الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Islāmiyyah al-Mūrītāniyyah, or "République islamique de Mauritanie". Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Motto:  شرف إخاء عدل   (Arabic) (English: Honor, Fraternity, Justice)
Anthem: National Anthem of Mauritania
Capital (and largest city)		Nouakchott 18°09′N, 15°58′W
Official languages		Arabic (de jure) French (de facto)
Demonym		Mauritanian
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
-	Prime Minister	Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef
Independence		from France
-	Date	November 28, 1960
Area
-	Total	1,030,700 km² (29th) 397,954 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The Mauritanian national anthem's (نشيد وطني موريتاني words are taken from a 19th-century poem by Baba Ould Cheikh; the melody was written by Tolia Nikiprowetzky Nouakchott ( Arabic: or translation from [[Berber languages|Berber] "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ is the Capital and by far the largest An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government Heads of state (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Affiliations See also Mauritania Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (سيدي محمد ولد الشيخ عبد الله (born 1938 is a Mauritanian politician Heads of government (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Affiliations See also Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef (يحيى ولد أحمد الواقف (born 1960 is a Mauritanian politician Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different surface Areas here is a list of areas between 1 million km² and 10 million km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 03
Population
-	2005 estimate	3,069,000 (135th)
-	1988 census	1,864,236 [1]
-	Density	3. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 0/km² (221st) 7. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$7. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 159 billion (144th)
-	Per capita	$2,402 (132nd)
Gini (2000)		39 (medium)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 550 (medium) (137th)
Currency		Ouguiya (MRO)
Time zone		GMT (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+0)
Internet TLD		.mr
Calling code		+222

Mauritania (Arabic: موريتانيا‎ Mūrītāniyā), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in North-West Africa. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is MRO is also the acronym for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The ouguiya ( Arabic: أوقية Currency code: MRO is the ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by the Morocco controlled Western Sahara on the northwest. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory It is named after the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. In Antiquity Mauretania was originally an independent Berber kingdom on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa (named after the The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast. Nouakchott ( Arabic: or translation from [[Berber languages|Berber] "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ is the Capital and by far the largest

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 2.1 The Ould Daddah era (1960-78) 2.2 CMRN and CMSN military governments (1978-84) 2.3 Ould Taya's rule (1984-2005) 2.4 August 2005 military coup 2.5 2007 Presidential election 3 Regions and departments 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

History

Main article: History of Mauritania

From the fifth to seventh centuries, the migration of Berber tribes from North Africa displaced the Bafours, the original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania and the ancestors of the Soninke. The history of Mauritania dates back to the 3rd century. Mauritania is named after the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The Bafours were the original inhabitants of Mauritania, and the ancestors to the Imraguen and Soninke people of western Africa The Bafours were primarily agriculturalist, and among the first Saharan people to abandon their historically nomadic lifestyle. With the gradual desiccation of the Sahara, they headed south. The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest Following them came a migration of not only Central Saharans into West Africa, but in 1076, Moorish Islamic warrior monks (Almoravid or Al Murabitun) attacked and conquered the ancient Ghana Empire. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Almoravids, was a Berber dynasty from the Sahara that spread over a wide area of North-Western Africa and the Iberian peninsula during The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire (existed c 750 - 1076) was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania, Western Mali Over the next 500 years, Arabs overcame fierce resistance from the local population (Berber and non-Berber alike) and came to dominate Mauritania. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Mauritanian Thirty-Year War (1644-74) was the unsuccessful final effort to repel the Yemeni Maqil Arab invaders led by the Beni Hassan tribe. The Char Bouba war (variously transliterated as Sharr Bubba Shar Buba etc or the Mauritanian Thirty Years War, took place between 1644-74 in the tribal areas of Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The Maqil or Maquil were a collection of Arab Bedouin tribes of Yemeni origin who migrated westwards via Egypt during the Beni Ḥassān ( Arabic: بني حسان "sons of Ḥassān" was a Bedouin group one of several Yemeni Maqil Arab The descendants of the Beni Hassan warriors became the upper stratum of Moorish society. The Hassane is a name for the traditionally dominant warrior Tribes of the Sahrawi - Moorish areas of present-day Mauritania and Western Sahara The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Berbers retained influence by producing the majority of the region's Marabouts—those who preserve and teach Islamic tradition. A marabout (مَربوط or مُرابِط, one who is attached/garrisoned) is an Islamic religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and (historically Many of the Berber tribes claimed Yemeni (and sometimes other Arab) origin: there is little evidence to suggest this, though some studies do make a connection between the two. [2] Hassaniya, a Berber-influenced Arabic dialect that derives its name from the Beni Hassan, became the dominant language among the largely nomadic population. See Arabic languages for the historical family of dialects The Arabic language is a Semitic language with many varieties Beni Ḥassān ( Arabic: بني حسان "sons of Ḥassān" was a Bedouin group one of several Yemeni Maqil Arab Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that

