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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 29 usable: 29 with permanent-surface runways: 9 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 16

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]

690 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 microwave radio relay links, and radio communications stations (improvements being made); broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with six planned

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 4.2% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 452,008; fit for military service 220,717 (1993 est.); conscription law not implemented

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 50% 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]

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 (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million; Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million

Electricity [time series]

190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 116.990 (February 1993), 87.082 (1992), 81.946 (1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$447 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal partners: EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Cote d'Ivoire 3%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.9 billion (1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$385 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods partners: EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%

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

growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 33% of GDP

Industries [time series]

fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6.2% (1991 est.)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$555 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

3% (1991 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, which 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 endemic conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries. But the reform process suffered a major setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's support of SADDAM Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.

Unemployment rate [time series]

20% (1991 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 1,030,700 km2 land area: 1,030,400 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Climate [time series]

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Coastline [time series]

754 km

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

boundary with Senegal

Irrigated land [time series]

120 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 38% forest and woodland: 5% other: 56%

Location [time series]

Northern Africa, along the North Atlantic Ocean, between Western Sahara and Senegal

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, 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

Constitution [time series]

12 July 1991

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Fall OULD AININA chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 232-5700

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held January 1992 (next to be held January 1998); results - President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid 'Ahmed TAYA elected Senate: last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (one-third of the seats up for re-election in 1994) National Assembly: last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held March 1997)

Executive branch [time series]

president

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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

Legal system [time series]

three-tier system: Islamic (Shari'a) courts, special courts, state security courts (in the process of being eliminated)

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral legislature consists of an upper house or Senate (Majlis al-Shuyukh) and a lower house or National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani)

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania conventional short form: Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Mauritanian Workers Union (UTM)

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

legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based; emerging parties include Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA; Union of Democratic Forces - New Era (UFD/NE), headed by Ahmed Ould DADDAH; Assembly for Democracy and Unity (RDU), Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA; Popular Social and Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH; Mauritanian Party for Renewal (PMR), Hameida BOUCHRAYA; National Avant-Garde Party (PAN), Khattry Ould JIDDOU; Mauritanian Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould SIDI BADI

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN embassy: address NA, Nouakchott mailing address: B. P. 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63 FAX: [222] (2) 525-89

People

Birth rate [time series]

47.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

16.54 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

87 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 47.59 years male: 44.81 years female: 50.48 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 10 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 34% male: 47% female: 21%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

2,124,792 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.14% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 100%

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.05 children born/woman (1993 est.)