Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Western Africa
Saharan · Nomadic · Ancient
Mauritania (officially Islamic Republic of Mauritania) is a country located in Western Africa. Its capital city is Nouakchott, with other major cities including Nouadhibou and Kaédi. With a population of approximately 4.6M, the main languages spoken are Arabic, French. The country covers an area of 1,030,700 km². The official currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (UM). Traffic drives on the right side.
Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981 as the last country in the world to do so, yet only criminalised the practice in 2007 — it still has one of the world's highest rates of modern slavery.
Nouakchott serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Mauritania, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Nouadhibou, Kaédi — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Nouakchott was built from almost nothing in 1957 as an administrative convenience — the French colonial authority needed a capital when Mauritanian independence approached in 1960 — creating a city in the Sahara that now houses 1 million people in a country of 4.6 million, making Mauritania one of the most urbanised Saharan nations and Nouakchott one of Africa's fastest-growing capitals.
With a population of approximately 4.6M, Mauritania is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Arabic, French, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Mauritania is reached via the dialling code +222. Mauritanian society navigates the tension between Hassaniya Arabic-speaking Moor populations (including both white Moors, Bidhan, and Black Moors, Haratin) and sub-Saharan ethnic groups (Wolof, Soninke, Pulaar) in a country where slavery remained legal until 1981 and was only criminalised in 2007, making ongoing antislavery activism a live contemporary human rights issue.
Mauritania spans 1,030,700 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 20.0°N, 12.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (UM), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Mauritania's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Mauritania's national identity. Football is Mauritania's primary modern sport, with the national team's Africa Cup of Nations 2021 debut generating national celebration — but camel racing in the desert interior represents the traditional athletic culture of nomadic Moorish communities where racing camels are valued property and the skills of breeding, training, and riding represent inherited pastoral knowledge.
The highest point in Mauritania is Kediet ej Jill, rising to 915 metres above sea level. The Banc d'Arguin National Park off Mauritania's Atlantic coast is one of the world's most important bird sanctuaries — a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 2 million migratory birds (knots, dunlins, godwits) stop on the East Atlantic Flyway, sustained by the highly productive shallow waters where the cold Canary Current meets the warm coastal shallows of the Western Sahara coast.