too hot and dry to grow crops, about half of the population somehow makes a living from farming. Farmers grow dates, millet and corn on the northern banks of the River Senegal, in the south. North of this valley, farmers herd cattle on the dry Sahel grasslands.

Fishing and minerals

Fishing is another important industry: Mauritania’s waters are some of the richest fishing grounds in the world and fish make up 20% of the country’s exports. The rest of its foreign income comes mainly from mining: the country is rich in minerals such as iron ore, copper and gold. Offshore oil reserves were discovered in the early 2000s and could provide a boost to the economy in the future.

Facts about Mauritania

Population 4,328,040 (2024 estimate)

Area 1,030,700 sq km

Highest point Kediet Ijill 915 m (3002 ft)

Capital Nouakchott, population 1,446,761

Other major cities Nouadhibou (pop. 173,525), Kiffa (84,101)

Languages Arabic, Pulaar, Wolof, Soninke, French

Religion Muslim

Ethnicity African Moors 40%, Arab-Berber Moors 30%, black African (Halpulaar or Toucouleur, Fulani, Mande, Soninke, Wolof and Bamara) 30%

Currency Mauritanian ouguiya (MRO)

Chief exports iron ore, fish, gold, copper, petroleum