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"

Island

name: Reykjavik

geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W

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

etymology: the name means "smoky bay" in Icelandic and refers to the steamy, smoke-like vapors discharged by hot springs in the area

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

Island

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 3 to 7 years

Legal system

Mauretanien

mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

Island

civil law system influenced by the Danish model

Suffrage

Mauretanien

18 years of age; universal

Island

18 years of age; universal

Area

Mauretanien

total: 1,030,700 sq km

land: 1,030,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Island

total: 103,000 sq km

land: 100,250 sq km

water: 2,750 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.)

Island

agricultural land: 18.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.3% (2018 est.)

other: 81% (2018 est.)

Location

Mauretanien

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

Island

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

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)

Island

0-14 years: 19.98% (male 36,771/female 35,314)

15-64 years: 63.39% (male 115,547/female 113,212)

65 years and over: 16.63% (2023 est.) (male 28,410/female 31,618)

Birth rate

Mauretanien

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

Island

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

Death rate

Mauretanien

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

Island

6.6 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.

Island

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German

Life expectancy at birth

Mauretanien

total population: 65.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 63.1 years

female: 68.1 years

Island

total population: 83.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.6 years

female: 86.2 years

Major urban areas - population

Mauretanien

1.492 million NOUAKCHOTT (capital) (2023)

Island

216,000 REYKJAVIK (capital) (2018)

Median age

Mauretanien

total: 21.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 20.9 years

female: 22.8 years

Island

total: 37.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 37.2 years

female: 38.4 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

Island

28.7 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Mauretanien

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

Island

2.7 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

Island

Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller clusters are primarily found along the coast in the north and west

Population growth rate

Mauretanien

1.96% (2023 est.)

Island

0.89% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Mauretanien

3.46 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Island

1.95 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.)

Island

urban population: 94% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Mauretanien

1.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Island

7.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Mauretanien

total: 9 years

male: 8 years

female: 9 years (2020)

Island

total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 21 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Mauretanien

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

Island

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Mauretanien

-6.61% (2021 est.)

Island

5.65% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Mauretanien

1.197 million (2021 est.)

Island

200,300 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Mauretanien

31% (2014 est.)

Island

8.8% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Mauretanien

11.46% (2021 est.)

11.27% (2020 est.)

10.39% (2019 est.)

Island

5.4% (2021 est.)

5.48% (2020 est.)

3.51% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Mauretanien

96.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

100% of GDP (2016 est.)

Island

100.02% of GDP (2020 est.)

89.59% of GDP (2019 est.)

81.95% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Mauretanien

3.57% (2021 est.)

2.39% (2020 est.)

2.3% (2019 est.)

Island

4.44% (2021 est.)

2.85% (2020 est.)

3.01% (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.)

Island

$9.775 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.501 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$11.005 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Mauretanien

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

Island

Netherlands 24%, Spain 10%, Germany 10%, United Kingdom 9%, United States 7% (2021)

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.)

Island

$10.234 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$7.616 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.891 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Mauretanien

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

Island

Norway 11%, Denmark 10%, Netherlands 9%, Germany 9%, China 7% (2021)

Airports

Mauretanien

30 (2021)

Island

96 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Mauretanien

total: 18,457 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.4 (2020 est.)

Island

total: 141,816 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Mauretanien

total: 2.714 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 59% (2021 est.)

Island

total: 370,000 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 100% (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)

Island

total: 12,898 km (2012)

paved/oiled gravel: 5,647 km (2012) (excludes urban roads)

unpaved: 7,251 km (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

Mauretanien

total subscriptions: 58,094 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Island

total subscriptions: 100,482 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Mauretanien

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2021 est.)

Island

total subscriptions: 437,270 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (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

Island

in 2019, Denmark signed continental shelf delimitation agreements with Iceland and Norway to parts of the continental shelf in the Ægir Basin, which is located north of the Faroe Islands