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Africa :: 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. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. He was reelected in 2014 to a second and final term as president (according to the present constitution). The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among three major groups: Arabic-speaking descendants of slaves (Haratines), Arabic-speaking “White Moors” (Bidhan), and members of Sub-Saharan ethnic groups mostly originating in the Senegal River valley (Halpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof). Mauritania confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, which launched successful attacks between 2005 and 2010.

- ## Geography :: MAURITANIA

- Location:
  Western 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: 1,030,700 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 29
  Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
  Land boundaries:
  total: 5,002 km
  border countries (4): Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km
  Coastline:
  754 km
  Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
  Climate:
  desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
  Terrain:
  mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
  Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
  highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
  Natural resources:
  iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 38.5%
  arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1%
  forest: 0.2%
  other: 61.3% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  450.1 sq km (2004)
  Total renewable water resources:
  11.4 cu km (2011)
  Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
  total: 1.35 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
  per capita: 420.2 cu m/yr (2005)
  Natural hazards:
  hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
  Environment - current issues:
  overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation
  Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
  Geography - note:
  Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa’s Maghreb region and West Africa’s Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

- ## People and Society :: MAURITANIA

- Nationality:
  noun: Mauritanian(s)
  adjective: Mauritanian
  Ethnic groups:
  black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Bidhan) 30%, black Africans (non-Arabic speaking, Halpulaar, Soninke, Wolof, and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%
  Languages:
  Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French
  note: the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from the modern standard Arabic used for official written purposes or in the media; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Berber words, is referred to as Hassaniya
  Religions:
  Muslim (official) 100%
  Population:
  3,596,702 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 39.18% (male 707,528/female 701,681)
  15-24 years: 19.9% (male 350,283/female 365,578)
  25-54 years: 32.71% (male 544,670/female 631,891)
  55-64 years: 4.55% (male 73,737/female 90,000)
  65 years and over: 3.65% (male 55,736/female 75,598) (2015 est.)
  population pyramid:
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 76.1%
  youth dependency ratio: 70.5%
  elderly dependency ratio: 5.7%
  potential support ratio: 17.7% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 20.1 years
  male: 19.2 years
  female: 21 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  2.23% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 37
  Birth rate:
  31.34 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 36
  Death rate:
  8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 88
  Net migration rate:
  -0.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 144
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 59.9% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 3.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 54.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 59.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 49.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 28
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.65 years
  male: 60.35 years
  female: 65.02 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 189
  Total fertility rate:
  4 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 39
  Contraceptive prevalence rate:
  9.3% (2007)
  Health expenditures:
  3.8% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Physicians density:
  0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
  Hospital bed density:
  0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
  Drinking water source:
  improved:
  urban: 58.4% of population
  rural: 57.1% of population
  total: 57.9% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 41.6% of population
  rural: 42.9% of population
  total: 42.1% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 57.5% of population
  rural: 13.8% of population
  total: 40% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 42.5% of population
  rural: 86.2% of population
  total: 60% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.66% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 57
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  15,900 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,100 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 66
  Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  animal contact disease: rabies (2013)
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  8.6% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
  19.5% (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 32
  Education expenditures:
  3.8% of GDP (2011)
  country comparison to the world: 120
  Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 52.1%
  male: 62.6%
  female: 41.6% (2015 est.)
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 9 years
  male: 9 years
  female: 8 years (2013)
  Child labor - children ages 5-14:
  total number: 127,251
  percentage: 16% (2007 est.)

