Mauritania
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
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About Mauritania
Mauritania consists of vast barren, flat plains of the Sahara, broken by occasional ridges and rocky plateaux with deep ravines. A lot of sand and a lot of nothing or Le Grand Vide as the French colonialist used to call it. The Senegal River, which forms the country’s southern border, is the only area with permanent vegetation.
Most of the population lives in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River. Mauritania has some fascinating old caravan cities like Chinguetti, Ouadane and Tichit.
Top destinations in Mauritania
Cities in Mauritania
General information
- Capital: Nouakchott
- Language: Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
- Climate: Desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
- Timezone: UTC +0
- Currency: 1 Ouguiya (MRO) = 5 khoums
- Electricity plugs: c (show)
- No. of inhabitants: 3,086,859 (July 2005 est.)
- Interl. accesscode +222
- Toplevel domain .mr
- Travel alert: EnjoyYourWorld strongly advises you to take necessary precautions for a safe travel. For more info please follow this link
Good to know
Mauritania is a cultural transition area with the population divided between Arab-Berbers to the north and black Africans to the south, with a majority of the population of Arab-Berber descent. Mauritania continues to experience ethnic tensions between the black and the Maur part of its population. Mauritania officially banned slavery in 1981, although accusations remain that it is still being practised.
Religion: Muslim
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
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