Mauritania

Officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mauritania is a large and varied country in Northwest Africa. From Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, Senegal to the southwest, Mauritania is a vital crossroads between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa with its strategic position bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The history, culture, and economic growth of the nation have been much shaped by its geographical orientation.

With an amazing 1,030,700 square kilometer territory, Mauritania ranks as the 11th largest nation in Africa and the 28th largest in the world. Still, this vast area offers a somewhat different terrain. Surprising 90% of Mauritania is the Sahara Desert, marked by its severe arid conditions and limited flora. Human habitation and economic activity have always been seriously hampered by this large swath of desert.

Though the desert rules, Mauritania’s southern areas have a more mild temperature, which has naturally drawn most of the country’s people. Of the estimated 4.3 million people living there, Nouakchott, the capital and biggest city, holds about one-third of them concentrated. Nestled on the Atlantic coast, Nouakchott showcases a mix of traditional and modern influences and acts as the political, commercial, and cultural center of the country.

Derived from the ancient Berber state of Mauretania in North Africa, part of the larger Maghreb region, the word “Mauritania” conjures a rich historical past. Over its history, the territory that now makes up Mauritania has seen the ebbs and flows of several civilizations and empires.

Establishing their presence in what is now Mauritania about the third century AD, the Berber people were among the first known occupants of the area. Even now, their impact on the nation’s customs, language, and culture is clear. Still, a major turning point in Mauritania’s history came with the Arab invasion under the Umayyad Caliphate in the late seventh century. Islam, Arabic culture, and the Arabic language—elements that would significantly define the national character in the next centuries—were first brought to at this time.

For Mauritania, the modern age brought fresh problems and changes. Part of French West Africa, the nation was under French colonial control in the early 20th centuries. This colonizing era ran until 1960, when Mauritania at last gained her freedom. But political unrest defined the years following independence, with repeated coups and military dictatorship periods.

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz led the most recent notable political revolution in 2008. Later on, Aziz established some stability by winning presidential contests in 2009 and 2014. Following the 2019 elections, General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, his successor, was welcomed as Mauritania’s first peaceful change of leadership since independence, therefore signifying a possible turning point in the political evolution of the nation.

Reflecting its membership in the Arab League and the official language being Arabic, Mauritania’s cultural identity is strongly anchored in the Arab world. Almost all of Mauritanian society’s population follows Sunni Islam, so Islam is central in that country. Laws, customs, and social mores of the nation have been greatly shaped by this religious homogeneity.

Mauritania has a great tapestry of ethnic variety even with its strong Arab and Islamic character. There are essentially three main groups to the population:

• The Bidhan, or “white Moors,” constitute approximately 30% of the population. They are primarily of Arab-Berber descent and have historically held significant political and economic influence.
• The Haratin, or “black Moors,” make up about 40% of the population. Like the Bidhan, they share Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture, but are distinguished by their darker skin tone and historical status as a marginalized group.
• The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups, including the Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof. These communities have maintained distinct cultural traditions and languages alongside the dominant Arab-Islamic culture.

As Mauritania works on issues of equality and representation among its several populations, this ethnic variety has been both a source of cultural richness and, occasionally, social friction.

The economy of Mauritania offers a dichotomy of possible growth and ongoing difficulties. The nation is blessed with great natural resources, especially iron ore and petroleum, which have drawn foreign capital and greatly increase export receipts. Mauritania still ranks among the poorest nation in the world, nevertheless, with many of its people living below the poverty line despite these great advantages.

Still the foundation of Mauritania’s economy are conventional industries such farming, cattle, and fishing. For a considerable number of people, especially in rural areas, these sectors give livelihoods. Still, environmental elements like drought and desertification can compromise food security and economic stability by themselves.

Human rights record of Mauritania has drawn attention from all across world. One of the most urgent problems is the continuation of slavery notwithstanding official abolition. About 90,000 people, or 2.1% of the population, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, were living in modern slavery. Rooted in past social systems, this scenario still presents a major obstacle for the government and civil society groups striving to eliminate the practice.

Restraints on freedom of expression, association, and assembly as well as discrimination against some ethnic groups and women constitute further human rights issues. Nonetheless, there have been some encouraging developments recently as attempts to solve these problems by means of international cooperation and legislative changes.