French colonization gradually absorbed the territories of present-day Mauritania from the Senegal river area and upwards, starting in the late 1800s. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world In 1901, Xavier Coppolani took charge of the colonial mission. Xavier Coppolani was a French military and colonial leader who was instrumental in the colonial occupation and creation of modern-day Mauritania Through a combination of strategic alliances with Zawiya tribes and military pressure on the Hassane warrior nomads, he managed to extend French rule over the Mauritanian emirates: Trarza, Brakna and Tagant quickly submitted to treaties with the colonial power (1903-04), but the northern emirate of Adrar held out longer, aided by the anticolonial rebellion (or jihad) of shaykh Maa al-Aynayn. Zaouia (Arabic زاوية "corner" also spelled zawiya, zawiyah, zaouiya, zaouïa zwaya, etc is a Maghrebi The Hassane is a name for the traditionally dominant warrior Tribes of the Sahrawi - Moorish areas of present-day Mauritania and Western Sahara An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. Trarza (ولاية الترارزة is a region in south-west Mauritania. Brakna (ولاية البراكنة is a region in south-west Mauritania. Tagant ( Arabic: ولاية تكانت is a region in south-central Mauritania named for the Tagant plateau. For the province of Algeria see Adrar Province. Adrar (ولاية آدرار is a large region in Mauritania, named for the Jihad (جهاد ʤɪhæːd an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. Shaykh Ma al-'Aynayn (b ca 1830-31 in Mali, d 1910 real name Mohamad Mustafa Ould Sheikh Mohamad Fadel) was a religious and political leader who fought It was finally defeated militarily in 1912, and incorporated into the territory of Mauritania, which had been drawn up in 1904. Mauritania would subsequently form part of French West Africa, from 1920. French West Africa ( Afrique occidentale française, AOF) was a Federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa:

French rule brought legal prohibitions against slavery and an end to interclan warfare. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another During the colonial period, the population remained nomadic, but many sedentary peoples, whose ancestors had been expelled centuries earlier, began to trickle back into Mauritania. As the country gained independence in 1960, the capital city Nouakchott was founded at the site of a small colonial village, the Ksar, while 90% of the population was still nomadic. Nouakchott ( Arabic: or translation from [[Berber languages|Berber] "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ is the Capital and by far the largest With independence, larger numbers of indigenous Sub-Saharan African peoples (Haalpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof) entered Mauritania, moving into the area north of the Senegal River. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries The Fula or Fulbe or Fulani (the latter being an Anglicisation of the word in their language Fulɓe) are an ethnic group of The Sénégal River is a 1790 km long River in West Africa, that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania. Educated in French language and customs, many of these recent arrivals became clerks, soldiers, and administrators in the new state. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people This, occurring as France militarily suppressed the most intransigent hassane tribes of the Moorish north, shifted old balances of power, and created new cause for conflict between the southern populations and Moors. The Hassane is a name for the traditionally dominant warrior Tribes of the Sahrawi - Moorish areas of present-day Mauritania and Western Sahara Between these groups stood the Haratin, a very large population of Arabized slaves, who lived within Moorish society, integrated into a low-caste social position. Haratin (also transliterated Haratins, Harratins or Haratine, etc singular Hartani) is a name for black oasis-dwellers in north western Africa Modern day slavery is still a common practice in this country. ^[1]

