boundary with Senegal
Climate:
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Natural resources:
iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and
woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April;
desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal

:Mauritania People

Population:
2,059,187 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
48 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
89 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
44 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Mauritanian(s); adjective - Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions:
mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Religions:
Muslim, nearly 100%
Languages:
Hasaniya Arabic (official); Hasaniya Arabic, Pular, Soninke, Wolof
(official)
Literacy:
34% (male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services
29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working
age (1985)
Organized labor:
30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union

:Mauritania Government

Long-form name:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Type:
republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a
palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to
power; he was elected in 1992
Capital:
Nouakchott
Administrative divisions:
12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri,
Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note - there may be a new capital district of
Nouakchott
Independence:
28 November 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
currently 12 July 1991; 20 May 1961 Constitution abrogated after coup of 10
July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned
in 1981; constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 after Taya came