Facts about Mauritania

Mauritania is a landlocked country in West Africa. Nouakchott is the capital city as well as the largest city in the country. Arabic is the country’s national language, and the Ouguiya is the country’s national currency. The national name of Mauritania is “al-Jumhuriyah al-Islamiyah al-Muritaniyah“. Similarly, “Bilada-I Ubati-I Hudati-I Kiram” is the country’s national anthem, and the Senegal River is the country’s principal river. Mauritanian Mallow is the national flower, and Tea is the national drink of Mauritania. Further, the Nubian Bustard (Neotis Nuba) is the country’s national bird, and Sylvestris is the national animal of Mauritania. Thieboudienne is the country’s national dish. Additionally, Football is the country’s national sport, and Tidinit is the national Instrument. With these interesting facts about Mauritania, let’s learn more about the history, culture, religion, people, industries, tourism, tradition, and many more.

Quick Facts about Mauritania

 
The official name of Mauritania: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Area: 1,030,700 km2
Population(2022): 4.86 million
Population density: 5 per kilometer Square
GDP (PPP)(2020): $19.339 Billion
GDP Per Capita (nominal): $1463.54
Continent: Africa
Capital: Nouakchott
Spoken Languages in the country: Arabic (Hassaniya), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof, French, and Zenaga are some highly spoken languages in the country.
Official Languages: Arabic
Largest by area: 28th largest country
Religion: Islam: 99.9% (Sunni Islam), Christianity: 0.1%
Government: Unitary semi-presidential Islamic republic
Currency: Ouguiya (MRU)
Calling Code: +222
Time Zone: UTC (GMT)

17 Interesting Facts about Mauritania

1. Bordering country of Mauritania

Mauritania shared its land border with three countries. It is bordered by Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.
Also, Mauritania shares its border with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Western Sahara to the north and northwest.

2. One of the world's newest capitals

The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott which means "place of the winds". When Mauritania gained independence from France in 1960, Its coastal capital city of Nouakchott did not exist and had to be created. Therefore, Nouakchott is one of the world's newest capitals.

3. The last country to make slavery officially illegal

Mauritania is the last nation in the world to make slavery officially illegal but some forms of slavery are reported to persist in this country that is known for its historical caste system.
The country passed a law in 1981, but it only become punishable as a criminal act in 2007, even today slavery is still practiced.
In 2007, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, a former slave, was elected as president of Mauritania's National Assembly.
It is estimated that 4 to 10 percent of Mauritanians still live in slavery most of the indigenous black minority.

4. The world's largest ship graveyards

The bay of Nouadhibou in Mauritania is home to one of the world's largest ship graveyards. There are more than three hundred ships that are dumped within the bay once they become unwanted.

5. Mauritania is a desert nation

The terrain in Mauritania is a mostly barren flat desert with some hills in the center of the country. The Sahara desert covered 2/3 of the country's land which has less than one percent of interior water body which means out of the over one million square kilometers of the total area. Its water bodies are negligible.

6. One of the country's main exports

Mauritania is rich in mineral resources, especially iron and ore. The iron ore reserves generate about one-half of Mauritania's national revenue, followed by fishing and oil.
Offshore oil was recently discovered in Mauritania in 2001. Offshore oil is also one of the country's main exports.

7. The longest trains in the world

Mauritania has one of the longest trains in the world. The Iron Ore Train or Train du Desert is frequently 2.3 kilometers long. The train runs from Zouîrât to the coast of Nouâdhibou.

8. The country's become independent

Mauritania gained its independence from France on November 28, 1960, and was admitted to the United Nation in 1961.

9. One-third of Mauritania's population lives in two cities

In 1960, 90% of its population was nomadic, but a series of droughts obliged many nomads to migrate to Mauritania's two cities, Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, and today one-third of Mauritania's population of 4.86 million lives in these cities.

10. A huge eye on the Mauritania desert

There is a huge eye on the Mauritania desert which is visible from space. Just imagine looking down on the earth from space and an eye staring back at you. The huge eye is known as "The Richat Structure". The diameter of this eye is around 40 kilometers and it looks like a bull's eye. The exact reason for its creation is still unknown but it is believed that the structure was formed due to continuous corrosion of rocks.

11. Not use a decimal currency

Mauritania is one of only two countries in the world to not use a decimal currency. The other is Madagascar.
If you're wondering what a decimal system currency is then let me tell you that these are currency denominations that are not divisible by units of ten or one hundred.

12. One of the poorest countries in the world

Mauritania is one of the least densely populated countries in the world with less than five persons per squares kilometers. Despite such a low population and high quantity of mineral resources, Mauritania is one of the poorest countries in the world with forty percent of its population below the poverty line.

13. The spiritual capital of Mauritania

The ancient city of Chinguetti is the spiritual capital of Mauritania, and one of the holy places of Islam. For centuries it was the main gathering place for pilgrims that were about to travel to Mecca.
Over time, the city become holy in its own right, especially for those who were unable to travel to Mecca.

14. The original settlers of Mauritania

The history of Mauritania dates back to the 3rd century AD. The migration of Berber tribes between the 3rd and 7th slowly removed all traces of the Bafours people, the original settlers of Mauritania.

15. Unique divorce system

In Mauritania, couples are allowed to divorce twice, and the divorce is final. If divorce is the fault of the man, the wife keeps the bride price.

16. People use clan names rather than family names

In this Mauritania's extremely traditional society, belonging to a group is very important, and the larger the group, the better. People use clan names rather than family names.

17. A spiritual medium and is venerated and considered to have healing powers

Each brotherhood has a founder who acts as a spiritual medium and is venerated and considered to have healing powers in Mauritania. People can receive a blessing through spiritual contact with these spiritual leaders.
Further, people believe that disease is caused by destiny, bad magic, or breaking taboos and seek help from traditional and Islamic healers who combine modern medicine with traditional methods.
These are some interesting facts about Mauritania.

Mauritania facts

• If you look at Mauritania from space, you can see a clear bull's eye-like image called "The Eye of Africa".
• In Mauritania big is beautiful, and a girl is considered pretty only if she is fat. That is why a young Mauritanian girl is forced into a daily diet of 2kg of millet and 20 liters of camel's milk to make her more attractive for marriage in a country that prizes plumpness.
• The Coast which is a single long sandy beach is famous for its Barrenness.
•  There are two species of Gerbuls and six species of scorpions that are endemic to Mauritania.
• Kediet ej Jill at 915 meters (3,002 feet) above sea level is the highest peak in Mauritania.
• The Parc National du Banc D'arguin of Mauritania is listed in the Unesco world heritage site and it is one of the popular destinations for bird lovers.
• Mauritania's educational system is derived from the French system of education.
• In 1986 Mauritania's deep-water port was opened near Nouakchott.
• In Mauritania, many houses have colorful traditional pillows and mats, teapots, trays, and carpets. Mattresses are placed along the walls with traditional pillows.

These are some Mauritania facts.

In Conclusion

In this article, we discussed some interesting facts about Mauritania. After reading this article, you might gain some knowledge about Mauritania. If you have still queries and want to learn more about the country, then please comment to us. Further, if you already visited this beautiful country, and want to add more interesting facts to this article that are not included in the article above, please comment to us. Also, share your take on this article.
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