Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700;
US--Ambassador William H. TWADDELL; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott
(mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone p2222o 52660 or 52663

Flag: green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal
crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color
green are traditional symbols of Islam

- Economy
Overview: 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 drought in 1983.
Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of
total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to
cutbacks in production in recent years. The nation's coastal waters are among
the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners
threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater
port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.

GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $520; real growth rate 3.6% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)

Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $334 million, including
capital expenditures of $79 million (1988 est.)

Exports: $424 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--iron ore,
processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but
numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal; partners--EC 57%,
Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%

Imports: $365 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs,
consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods; partners--EC 79%,
Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%

External debt: $2.3 billion (December 1989)

Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.)

Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced,
70 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum

Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely
subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal
river valley; crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products
number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $160 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-8