Mauritania: Introduction

This introductory report provides a geographic, demographic, political, and economic overview of Mauritania, detailing its arid climate, multi-ethnic society, and an economy heavily reliant on mining.

• Mauritania's geography is characterized by extreme aridity, with 90% of its territory located in the Sahara Desert and only 0.5% of its land being arable. The climate is described as arid to hyperarid, featuring a hot season from March to October with temperatures potentially exceeding 40°C and a cool season from November to February with averages between 25 and 30°C. Annual rainfall varies from 100 mm in the north to 600 mm in the south, which contributes to water stress and desertification.
• The population of Mauritania is approximately 4.5 million people, with 57% living in urban areas and 28% residing in the capital, Nouakchott. The society is multi-ethnic, consisting of Haratines (40%), Bidhanes (30%), and various sub-Saharan groups including the Wolof, Soninké, and Halpulaar (30%). While Arabic is the official language, French is used in administration and local languages are prevalent in the south.
• Mauritania operates as a semi-presidential republic with a bicameral parliament and a 157-member National Assembly. The legal system combines Sharia law and French civil law. Following a history of coups in 1978, 2005, and 2008, the country saw its first peaceful transition in 2019 with the election of Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. Despite democratic progress, the document notes ongoing issues with corruption, restricted civil liberties, and entrenched slavery, which affected about 90,000 people in 2018.
• The Mauritanian economy is primarily driven by the mining sector, which represents approximately 30% of the GDP. The country is a significant global supplier of iron, accounting for 10% of world exports, and also exports copper and gold. As of 2023, the GDP per capita was US$5,183, and the World Bank has classified Mauritania as a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) since 1995.

APA

Tsopmo, P. C. (2026). Mauritania: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MR&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Tsopmo, Pierre Christian. Mauritania: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MR&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tsopmo |first1=Pierre Christian |title=Mauritania: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=31 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MR&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tsopmo2026mauritania, author = {Tsopmo, Pierre Christian}, title = {{Mauritania: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MR&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }