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The Capital of Country
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| Mauritania - officially ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA, Arabic MURITANIYA, or AL-JUMHURIYAH AL-ISLAMIYAH AL-MURITANIYAH, French MAURITANIE, or RÉPUBLIQUE ISLAMIQUE DE MAURITANIE, country of northwestern Africa, covering an area of 398,000 square miles (1,030,700 square km). The capital is Nouakchott. Mauritania is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the northwest and north by Western Sahara, to the northeast by Algeria, to the east and southeast by Mali, and to the southwest by Senegal. The population in 1991 was estimated to be 2,053,000. A brief treatment of Mauritania follows. For full treatment, see Western Africa: Mauritania. For current history and for statistics on society and economy, see BRITANNICA BOOK OF THE YEAR. The land. Most of Mauritania is made up of low-lying desert that forms the westernmost part of the Sahara. The coastal plains are less than 150 feet (45 m) above sea level, and the higher plains of the interior range from 600 to 750 feet (180 to 230 m). The flat interior plains are diversified by escarpments that sometimes reach 900 feet (270 m) or by numerous inselbergs (isolated peaks), of which the highest is Kediet Ijill (3,002 feet [915 m]). Sand dunes cover about 50 percent of the country. Drainage in Mauritania is mostly inland, except where the Sénégal River and its tributaries flow southward and westward. The dry inland plateaus are cut by a number of wadis that are subject to occasional flash flooding. The climate throughout Mauritania is hot and, except for certain sections in the south, dry. Southern Mauritania has a Sahelian climate; there is one rainy season from July to October, but it delivers only about 25 inches (635 mm) of precipitation a year. Afternoon temperatures in the summer months exceed 100 F (38 C) at most stations, and daily highs of 115 F (46 C) are not uncommon in the interior. Temperatures drop considerably at night, however, especially inland. Nighttime lows in the winter range from 45 to 55 F (7 to 13 C), while daytime highs range from 86 to 102 F (30 to 36 C). The frequency of vegetation increases from north to south. The Sudanic savanna, located in the country's extreme south, is studded with baobab trees and palmyra (rônier) palm trees. The savanna gradually gives way in the south-central region to a discontinuous belt of Sahelian vegetation that includes an occasional acacia tree. The rest of the country northward to the borders with Western Sahara and Algeria is arid desert. Antelope, lion, and elephant are found in the southern savanna. The Sahelian steppes in the south-central region are frequented by gazelle, ostrich, warthog, panther, hyena, and lynx; crocodile are found in the permanent streams. Although only a tiny fraction of Mauritania is considered arable, it is cultivated exhaustively. It supplies only about half of Mauritania's needs, however. Almost 40 percent of the land is rangeland or pasture, and the nomadic herding of goats, sheep, and camels still occupies a large portion of the population. Mauritania has substantial reserves of iron ore, copper, and gypsum. Titanium and phosphate reserves have also been identified. Mauritania Geography Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 12 00 W Map references: Africa Area: total : 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico Land boundaries: total: 5,074 km border countries : Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km Coastline: 754 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone : 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 38% forests and woodland : 4% other: 58% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 490 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts Environment - current issues: overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal which is the only perennial river Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements Geography - note: most of the population concentrated along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country People Population: 2,411,317 (July 1997 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (male 586,972; female 580,408) 15-64 years: 49% (male 579,071; female 612,343) 65 years and over : 2% (male 22,098; female 30,425) (July 1997 est.) Population growth rate: 3.17% (1997 est.) Birth rate: 46.55 births/1,000 population (1997 est.) Death rate: 14.82 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) Sex ratio: at birth : 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.) Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.49 years male : 46.52 years female: 52.58 years (1997 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.76 children born/woman (1997 est.) Nationality: noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian |
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