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Mauritania

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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

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

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 $

Commodities :

copper crude oil
fish and fish products gold
iron ore

Value :

1 475 000 000 $

Commodities :

capital products consumer products
foodstuffs machinery and equipment
petroleum products

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

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