Capital

Mauretanien

name: Nouakchott

geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: may derive from the Berber "nawakshut" meaning "place of the winds"

Citizenship

Mauretanien

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

Legal system

Mauretanien

mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

Suffrage

Mauretanien

18 years of age; universal

Area

Mauretanien

total: 1,030,700 sq km

land: 1,030,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Mauretanien

agricultural land: 38.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 38.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.2% (2018 est.)

other: 61.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Mauretanien

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

Age structure

Mauretanien

0-14 years: 36.11% (male 769,229/female 763,465)

15-64 years: 59.58% (male 1,197,311/female 1,331,815)

65 years and over: 4.31% (2023 est.) (male 77,123/female 105,935)

Birth rate

Mauretanien

27.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Mauretanien

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Mauretanien

Arabic (official and national), Pular, 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

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Mauretanien

total population: 65.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 63.1 years

female: 68.1 years

Major urban areas - population

Mauretanien

1.492 million NOUAKCHOTT (capital) (2023)

Median age

Mauretanien

total: 21.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 20.9 years

female: 22.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Mauretanien

21.8 years (2019/21)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Mauretanien

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Mauretanien

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Mauretanien

1.96% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Mauretanien

3.46 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Mauretanien

urban population: 57.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Mauretanien

1.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Mauretanien

total: 9 years

male: 8 years

female: 9 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Mauretanien

-0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Mauretanien

-6.61% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Mauretanien

1.197 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Mauretanien

31% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

Mauretanien

11.46% (2021 est.)

11.27% (2020 est.)

10.39% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Mauretanien

96.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

100% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Mauretanien

3.57% (2021 est.)

2.39% (2020 est.)

2.3% (2019 est.)

Exports

Mauretanien

$3.18 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.784 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.525 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Mauretanien

China 32%, Switzerland 13%, Spain 9%, Japan 9%, Italy 5% (2019)

Imports

Mauretanien

$4.312 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.675 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.683 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Mauretanien

China 26%, France 6%, Spain 6%, Morocco 6%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)

Airports

Mauretanien

30 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Mauretanien

total: 18,457 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.4 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Mauretanien

total: 2.714 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 59% (2021 est.)

Railways

Mauretanien

total: 728 km (2014)

standard gauge: 728 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Roadways

Mauretanien

total: 12,253 km (2018)

paved: 3,988 km (2018)

unpaved: 8,265 km (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

Mauretanien

total subscriptions: 58,094 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Mauretanien

total subscriptions: 6,512,361 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Mauretanien

1,086 km (2022) (some navigation possible on the Senegal River)

Disputes - international

Mauretanien

Mauritania-Algeria: none identified

Mauritania-Mali: there are no border disputes, but the border has not been demarcated; talks on demarcation were reportedly being held in February 2022

Mauritania-Morocco: Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant; tensions arose in 2016 when Mauritanian soldiers were deployed to Lagouira, a city in the southernmost part of Morocco, and raised their flag

Mauritania-Senegal: none identified