"text":"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."
"text":"hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts"
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling"
"text":"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"
"text":"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%"
"text":"Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French",
"note":{
"text":"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"
"text":"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"
"text":"Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"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"
"text":"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)"
"text":"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)"
"text":"Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM 14 (UPR 12, UDP 2), RNRD-TAWASSOUL 1, independent 2; 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"
"text":"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":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"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"
"text":"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]"
"text":"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)",
"text":"Ambassador Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN (since 28 July 2010)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 319-2623"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 25 September 2014)"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"288 Rue Abdallaye, Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"BP 222, Nouakchott"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[222] 4525-2660, -2663"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[222] 4525-1592"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie\" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"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 of the 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. China was Mauritania’s main export and import partner 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."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"2.408 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"51,400"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"1 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"3.8 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"107 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 106 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2009)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"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)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"1 (2002)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".mr"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"402,000"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"11.4% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"30 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"9"
},
"2,438 to 3,047 m":{
"text":"5"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"4 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"21"
},
"2,438 to 3,047 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"10"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"8"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":" ++ 2 (2013)"
}
},
"Railways":{
"total":{
"text":"728 km"
},
"standard gauge":{
"text":"728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"10,628 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"3,158 km"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"7,470 km (2010)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"(some navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)"
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"major seaport(s)":{
"text":"Nouadhibou, Nouakchott"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"718,713"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"804,622 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"480,042"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"581,473 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"36,116"
},
"female":{
"text":"36,826 (2010 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"refugees (country of origin)":{
"text":"26,001 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2014); 49,911 (Mali) (2015)"
}
},
"Trafficking in persons":{
"current situation":{
"text":"Mauritania is a source, transit, 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 talibe 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"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"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; in 2013, law enforcement and judicial personnel thwarted the progress of criminal prosecutions for human trafficking by intervening on the behalf of alleged offenders; the government did not provide adequate protective services to victims or ensure their referral to NGOs, which provide the majority of care to trafficking victims without financial support from the government; the absence of measures in place to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations may have led to victims being punished for acts committed as a result of being trafficked; the effectiveness of the 2007 anti-slavery law remains impaired because slaves, many of whom are illiterate, are unable to file the required legal complaint; NGOs are barred from lodging cases on behalf of slaves, and the national agency to fight slavery became operational in 2013 but did not submit any criminal complaints for victims (2014)"