- ## Government :: MAURITANIA

- Country name:
  conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
  conventional short form: Mauritania
  local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah
  local short form: Muritaniyah
  Government type:
  presidential republic
  Capital:
  name: Nouakchott
  geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 15 58 W
  time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  Administrative divisions:
  13 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza
  Independence:
  28 November 1960 (from France)
  National holiday:
  Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
  Constitution:
  previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2006, 2012 (2012)
  Legal system:
  mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law
  International law organization participation:
  has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009); note - AZIZ deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as president in August 2008; he subsequently retired from the military, stepped down from the approprtiated presidency in April 2009 to run for the legitimate presidency, and was elected president on 18 July 2009
  head of government: Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (UPR) 81.9%, Biram Dah ABEID (independent) 8.7%, Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT (El Wiam) 4.5%, Ibrahima Moctar SARR (SJD/MR) 4.4%, other 0.5%
  Legislative branch:
  description: bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members indirectly elected by municipal leaders by simple majority vote and 3 directly elected by Mauritanians abroad; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (146 seats; 106 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with three or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held on 8 and 15 November 2009 (next to be held in 2014); National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM (Coalition of Majority Parties) 14, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 1, independent 2; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16, El Wiam 10, APP 7, El Karama Party 6, UDP 6, AJD/MR 4, Surge of Youth for the Nation 4, El Vadila Party 3, PRDR 3, PUD 3, Ravah Party 3, other 6
  Judicial branch:
  highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 1 criminal and 2 civil chambers, each with a president and 5 counselors); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 members)
  judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
  subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (cases involving treason and criminal acts of high government officials); courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts
  Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]
  Alternative or El-Badil [Mohamed Yahdhi Ould MOCTAR HACEN]
  Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (parties supporting the regime including PRDR, UPR, UDP, RD, HATEM-PMUC, UCD)
  Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam, and Sawab)
  Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH] (coalition of 11 opposition political parties including RNRD-TAWASSOUL, RFD, UFP, PNDD-ADIL, Alternative or El-Badil)
  Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE]
  El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]
  El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY]
  El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT]
  Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (Biram Dah ABEID]
  Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA] (Nasserist Arab Nationalists)
  National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL [Yahya Ould Ahmed El WAGHEF] (independents formerly supporting President ABDELLAHI)
  National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNLDE
  National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR] (moderate Islamists)
  Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO]
  Popular Front or FP [Mohamed Lemine Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]
  Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR]
  Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]
  Ravah Party
  Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Mintata Mint HIDEID]
  Sawab [Abdel Salem Ould HORMA] (Ba'athists)
  Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS [Mahfouz Weld AZIZ]
  Surge of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA]
  Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
  Union for the Republic or UPR [Sidi Mohamed Ould MAHAM] (ruling party)
  Union of Democratic Center or UCD [Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould BABA]
  Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
  Political pressure groups and leaders:
  General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]
  Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM and El Hor [Samory Ould BEYE] (civil society organization)
  Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]
  SOS-Esclaves [Boubacar MESSAOUD] (anti-slavery group)
  other: Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; Islamists; Nasserists
  International organization participation:
  ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU (candidate), EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MIUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN (since 28 July 2010)
  chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701
  FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 25 September 2014)
  embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye, Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott
  mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott
  telephone: [222] 4525-2660, -2663
  FAX: [222] 4525-1592
  Flag description:
  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; green also represents hope for a bright future; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara
  National symbol(s):
  star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow
  National anthem:
  name: "Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania)
  lyrics/music: Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY
  note: adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing

