Mauritania is formally the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a sovereign state in Northwest Africa. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Sea to the west, Western Sahara to the north as well as northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the eastern and also southeast, and also Senegal to the southwest. Mauritania is the eleventh largest country in Africa, and also 90 percent of its territory is positioned in the Sahara. The majority of its populace of 4.4 million lives in the pleasant south of the nation, with roughly one third concentrated in the resources as well as biggest city, Nouakchott, situated on the Atlantic coastline.

The nation’s name originates from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, located in contemporary Morocco and also Algeria. Berbers inhabited what is currently Mauritania beginning in the 3rd century AD. Arabs conquered the location in the eighth century, bringing Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the very early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa.

It accomplished freedom in 1960, yet has actually considering that experienced persistent successful strokes and durations of military dictatorship. The most recent coup, in 2008, was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, that won subsequent governmental political elections in 2009 and also 2014. He was done well by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 political elections, which were considered Mauritania’s first relaxed change of power since freedom.

Mauritania is culturally and also politically part of the Arab globe: it belongs to the Arab League as well as Arabic is the single main language. Reflecting its colonial heritage, French is widely spoken and also works as a lingua franca. The official faith is Islam, and mostly all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims.

Despite its dominating Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic: the Bidhan, or so-called “white moors”, compose 30 percent of the population, while the Haratin, or so-called “black moors”, make up 40 percent. Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnic background, language, as well as culture. The staying 30 percent of the population makes up different sub-Saharan ethnic groups.

In spite of an abundance of natural deposits, consisting of iron ore and oil, Mauritania stays inadequate; its economic climate is based mainly on agriculture, livestock, and also fishing. Mauritania is known for its bad civils rights record, most notably the proceeded method of enslavement, an outcome of a historical caste system between the Bidhan and Haratin. It was the last nation in the world to abolish enslavement, in 1981, and outlawed it just in 2007.