Mauritania

Broadcast media

one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations, as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)

Internet country code

.mr

Internet users

total: 547,000 | percent of population: 15.2% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Telephone system

general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly | domestic: fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 100 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals | international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 51,294 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 3.644 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Agriculture - products

dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep

Budget

revenues: $1.342 billion | expenditures: $1.591 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2009) | 12% (31 December 2007) | country comparison to the world: 33

Commercial bank prime lending rate

17% (31 December 2015 est.) | 17% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Current account balance

-$917 million (2015 est.) | -$1.471 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Debt - external

$3.415 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $3.522 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39 (2000) | 37.3 (1995) | country comparison to the world: 70

Economy - overview

Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, GDP growth has been driven by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. | Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, and exploration is ongoing for uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports, subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue, rising from 13% to 29% of total revenue between 2006 and 2013. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for about 25% of budget revenues, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. | Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country’s public expenditures.

Exchange rates

ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - | 319.7 (2015 est.) | 303.26 (2014 est.) | 299.5 (2013 est.) | 296.6 (2012 est.) | 281.12 (2011 est.)

Exports

$1.385 billion (2015 est.) | $1.935 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Exports - commodities

iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum

Exports - partners

China 32.7%, Switzerland 11.1%, Spain 8.6%, Italy 6.7%, Cote dIvoire 6.6%, Japan 5.7% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.752 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$16.29 billion (2015 est.) | $15.98 billion (2014 est.) | $15 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 151

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 69.6% | government consumption: 25.4% | investment in fixed capital: 44.5% | investment in inventories: -7.3% | exports of goods and services: 28.1% | imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 23.7% | industry: 35.8% | services: 40.5% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,400 (2015 est.) | $4,400 (2014 est.) | $4,200 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 175

GDP - real growth rate

1.9% (2015 est.) | 6.6% (2014 est.) | 6.4% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Gross national saving

16.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | 8.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 12.4% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5% | highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)

Imports

$1.93 billion (2015 est.) | $2.646 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners

China 25.5%, Algeria 8.4%, France 6.3%, Morocco 5.1%, Spain 4.8%, Brazil 4.5%, US 4% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

2.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.5% (2015 est.) | 3.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Labor force

1.318 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 50% | industry: 2% | services: 48% (2001 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

40% (2004 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.853 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Taxes and other revenues

28.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Unemployment rate

31% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

2.4 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Crude oil - exports

11,250 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Crude oil - production

5,247 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Crude oil - proved reserves

20 million bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - consumption

800 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

33.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Electricity - installed generating capacity

400,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Electricity - production

800 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity access

population without electricity: 2,800,000 | electrification - total population: 28% | electrification - urban areas: 47% | electrification - rural areas: 2% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 70

Refined petroleum products - consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Refined petroleum products - imports

16,390 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Area

total: 1,030,700 sq km | land: 1,030,700 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 29

Area - comparative

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Climate

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Coastline

754 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 276 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m | highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Environment - current issues

overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

20 00 N, 12 00 W

Geography - note

Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa's Maghreb region and West Africa's Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

Irrigated land

450 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 5,002 km | border countries (4): Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km

Land use

agricultural land: 38.5% | arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1% | forest: 0.2% | other: 61.3% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Population - distribution

with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

15 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott Nord, Nouakchott Ouest, Nouakchott Sud, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

Capital

name: Nouakchott | geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mauritania | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2004, 2006, 2012 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania | conventional short form: Mauritania | local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah | local short form: Muritaniyah | etymology: named for the ancient Kingdom of Mauretania (3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D.), which existed further north in present-day Morocco; the name derives from the Mauri (Moors), the Berber-speaking peoples of northwest Africa

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 25 September 2014) | embassy: 288, rue 42-100 (rue Abdallaye), Nouakchott | mailing address: B.P. 222, Nouakchott | telephone: [222] 4525-2660 or [222] 2660-2663 | FAX: [222] 4525-1592

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamedoun DADDAH (since 27 June 2016) | chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701 | FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623

Executive branch

chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009); note - AZIZ deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as president in August 2008; he subsequently retired from the military, stepped down from the appropriated presidency in April 2009 to run for the legitimate presidency, and was elected president on 18 July 2009 | head of government: Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (UPR) 81.9%, Biram Dah ABEID (independent) 8.7%, Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT (El Wiam) 4.5%, Ibrahima Moctar SARR (SJD/MR) 4.4%, other 0.5%

Flag description

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; green also represents hope for a bright future; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

28 November 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU (candidate), 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, MIUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 1 criminal and 2 civil chambers, each with a president and 5 counselors); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 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, and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years | subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (cases involving treason and criminal acts of high government officials); courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members indirectly elected by municipal leaders by simple majority vote and 3 directly elected by Mauritanians abroad; members serve a 6-year term with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years) and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (146 seats; 106 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with three or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve a 5-year term) | elections: Senate - last held on 23 November 2013 (next election scheduled for 2015 but delayed because of opposition party threats to boycott election); National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16, El Wiam 10, APP 7, El Karama Party 6, UDP 6, AJD/MR 4, Burst of Youth for the Nation 4, El Vadila Party 3, PRDR 3, PUD 3, Ravah Party 3, other 6; note - parties winning fewer than 3 seats sit as independents unless they join a coalition

National anthem

name: "Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania) | lyrics/music: Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY | note: adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR] | Burst of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA] | Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam) | Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (including UPR, UDP) | Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH] (coalition including RNRD-TAWASSOUL) | El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU] | El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY] | El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT] | National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil Ould MANSOUR] | Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO] | Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR] | Ravah Party | Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Sidi Mohamed Ould Mohamed VALL] | Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS] | Union for the Republic or UPR [Sidi Mohamed Ould MAHAM]

Political pressure groups and leaders

General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general] | Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM and El Hor [Samory Ould BEYE] (civil society organization) | Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] | SOS-Esclaves [Boubacar MESSAOUD] (anti-slavery group) | other: Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; Islamists; Nasserists

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976 but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. He was reelected in 2014 to a second and final term as president (according to the present constitution). The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among three major groups: Arabic-speaking descendants of slaves (Haratines), Arabic-speaking "White Moors" (Bidhan), and members of Sub-Saharan ethnic groups mostly originating in the Senegal River valley (Halpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof). Mauritania confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, which launched successful attacks between 2005 and 2010.

