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GENERAL INFORMATION
Official Name:
République Islamique de Mauritanie (Islamic Republic of Mauritania)
Capital:
Nouakachott - population: 1.07m (1998 est)
Head of State:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya (December 1984 assumed presidency in a bloodless coup; elected President in 1992)
National Currencies and current exchange rates:
Ougiya (UM). Average exchange rate in 1999: UM209.5:US$1; Exchange rate on 6/2/01 UM363.08:US$1.
National Day and other important days:
January 1, May 1 (Labour Day), May 25 (African Unity Day), July 10 (Armed Forces Day), November 28 (Independence Day). Variable dates: Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year’s Day, Prophet’s Birthday
System Of Government:
Unitary republic
Ethnic groups:
Mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Languages:
Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French
Religions:
Muslim 100%
GEOGRAPHY
Area
Total area:
1,030,700sq km;
Land area:
1,030,400sq km;
Coastline:
754km
Climate:
About 80% desert (less than 200mm rainfall per year); constantly hot, dry, dusty; only the southern extremity supports rain-fed vegetation. Irregular rain falls from July to October.
Physical description:
Mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Physical Infrastructure:
Communication: per 1,000 inhabitants (1997)
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Daily newspapers
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- 1
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Radio receivers
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- 46
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Television receivers
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- 25
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Main telephone lines
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- 5
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Transportation
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Railways
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- 704
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Roads
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- 7,660 of which 866 km paved
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Ports and harbours
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- Boeue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso
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Waterways
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- mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River
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Airports with paved runways
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- 8
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Energy provision:
190,000 kWh generating capacity.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Mauritania has sparse natural resources – 80% is desert and the rest is covered with sparse vegetation. Less than 0.5% of the land is arable. Supplies of natural fresh water are limited.
Mineral resources
There are considerable mineral resources - iron ore, gypsum, copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold, and phosphates - but reserves have yet to be fully surveyed.
Fish– the coastline constitutes one of the world’s richest fishing grounds.
Water resources
Annual internal renewable water resources: 2000– 150 cu m Per Capita; Sector withdrawals– domestic 6%; Industrial 2%; Agricultural 92%
Land utilization and potential– Refer to table/s
Key Environmental Concerns:
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
Environmental policy and manifestation:
International agreements - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Natural hazards:
Hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
ECONOMY
Overview
Substantive advances have been made in the economy since independence, and contributions to GDP have been relatively constant. However, performance within the three main sectors of the productive economy– agriculture, mining and fishing - vary widely and the country remains dependent on foreign aid and assistance. Drought, pests, changing global commodity prices and the exhaustion of natural resources have left the Mauritanian economy vulnerable to external forces over which it has limited control. The majority of the population are dependent on agriculture and livestock, the sector contributing 25% to GDP. Mining and fishing account for 99.7% of exports - 50% of which comes from iron ore production. Mauritania's coastal waters are among the richest in the world, but they are being threatened with overexploitation by (mainly European) foreign vessels. Real GDP grew by 5% in 2000 according to official figures.
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Less than 1% of Mauritania's land is capable of sustaining crops, which accounted for just 6% of GDP in 1997. Peasants working for absentee landlords under a traditional system of land tenure undertake most farming. Over 80% of agricultural land is under millet and sorghum; rice, grown almost exclusively on irrigated land, now accounts for 52% of cereal output. A US$135m World-Bank backed programme aims to make irrigated agriculture a pillar of economic growth by expanding cultivated land, diversifying crops and increasing production.
Livestock is the most important component of the sector (14% of GDP), and is an important source of wealth in traditional society.
The fishing sector, which contributes around 4% to GDP, is also an important source of foreign exchange. The annual catch amounts to over 100,000 tonnes. Rapid growth in the 1980s led to over-fishing, but the government has now adopted various measures to manage this sector more effectively.
Mining
Mining accounts for about 10% of GDP and half of export earnings. After government, it is the second largest employer. Mauritania has extensive mineral deposits: iron ore is the principal mineral; there are also known reserves of copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, and gypsum.
