Mauritania

presidential republic

name: Nouakchott geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the meaning of the name is unclear; it may derive from the Berber nawakshut , meaning "place of the winds;" other variants could translate as "the place where water appears in a new well," "the land where shells abound," "a place with pasture," "a windy place," or "without ears" (the last referring to a local chieftain who could have been the place's namesake)

chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (since 1 August 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Moctar Ould DIAY (since 2 August 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominees suggested by the prime minister, appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 29 June 2024 election results: 2024: Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Cheikh el GHAZOUANI (UPR) 56.1%, Biram Dah Ould ABEID (independent) 22.1%, Hamadi Sidi el MOKHTAR independent) 12.8%, other 9.0% expected date of next election: June 2029

legislature name: Parliament (Barlamane) legislative structure: unicameral chamber name: National Assembly (Al Jamiya-Al-Wataniya) number of seats: 176 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 5/13/2023 to 5/27/2023 parties elected and seats per party: El Insaf (107); Tawassoul (11); Other (58) percentage of women in chamber: 23.3% expected date of next election: May 2028 note: the early parliamentary elections in 2023 were the first to be held under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El GHAZOUANI, elected in 2019 in the first peaceful transition of power; the elections followed the agreement between the government and parties in September 2022 to renew the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and hold the elections in the first semester of 2023 for climatic and logistical reasons

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supr me (subdivided into 7 chambers: 2 civil, 2 labor, 1 commercial, 1 administrative, and 1 criminal, each with a chamber president and 2 councilors); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, 1 by the prime minister, 1 by the leader of the democratic opposition, 1 by the largest opposition party in the National Assembly, and 1 by the second largest party in the National Assembly; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years; High Court of Justice members appointed by Parliament - 6 by the ruling Coalition of Majority Parties and 3 by opposition parties subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; courts of first instance, or wilya courts, are established in the regions' headquarters and include commercial and labor courts, criminal courts, Moughataa (district) Courts, and informal/customary courts

history: previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of amendments by Parliament requires approval of at least one third of the membership; a referendum is held only if the amendment is approved by two-thirds majority vote; passage by referendum requires simple majority vote by eligible voters; passage of amendments proposed by the president can bypass a referendum if approved by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

2.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Mauritanian Armed Forces (aka Arm e Nationale Mauritanienne): National Army, National Navy, Air Force; Gendarmerie Ministry of Interior and Decentralization: National Police, National Guard (2025) note 1: the National Police are responsible for enforcing the law and maintaining order in urban areas, while the paramilitary Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining civil order around metropolitan areas and providing law enforcement services in rural areas; like the Mauritanian Armed Forces, the Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defense, but also supports the ministries of Interior and Justice note 2: the National Guard performs a limited police function in keeping with its peacetime role of providing security at government facilities, to include prisons; regional authorities may call upon the National Guard to restore civil order during riots and other large-scale disturbances; the National Guard includes the nomadic Camel Corps or Nomad Group, also known as the M hariste

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; has a compulsory two-year military service law, but the law has reportedly never been applied (2025)

founded in 1960, the Mauritanian military is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; it also assists in economic development projects, humanitarian missions, and disaster response; border and maritime security, regional stability, and the threat of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly Mali, are key areas of focus; Mauritania has received security assistance from the EU, France, NATO, and the US (2025)

450 (plus about 325 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

$33.069 billion (2024 est.) $31.434 billion (2023 est.) $29.514 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$6,400 (2024 est.) $6,300 (2023 est.) $6,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.2% (2024 est.) 6.5% (2023 est.) 6.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.5% (2024 est.) 5% (2023 est.) 9.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

100% of GDP (2016 est.)

$3.955 billion (2023 est.) $4.132 billion (2022 est.) $3.18 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$5.271 billion (2023 est.) $5.77 billion (2022 est.) $4.312 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

10.4% (2024 est.) 10.5% (2023 est.) 10.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $1.617 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $1.407 billion (2019 est.)

fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper) note: gypsum deposits have never been exploited

rice, milk, goat milk, sorghum, sheep milk, lamb/mutton, beef, camel meat, camel milk, dates (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 5,202,109 (2025 est.) male: 2,578,114 female: 2,623,995

2.88% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 35.7% (male 776,035/female 770,132) 15-64 years: 59.9% (male 1,227,347/female 1,363,938) 65 years and over: 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 80,308/female 110,280)

34.01 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 65.9 years (2024 est.) male: 63.4 years female: 68.5 years

urban population: 57.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Black Moors (Haratines - Arabic-speaking descendants of African origin who are or were enslaved by White Moors) 40%, White Moors (of Arab-Amazigh descent, known as Beydane) 30%, Sub-Saharan Mauritanians (non-Arabic speaking, largely resident in or originating from the Senegal River Valley, including Halpulaar, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara ethnic groups) 30%

Arabic (official and national), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from Modern Standard Arabic; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Tamazight words, is referred to as Hassaniya

Muslim (official) 100%

total population: 59.5% (2020 est.) male: 70.1% (2020 est.) female: 51.8% (2020 est.)

iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

refugees: 162,277 (2024 est.)

25 (2025)

total: 728 km (2014) standard gauge: 728 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total: 11 (2023) by type: general cargo 2, other 9

total subscriptions: 4.76 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 37% (2023 est.)