Military branches

Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.87% (male 717,790/female 711,694) | 15-24 years: 19.86% (male 357,460/female 372,744) | 25-54 years: 32.96% (male 561,341/female 650,580) | 55-64 years: 4.61% (male 76,372/female 93,065) | 65 years and over: 3.71% (male 57,814/female 78,433) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

30.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 127,251 | percentage: 16% (2007 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

19.5% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 32

Contraceptive prevalence rate

9.3% (2007)

Death rate

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Demographic profile

With a sustained total fertility rate of about 4 children per woman and almost 60% of the population under the age of 25, Mauritania’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Mauritania’s large youth cohort is vital to its development prospects, but available schooling does not adequately prepare students for the workplace. Girls continue to be underrepresented in the classroom, educational quality remains poor, and the dropout rate is high. The literacy rate is only about 50%, even though access to primary education has improved since the mid-2000s. Women’s restricted access to education and discriminatory laws maintain gender inequality – worsened by early and forced marriages and female genital cutting. | The denial of education to black Moors also helps to perpetuate slavery. Although Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981 (the last country in the world to do so) and made it a criminal offense in 2007, the millenniums-old practice persists largely because anti-slavery laws are rarely enforced and the custom is so ingrained. Up to 20% of Mauritania’s population is estimated to be enslaved, the highest rate worldwide. | Drought, poverty, and unemployment have driven outmigration from Mauritania since the 1970s. Early flows were directed toward other West African countries, including Senegal, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, and Gambia. The 1989 Mauritania-Senegal conflict forced thousands of black Mauritanians to take refuge in Senegal and pushed labor migrants toward the Gulf, Libya, and Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Mauritania has accepted migrants from neighboring countries to fill labor shortages since its independence in 1960 and more recently has received refugees escaping civil wars, including tens of thousands of Tuaregs who fled Mali in 2012. | Mauritania was an important transit point for sub-Saharan migrants moving illegally to North Africa and Europe. In the mid-2000s, as border patrols increased in the Strait of Gibraltar, security increased around Spain’s North African enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla), and Moroccan border controls intensified, illegal migration flows shifted from the Western Mediterranean to Spain’s Canary Islands. In 2006, departure points moved southward along the West African coast from Morocco and Western Sahara to Mauritania’s two key ports (Nouadhibou and the capital Nouakchott), and illegal migration to the Canaries peaked at almost 32,000. The numbers fell dramatically in the following years because of joint patrolling off the West African coast by Frontex (the EU’s border protection agency), Spain, Mauritania, and Senegal; the expansion of Spain’s border surveillance system; and the 2008 European economic downturn.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 76.1% | youth dependency ratio: 70.5% | elderly dependency ratio: 5.7% | potential support ratio: 17.7% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 58.4% of population | rural: 57.1% of population | total: 57.9% of population | urban: 41.6% of population | rural: 42.9% of population | total: 42.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.3% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 120

Ethnic groups

black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Bidhan) 30%, black Africans (non-Arabic speaking, Halpulaar, Soninke, Wolof, and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.57% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,000 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

13,700 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Health expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 100

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

total: 53.3 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 58.1 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 48.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Languages

Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French | note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from the modern standard Arabic used for official written purposes or in the media; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Berber words, is referred to as Hassaniya

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 63 years | male: 60.7 years | female: 65.4 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 52.1% | male: 62.6% | female: 41.6% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever | respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

602 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Median age

total: 20.3 years | male: 19.3 years | female: 21.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Nationality

noun: Mauritanian(s) | adjective: Mauritanian

Net migration rate

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.6% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 127

Physicians density

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

3,677,293 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Population distribution

with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal

Population growth rate

2.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Religions

Muslim (official) 100%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 57.5% of population | rural: 13.8% of population | total: 40% of population | urban: 42.5% of population | rural: 86.2% of population | total: 60% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years | male: 9 years | female: 8 years (2013)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female | total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.93 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Urbanization

urban population: 59.9% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 3.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 26,007 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2015); 42,867 (Mali) (2016)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children from traditional slave castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships; Mauritanian boy students called talibes are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; Mauritanian girls, as well as girls from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African countries, are forced into domestic servitude; Mauritanian women and girls are forced into prostitution domestically or transported to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose, sometimes through forced marriages | tier rating: Tier 3 - Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts were negligible; one slavery case identified by an NGO was investigated, but no prosecutions or convictions were made, including among the 4,000 child labor cases NGOs referred to the police; the 2007 anti-slavery law remains ineffective because it requires slaves, most of whom are illiterate, to file their own legal complaint, and the government agency that can submit claims on them did not file any in 2014; authorities arrested, prosecuted, and convicted several anti-slavery activists; NGOs continued to provide the majority of protective services to trafficking victims without support from the government; some steps were taken to raise public awareness about human trafficking (2015)

Airports

30 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 116

Airports - with paved runways

total: 9 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 | 914 to 1,523 m: 8 | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5T (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 248,158 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Railways

total: 728 km | standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 99

Roadways

total: 10,628 km | paved: 3,158 km | unpaved: 7,470 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 133

Waterways

(some navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)