Mauritania

Mauritania, Islamic Republic of, former French colony in western Africa. Mauritania is some 398,000 sq mi (1,030,700 sq km) in area and is bordered by Morocco, Western Sahara and Algeria to the north, Mali and Senegal to the south, Mali to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Land and climate

Mauritania is principally a dry, rocky plateau averaging 500 ft (152 m) above sea level, a southern extension of the Sahara. There is a fertile grain growing district along the Senegal River in the south and cattle raising grasslands in the southeast. The climate is hot throughout the country, but rainfall varies considerably from less than 4 in (10 cm) annually in the north to about 24 in (61 cm) annually toward the south.

People

Some 80% of the population are Berbers or Moors and the remaining 20% are black Africans. About 50% of the people live in towns. The Berbers and Moors live a nomadic life principally in the north and the black Africans live in rural villages in the south. The capital is Nouakchott. The official languages are French and Arabic. Islam is the official religion.

Economy

There are large deposits of iron ore, gypsum, and copper, which account for about 80% of all exports. Farmers in the south raise millet, sorghum, rice, and other cereals and vegetables while nomads raise sheep, goats, cattle, and camels. Recent droughts have dealt a serious blow to livestock.

History

In the 11th century, the Ghanaian Empire, to which most of Mauritania then belonged, was invaded by nomadic Berbers of the Almora-vid group. In the 13th century South Mauritania fell to the Mali Empire and Islam was firmly established. The Portuguese probed the coast in the 15th century; the French penetrated the interior in the 19th century. In 1920 Mauritania became the colony of French West Africa. In 1960 it gained full independence and became a Muslim state under President Mokhtar Ould Daddah. The military seized power in 1968. During the 1970s a war against the Polisario Front guerrillas over claims to the Western Sahara brought political and economic instability. Mauritania relinquished its claim to the territory in 1979. In 1984, Lt. Col. Maaouga Ould Sidi Ahmed Taya replaced Lt. Col. Mohamed Khouma Ould Haidalla as head of state. In the 1991 Gulf War, Mauritania supported Iraq. As a result, relations with the U.S., France, and the Gulf states deteriorated and economic support of Mauritania was reduced or even terminated. In 1993 France and the Gulf states continued their economic aid.