01
Physical geography
Mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills.
Local timeNouakchott ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 033
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Nouakchott.
Find Mauritania
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU)
- Population
- 5.3 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,030,700 km²397,955 square miles
- Independence
- 1960from France
Mauritania in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Nouakchott; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara.
Flag
Green with red stripes along the top and bottom edges; on the green field, a five-pointed yellow star is centered over a yellow, upward-pointing crescent moon
History & independence
Mauritania became independent from France on 28 November 1960. Its history connects Saharan trade networks, pastoral societies and communities along the Senegal River. Military governments and civilian transitions have shaped politics since independence.
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Independence from France
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A military coup removes the first president
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Slavery is formally abolished, with enforcement challenges continuing
Economy
Main activities
Iron ore, gold and fishing are important exports. Livestock supports many livelihoods, while offshore gas adds to the resource base. Desert conditions constrain farming and concentrate settlement.
Industry and production
fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.32025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,099,806 | 1.100 |
| 1980 | 1,474,043 | 1.474 |
| 1990 | 1,951,878 | 1.952 |
| 2000 | 2,613,441 | 2.613 |
| 2010 | 3,390,965 | 3.391 |
| 2020 | 4,600,131 | 4.600 |
| 2025 | 5,315,065 | 5.315 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars9.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,813,339,613 | 2.813 |
| 1991 | 2,863,644,581 | 2.864 |
| 1992 | 2,917,312,881 | 2.917 |
| 1993 | 3,088,665,262 | 3.089 |
| 1994 | 2,994,129,490 | 2.994 |
| 1995 | 3,288,147,030 | 3.288 |
| 1996 | 3,479,478,605 | 3.479 |
| 1997 | 3,338,744,254 | 3.339 |
| 1998 | 3,431,488,052 | 3.431 |
| 1999 | 3,557,532,727 | 3.558 |
| 2000 | 3,418,147,674 | 3.418 |
| 2001 | 3,390,819,795 | 3.391 |
| 2002 | 3,437,663,427 | 3.438 |
| 2003 | 3,675,834,015 | 3.676 |
| 2004 | 3,849,802,341 | 3.850 |
| 2005 | 4,179,587,468 | 4.180 |
| 2006 | 4,945,839,546 | 4.946 |
| 2007 | 4,848,435,057 | 4.848 |
| 2008 | 4,832,382,897 | 4.832 |
| 2009 | 4,837,112,634 | 4.837 |
| 2010 | 4,963,856,087 | 4.964 |
| 2011 | 5,170,987,044 | 5.171 |
| 2012 | 5,402,130,846 | 5.402 |
| 2013 | 5,626,363,206 | 5.626 |
| 2014 | 5,866,880,290 | 5.867 |
| 2015 | 6,182,303,677 | 6.182 |
| 2016 | 6,260,256,914 | 6.260 |
| 2017 | 6,652,809,184 | 6.653 |
| 2018 | 6,970,292,790 | 6.970 |
| 2019 | 7,189,230,028 | 7.189 |
| 2020 | 7,163,301,539 | 7.163 |
| 2021 | 7,216,504,490 | 7.217 |
| 2022 | 7,706,938,495 | 7.707 |
| 2023 | 8,231,741,703 | 8.232 |
| 2024 | 8,750,967,218 | 8.751 |
| 2025 | 9,103,536,666 | 9.104 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.563Medium human developmentRank 163 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.396
20000.468
20100.525
20200.554
20230.563
68.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Parliament (Barlamane) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Mauritania.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which group contains important Mauritanian exports?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.