Mauritania

Mauritania Latest News

A migrant boat sank off Mauritania’s coast earlier recently, leaving at least 49 people dead and around 100 missing.

About Mauritania

• It is a country in northwest Africa.
• It occupies an area of 1,030,000 sq. km.
• It is a country of the Sahel region (a belt across Africa between the arid Sahara to the north and the humid savannas to the south).
• It borders four other nations: West Sahara, Senegal, Algeria, and Mali. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west.
• Approximately 90% of its landmass is located within the Sahara Desert.
• The most prominent feature of this region is the Guelb er Richat, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, which is a deeply eroded dome consisting of a variety of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.
• The Senegal River is the most important waterway in the country. 
• People: 
  • Most of the people are Moors. 
  • These are the descendants of Arabs and Berbers (the original inhabitants of North Africa). 
• Much of the population clings to the coastal cities or by the Senegal River in the south. 
• Mauritania became independent from France in 1960.
• In 1981, Mauritania became the last country in the world to outlaw slavery.
• Capital: Nouakchott 
• Language: 
  • The main language is Arabic. 
  • The Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and French languages are also common. 
• Islam is the national religion.
• Economy:
  • Mauritania has an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate. 
  • Extractive commodities make up 75 percent of Mauritania’s total exports (exploration for oil is ongoing), with fishing making up another 20 percent.
  • The nation’s coastal waters are said to be among the richest fishing areas in the world.

Source: TOI

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