Located between the 15th and 27th north parallel, Mauritania has a land surface of 1,030,000 km2. It is bordered to the north by the Western Sahara, to the east by Algeria,
to the south-east by Mali and the south by Senegal and to the west by the Atlantic ocean. The country is made up of:
- A saharan area to the south
- A semi-desert area in the center crossed by the mountain ridges of Adrar and Tagant which culminate up to 800 meters.
- A full fledge desert region in north.
The borders measure respectively, on the Western Sahara side 1.561 km, Algeria 463 km, Mali 2.237 km and Senegal 813 km. The Mauritanian coast on the Atlantic Ocean extends 755 km. As a whole the climate is hot and dry, Saharan in the North and
“sahélien” in the South. The temperatures vary between 38°C and 43° C during the hot months to fall around 10°C between December and February. The nights are generally very cold in the mountain areas and in certain coastal zones. The rains generally fall from July to October and vary between 100 and 120mm in the centre and 400mm in the Valley of Senegal in the south.
The Mauritanian land surface is nearly 70% Sahara desert. The rain levels create agrarian zones which spread out by degrading from north to south. The country experiences periods of drought of which the most severe struck between 1968 and 1988 causing a transformation of the natural environment. Since then the climate seems to be going towards milder levels. But the protection of this environment against the progression of the desert and deforestation remains one of the major challenges.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Islamic republic of Mauritania
Maxim: Honor - Fraternity – Justice
Capital: Nouakchott.
National celebration day: November 28
Moslem celebrations: Id El Kebir, Id El Fitr, 1st Muharram.
Civics holidays: January 1st , May 1st, May 25th.
The workweek is from Sunday at Thursday. Working hours are from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm except for the schools, post office, safety and health services, which are from 8:00 am12 hours and 15 hours to 18 hours. The weekly leave goes from Friday at Saturday.
Schedule: GMT
Official language: Arabic.
National languages Arab, Pular, Soninké, Wolof.
Foreign languages: French remains a working language in the administration.
Monetary unit: Ouguiya.
Electricity: 220 volts
Budget, economy (2003):
Receipts: 421 million USD.
Expenditures: 378 million USD, interests on the debt included (154 million USD).
Manufacturing industry: 5% and services: 46%
General growth rate: 4,2%.
Industrial growth rate: 2%,
Population living below the poverty line: 47%.
Exports:
359 million USD (2000): iron ore, products from fishery and and its derivatives, herds of cattles.
Principal countries Mauritania export`s to: France 18%, Japan 16%, Italy 13%. Spain 10% and West Africa.
Imports:
335 million USD (2000):
Oil products, foodstuffs, building materials, fabrics and clothing, various equipments, vehicle parts, tobacco, fruits and vegetables.
Principal countries Mauritania imports from: France 33%, the USA 10%, Spain 9%, Algeria 6%, Germany 6% and The Benelux countries 5%. (2000).
Energy: production électrique:154 million kWh (2000), of which 84% is from thermal sources (fuel) and 16% from hydraulic sources and the hydraulic approach will be developed.
