Mauritania has a population of 4,005,475 as of 2020.
Size
1,030,698 sq km / 397,955 sq mi (roughly half the size of Alaska)
Capital City
The capital city, Nouakchott, lies on a plateau near what was originally a village on a desert trail.
Ethnic Groups
40% Black African-Arab-Berber (Black Moor) 30% Arab-Berber (White Moor) 30% Black African
Religion
99.1% Suuni Muslim 0.9% Traditional / Christian / Other / Nonreligious
Mauritania is a Islamic State limiting religious freedom.
Languages
Arabic Fula Soninke Wolof
Geography
Mauritania is a country along the Atlantic coast of Africa and has acted as a geographical and cultural bridge between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is mostly made up of desert and coastal lands.
Economy
Mauritania’s economy is largely made up of extractive industries and agriculture. Profitable exports are iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock.
Interesting Fact
Mauritania was one of the last countries to abolish slavery in 1981.
Important Facts
In the 1400s, Europeans arrived and began mining gold and buying slaves. France established their control in Mauritania in 1904, and they gained their independence on July 28, 1960.
