Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)

Military Midway Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Midway Islands

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Mauritania

Introduction

Mauritania

Background: Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the
southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in
1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario
guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Opposition
parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two
multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed,
but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally
free and open. Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state.
The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black
minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.

Geography Mauritania

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Senegal and Western Sahara

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 N, 12 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than three times the size of
New Mexico

Land boundaries: total: 5,074 km border countries: Algeria 463 km,
Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline: 754 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m highest point:
Kediet Ijill 910 m

Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold,
oil; fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily
in March and April; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: overgrazing, deforestation, and soil
erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to