Industry & manufacturing
Manufacturing, which is centred around food processing, and handicrafts, accounts for about 4% of GDP. Development of the sector is constrained by the small size of the domestic market, a scarcity of skilled labour and inadequate infrastructure.
Government finance and fiscal policy
The government first adopted an IMF-backed programme in the late 1970s, and has since continued to implement IMF designed and supported structural reforms. There has been a substantial reduction in the states dominant role in the economy since the mid-1980s. In 1999 the IMF praised the government's introduction of tax reform and further trade liberalisation, and welcomed the maintenance of financial stability despite the external shocks of 1998, which damaged Mauritania's iron ore and fish export markets. Approval was given for a low-interest three-year loan of US$56.53 million under a second enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF) which will help to finance the government's 1999-2002 economic reform programme. Areas needing immediate government attention include further tax reforms and privatisation, and more focused social spending to alleviate high levels of poverty. Accordingly, under the 2000/01 budget the amount dedicated to poverty alleviation doubled, while both health and education received a 15% increase, providing for the recruitment of additional staff and the construction of new facilities.
The privatisation programme has gathered momentum, in line with the conditions of the IMF loan. Diversification of the economy is becoming an increasingly urgent priority.
Foreign Aid and Donors
With external debt estimated at 200 per cent of GDP in late 1997, the debt burden remains the country's most pressing problem. The IMF and International Development Association agreed in February 2000 to back Mauritania's application for a debt-reduction package under the enhanced heavily indebted poor countries - once assistance is confirmed it will bring debt-service savings of 40% of total annual debt-service obligations. Relief is conditional on predefined macroeconomic, structural and social reforms.
Regional and International economic grouping/alliances:
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Arab Maghreb Union
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African Union
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Note - membership of the Nigerian dominated Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ended in December 2000.
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EU-ACP Convention
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POPULATION
At independence two-thirds of Mauritanians were nomads, but desertification and urban poll have reduced the number to around 12% in 1988 and now to an estimated 6% of the population. Some 40% of the population live in Nouakchott. Mauritania’s ethnic mix reflects the country’s history and geographical position. Moors of mixed Arab and Berber stock are in the majority, and are culturally close to the Haratine, their former slaves who account for 30% of the population. The Negro population, which is mainly engaged in agriculture, is concentrated in the south and includes members of the Wolof, Toucouleur (Peul) and Soninké ethno-linquistic groups. Moorish and black African societies are highly stratified and are organized around various families, clans or tribes.
Health
The health status of Mauritanian’s is especially poor. Fifteen out of every 100 children will not live to the age of five, and some 25% suffer from malnutrition. Both health services, which are concentrated in the urban areas and social sector services such as water provision are in need of upgrading. The World Bank and other donors are backing a US$190m health-sector investment programme.
HIV/AIDS
Official estimates of HIV/AIDS prevalence are put at 1% of the population, a figure that contrasts starkly with the announcement in December 2000 by the Nouakchott national blood bank that one in three blood donors in Mauritania is HIV positive. Religious conservancy is seen as one of the key restraints to open public discussions on HIV/AIDS.
Food security
Low income, food-deficit country. Major foodcrops: wheat, rice, millet and sorghum. 1999 production is 112% of average. Food aid requirement for 2000 is 25,000 tonnes.
Education
Education statistics present a varied picture: while the number of children receiving basic schooling has doubled since the late 1970s, attendance figures at primary school vary, being particularly weak in the rural areas, and only 35% of children go on to secondary school. Adult illiteracy is high, especially among women of whom nearly three-quarters cannot read Arabic or French.
HISTORY & POLITICS
Constitution & political system
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Constitution
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- adopted 12 July 1991
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Legal system
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- a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and modern law
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Legislative branch
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- bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (56 seats) and the National Assembly (79 seats)
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Elections
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- Presidential: last held December 1997; local and
parliamentary last held October 2001.
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SECURITY INFORMATION
National Defence (1999)
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Army: 15,000
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Air force: 150
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Navy: 500
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Paramilitary (1999)
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Gendarmerie : 3,000
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National Guard: 2,000
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Defence spending
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As % of current spending (1999) : 14.8%
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As % of GDP: 3.7%
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Source: EIU Country Profile 2001, Mauritania
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