Mauritania

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The country's name derives from Mauretania, the Latin name for a region, to the north, in the ancient Mediterranean Maghreb. Mauretania extended from central present-day northern Algeria to the Atlantic, in Morocco. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania by the beginning of the 3rd century CE. Groups of Arab tribes migrated to this area in the late 7th century, bringing with them Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960.

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Etymology

Mauritania takes its name from the ancient Berber kingdom that flourished beginning in the third century BC and later became the Roman province of Mauretania, which flourished into the seventh century AD. The two territories do not overlap, though; historical Mauretania was considerably farther north than modern Mauritania, as it was spread out along the entire western half of the Mediterranean coast of Africa. The term "Mauretania", in turn, derives from the Greek and Roman exonym for the Berber peoples of the kingdom, the Mauri people. The word "Mauri" is also the root of the name for the Moors.

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History

The ancient tribes of Mauritania were the Niger-Congo, and Bafour peoples. The Bafour were among the first Saharan peoples to abandon their previously nomadic lifestyle and adopt a primarily agricultural one. In response to the gradual desertification of the Sahara, they eventually migrated southward. The Berber peoples were displaced by the Bafour people when that group arrived in the 3rd to 7th centuries. Many of the Berber tribes have claimed to have Yemeni (and sometimes other Arab) origins. Little evidence supports those claims, but a 2000 DNA study of the Yemeni people suggested that some ancient connection might exist between the peoples.

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Geography

Mauritania lies in the western region of the continent of Africa, and is generally flat, its 1,030,000 km2 (400,000 sq mi) forming vast, arid plains broken by occasional ridges and clifflike outcroppings. It borders the North Atlantic Ocean to the west, Senegal to the southwest, Mali to the east and southeast, Algeria to the northeast, and Western Sahara to the north and northwest. It is considered part of both the Sahel and the Maghreb. Approximately three-quarters of Mauritania is desert or semidesert. As a result of extended, severe drought, the desert has been expanding since the mid-1960s.

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Government and politics

The Mauritanian Parliament is composed of a single chamber, the National Assembly. Composed of 176 members, representatives are elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies.

Until August 2017, the parliament had an upper house, the Senate. The Senate had 56 members, 53 members elected for a six-year term by municipal councilors with a third renewed every two years and three elected by Mauritanians abroad. It was abolished in 2017 after a referendum. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz called for the referendum in August 2017 after the Senate rejected his proposals to change the constitution.

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Economy

Despite being rich in natural resources, Mauritania has a low GDP. A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50% of total exports. Gold and copper mining companies are opening mines in the interior such as Firawa mine. The country's gold production in 2015 was 9 metric tons.

The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.

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Demographics

As of 2021, Mauritania had a population of about 4.6 million, with roughly a third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, on the Atlantic coast. The local population is composed of three main ethnicities: Bidhan or white Moors, Haratin or black moors, and Sub-Saharans. The population is 40% Haratin, 30% Bidhan, and 30% others (mostly Black Sub-Saharans). Local statistics bureau estimations indicate that the Bidhan represent around 30% of citizens. The majority of the country speaks Hassaniya Arabic.

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Culture

Mauritania's culture reflects a blend of Arab-Berber, African, and Islamic influences shaped by centuries of trans-Saharan exchange. Daily life and social customs vary across ethnic groups. Islam forms a unifying cultural foundation.

Mauritanian craftsmanship is renowned for its metalwork, leatherwork, and textiles. Tuareg and Mauritanian silversmiths maintain long-standing traditions of Berber jewelry design, producing ornate pieces worn by both men and women.

Leatherwork—including bags, saddles, cushions, and tent decorations—remains an important nomadic craft, traditionally produced by women.

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