Moors reacted to the change, and to Arab nationalist calls from abroad, by increasing pressure to Arabize many aspects of Mauritanian life, such as law and language. Arab nationalism ( Arabic: القومية العربية is a Nationalist ideology which rose to prominence amongst Arabs from the early 20th century onwards Arabization ( Arabic: تعريب) describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or A schism developed between those Moors who consider Mauritania to be an Arab country and those who seek a dominant role for the non-Moorish peoples, with various models for containing the country's cultural diversity suggested, but none implemented successfully. The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" This ethnic discord was evident during intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events" and "Mauritania-Senegal Border War"), but has since subsided. The 1989 events were a series of ethnic and political disturbances in Mauritania and Senegal. The ethnic tension and the sensitive issue of slavery - past and, in some areas, present - is still a powerful theme in the country's political debate. A significant number from all groups, however, seek a more diverse, pluralistic society.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Mauritania

Politics in Mauritania has always been determined by personalities and tribes more than ideologies, with any leader's ability to exercise political power dependent upon control over resources; perceived ability and integrity; and tribal, ethnic, family, and personal considerations. The first fully democratic Presidential election since 1960 occurred on 11 March 2007 Conflict between white Moor, black Moor (Haratine), and non-Moor ethnic groups (Haal Pulaars, Soninkes, Wolofs and Bambaras), centering on language, land tenure, and other issues, continues to be the dominant challenge to national unity.

The government bureaucracy is composed of traditional ministries, special agencies, and parastatal companies. Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government The Ministry of Interior spearheads a system of regional governors and prefects modeled on the French system of local administration. Under this system, Mauritania is divided into thirteen regions (wilaya), including the capital district, Nouakchott. A wilāyah (ولاية or vilâyet (in Persian and Ottoman Turkish) is an administrative division usually Control is tightly concentrated in the executive branch of the central government, but a series of national and municipal elections since 1992 have produced some limited decentralization. __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people

Mauritania, along with Morocco, annexed the territory of Western Sahara in 1976, with Mauritania taking the lower one-third at the request of former colonial power, Spain. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory After several military losses to Polisario, heavily armed and supported by Algeria, the local hegemon and rival to Morocco, Mauritania retreated in 1979, and its claims were taken over by Morocco. The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Po pular de Li beración de Sa Due to economic weakness, Mauritania has been a negligible player in the territorial dispute, with its official position being that it wishes for an expedient solution that is mutually agreeable to all parties. While most of the former Spanish or Western Sahara has been woven into Morocco, the UN still considers the Western Sahara a territory that needs to express its wishes with respect to statehood: a referendum is still supposed to be held sometimes in the future, under UN auspices, to determine whether the "saharaouis" wish to remain part of Morocco or not. The Moroccan authorities, on their part, wish the saharaouis to remain part of Morocco and, as such, have made significant investments in the area.

Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy signed an agreement in Washington DC, USA on October 28th,1999, establishing full diplomatic relations with Mauritania, an Islamic country and a member of the Arab League. David Levy (דוד לוי sometimes written David Levi born December 21, 1937) is an Israeli politician Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية

The signing ceremony was held at the U.S. State Department in the presence of U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright – who invited the Israeli Foreign Minister and his Mauritanian counterpart, Ahmed Sid’Ahmed, to sign the agreement in Washington DC. Madeleine Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová on May 15, 1937) was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State. The United States of America views this important development as a product of, among other things, the September 24th,1999, New York City meeting initiated by the United States of America, and attended by the Foreign Ministers of Israel, Mauritania and a series of other Arab states.

Earlier this year, Israel announced its first project in Mauritania, an eye clinic operated by the Foreign Ministry's Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV).

