MAURITANIA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 1,030,700 km2; land area: 1,030,400 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico Land boundaries: 5,074 km total; Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km Coastline: 754 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: 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 PEOPLE Population: 1,995,755 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991) Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 94 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 50 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Mauritanian(s); adjective--Mauritanian Ethnic divisions: mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30% Religion: Muslim, nearly 100% Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national); French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof 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 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 Capital: Nouakchott Administrative divisions: 12 regions (regions, singular--region); Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, 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: 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981; new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 Legal system: based on Islamic law National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960) Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Col. Maaouya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984) Political parties and leaders: suspended Suffrage: none Elections: last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elections are scheduled Communists: no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at 2129 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 222 (2) 252-660 or 252-663 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 droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. 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. 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. In recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries. GDP: $942 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1989 est.) Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.) Exports: $519 million (f.o.b., 1989); 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: $567 million (c.i.f., 1989); 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.); accounts for 10% of GDP 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 Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million Currency: ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1--77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 670 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, owned and operated by government mining company Highways: 7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks Inland waterways: mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River Ports: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 30 total, 29 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications stations; 5,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with a third planned DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard, Nomad Security Guard Manpower availability: males 15-49, 423,501; 206,733 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented Defense expenditures: $37 million, 4.2% of GDP (1987)