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Communications

Airports [time series]

30 total, 29 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River

Merchant marine [time series]

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT

Ports [time series]

Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

670 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, owned and operated by government mining company

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications stations; 5,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with a third planned

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard, Nomad Security Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$37 million, 4.2% of GDP (1987)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 423,501; 206,733 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought

Budget [time series]

revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million

Electricity [time series]

189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

ouguiya (UM) per US$1--77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$519 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal; partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.3 billion (December 1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$942 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$567 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods; partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP

Industries [time series]

fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.2% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.

Unemployment rate [time series]

21% (1989 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Coastline [time series]

754 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

boundary with Senegal

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal

Land boundaries [time series]

5,074 km total; Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate

Terrain [time series]

mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,030,700 km2; land area: 1,030,400 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

12 regions (regions, singular--region); Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note--there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott

Capital [time series]

Nouakchott

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981; new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700; US--Ambassador William H. TWADDELL; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [222] (2) 252-660 or 252-663

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elections are scheduled

Executive branch [time series]

president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Independence [time series]

28 November 1960 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Col. Maaouya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

Legal system [time series]

based on Islamic law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

suspended

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to power

People

Birth rate [time series]

49 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

94 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services 29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Hasaniya Arabic (national); French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

44 years male, 50 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

34% (male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Mauritanian(s); adjective--Mauritanian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union

Population [time series]

1,995,755 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Muslim, nearly 100%

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.2 children born/woman (1991)