- ## Economy :: MAURITANIA

- Economy - overview:
  Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, GDP growth has been driven by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, and exploration is ongoing for uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports, subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue, rising from 13% to 29% of total revenue between 2006 and 2013. China was Mauritania’s main export and import partner 2013. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for about 25% of budget revenues, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country’s public expenditures.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $15.53 billion (2014 est.)
  $14.59 billion (2013 est.)
  $13.81 billion (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 155
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.079 billion (2014 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  6.4% (2014 est.)
  5.7% (2013 est.)
  6% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 21
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $4,300 (2014 est.)
  $4,000 (2013 est.)
  $3,800 (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Gross national saving:
  20% of GDP (2014 est.)
  25.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
  31.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 148
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 50.9%
  government consumption: 29.5%
  investment in fixed capital: 60.6%
  investment in inventories: 5.2%
  exports of goods and services: 35.2%
  imports of goods and services: -81.4%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 17.1%
  industry: 48.7%
  services: 34.2% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep
  Industries:
  fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
  note: gypsum deposits have never been exploited
  Industrial production growth rate:
  10% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 12
  Labor force:
  1.292 million (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 136
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 50%
  industry: 2%
  services: 48% (2001 est.)
  Unemployment rate:
  31% (2012 est.)
  30% (2008 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 185
  Population below poverty line:
  40% (2004 est.)
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.5%
  highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)
  Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  39 (2000)
  37.3 (1995)
  country comparison to the world: 66
  Budget:
  revenues: $1.953 billion
  expenditures: $1.999 billion (2014 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  45.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 23
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 62
  Fiscal year:
  calendar year
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.5% (2014 est.)
  4.1% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 146
  Central bank discount rate:
  9% (31 December 2009)
  12% (31 December 2007)
  country comparison to the world: 27
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  18% (31 December 2014 est.)
  18% (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 20
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $1.895 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $1.726 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 142
  Market value of publicly traded shares:
  $NA
  Current account balance:
  -$1.403 billion (2014 est.)
  -$1.367 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 139
  Exports:
  $2.573 billion (2014 est.)
  $2.738 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 136
  Exports - commodities:
  iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
  Exports - partners:
  China 45.3%, Italy 7.6%, Spain 6.1% (2014)
  Imports:
  $3.489 billion (2014 est.)
  $3.413 billion (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 143
  Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
  Imports - partners:
  China 21.6%, Netherlands 9.4%, France 7.8%, Spain 6%, Morocco 5.3%, US 4.6% (2014)
  Debt - external:
  $3.996 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $3.702 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 131
  Exchange rates:
  ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -
  299.5 (2014 est.)
  298.5 (2013 est.)
  296.6 (2012 est.)
  281.12 (2011 est.)
  275.89 (2010 est.)

- ## Energy :: MAURITANIA

- Electricity - production:
  930 million kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 149
  Electricity - consumption:
  864.9 million kWh (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 158
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 171
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 174
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  293,000 kW (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 154
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  66.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 118
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 142
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  33.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 68
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Crude oil - production:
  6,750 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  Crude oil - exports:
  7,337 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 60
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 95
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  20 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 85
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 175
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  17,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 137
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 200
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  12,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 168
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 173
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 147
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 70
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  2.408 million Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 147

- ## Communications :: MAURITANIA

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 51,400
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 160
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 3.8 million
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
  domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 106 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals
  international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2009)
  Broadcast media:
  one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations, as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)
  Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2002)
  Internet country code:
  .mr
  Internet users:
  total: 402,000
  percent of population: 11.4% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 134

- ## Transportation :: MAURITANIA

- Airports:
  30 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 116
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 21
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m:
  2 (2013)
  Railways:
  total: 728 km
  standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Roadways:
  total: 10,628 km
  paved: 3,158 km
  unpaved: 7,470 km (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Waterways:
  (some navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

- ## Military :: MAURITANIA

- Military branches:
  Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)
  Military service age and obligation:
  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
  Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 718,713
  females age 16-49: 804,622 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 480,042
  females age 16-49: 581,473 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 36,116
  female: 36,826 (2010 est.)

- ## Transnational Issues :: MAURITANIA

- Disputes - international:
  Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
  Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 26,001 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2014); 49,911 (Mali) (2015)
  Trafficking in persons:
  current situation: Mauritania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children from traditional slave castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships; Mauritanian boy students called talibe are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; Mauritanian girls, as well as girls from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African countries, are forced into domestic servitude; Mauritanian women and girls are forced into prostitution domestically or transported to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose
  tier rating: Tier 3 - Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, law enforcement and judicial personnel thwarted the progress of criminal prosecutions for human trafficking by intervening on the behalf of alleged offenders; the government did not provide adequate protective services to victims or ensure their referral to NGOs, which provide the majority of care to trafficking victims without financial support from the government; the absence of measures in place to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations may have led to victims being punished for acts committed as a result of being trafficked; the effectiveness of the 2007 anti-slavery law remains impaired because slaves, many of whom are illiterate, are unable to file the required legal complaint; NGOs are barred from lodging cases on behalf of slaves, and the national agency to fight slavery became operational in 2013 but did not submit any criminal complaints for victims (2014)

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