Both Israel and the United States view the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Mauritania as a milestone in the promotion of normalization, which is widely seen as the goal of the peace process which has evolved since the Madrid Conference. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Mauritania joins Egypt and Jordan as the only members of the Arab League to post ambassadors in Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry will continue to work for the development and strengthening of Israel’s relations with other countries in the region. On February 1, 2008 at least one gunman opened fire on the Israeli embassy, injuring at least three people [3]

On 31 January (2008) Permanent representative of Republic of Armenia to the United Nations (New York) Armen Martirosyan has signed a protocol with Abderahim Ould Hadrami (Mauritanian representative to UN) in New York establishing full diplomatic relations with Mauritania.

The discovery of oil in 2001 in the offshore Chinguetti deposit will be a test for the current government since, according to human rights activists, it can be a blessing for one of the poorest countries in the world as well as a curse bringing corruption and violence to the country. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The Chinguetti oilfield is an Oil field located off the Mauritanian coast in 800 m water depth

The Ould Daddah era (1960-78)

After independence, President Moktar Ould Daddah, originally installed by the French, formalized Mauritania into a one-party state in 1964 with a new constitution, which set up an authoritarian presidential regime. Heads of state (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Affiliations See also Mauritania Moktar Ould Daddah ( Arabic: مختار ولد داده December 25, 1924 - October 14, 2003) was the President of A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union Daddah's own Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (PPM) became the ruling organization in a single-party system. Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (PPM French Mauritanian People's Party) was the sole legal party of Mauritania from 1961 to 1978 A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party The President justified this decision on the grounds that he considered Mauritania unready for western-style multi-party democracy. A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition Under this one-party constitution, Daddah was reelected in uncontested elections in 1966, 1971 and 1976. He was ousted in a bloodless coup on July 10, 1978, after bringing the country to near-collapse through a disastrous war to annex the southern part of Western Sahara, in an attempt to create a "Greater Mauritania". The Military Committee for National Recovery ( French, Comité Militaire de Redressement National, CMRN was a short-lived military government of the Islamic Republic Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The history of Western Sahara can be traced back to the times of Carthaginian explorer Hanno the Navigator on the 5th century BCE Annexation ( Latin ad, to and nexus, joining is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity (either adjacent or non-contiguous Tiris al-Gharbiyya ( Arabic for Western Tiris) was the Mauritanian name for the area of Western Sahara under its control between 1975 and 1979 Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory " Greater Mauritania " is a term for the Mauritanian irredentist claim to Western Sahara, and possibly other Moorish or Sahrawi

CMRN and CMSN military governments (1978-84)

Col. Mustafa Ould Salek's CMRN junta proved incapable of either establishing a strong base of power or extracting the country from its destabilizing conflict with the Sahrawi resistance movement, the Polisario Front. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Col Mustafa Ould Salek ( Arabic: المصطفى ولد محمد السالك b The Military Committee for National Recovery ( French, Comité Militaire de Redressement National, CMRN was a short-lived military government of the Islamic Republic A military junta is a government ruled by a committee of military leaders The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Po pular de Li beración de Sa It quickly fell to be replaced by another military government, the CMSN. The Military Committee for National Salvation ( French, Comité Militaire de Salut National, CMSN was a military government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania The energetic Col. Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah soon emerged as its main strongman, and by giving up all claims to Western Sahara he found peace with the Polisario, and improved relations with its main backer, Algeria - but relations with the other party to the conflict, Morocco, and its European ally France, deteriorated. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Ret Col Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah (محمد خونا ولد هيداله (born 1940) was the head of state of Mauritania (Chairman of the Military Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Instability continued, and Haidallah's ambitious reform attempts foundered. His regime was plagued by attempted coups and intrigue within the military establishment; in 1984, finally, he was deposed by Col. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (معاوية ولد سيد أحمد الطايع (born 1941) also transliterated as Mu'awiya walad Sayyidi Ahmad Taya, was

Ould Taya's rule (1984-2005)

The Parti Républicain Démocratique et Social (PRDS), formerly led by President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, dominated Mauritanian politics following the country's first multi-party elections in April 1992 following the approval by referendum of the current constitution in July 1991. The Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal (PRDR (Parti Républicain Démocratique et Renouvellement is a Political party in Mauritania. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (معاوية ولد سيد أحمد الطايع (born 1941) also transliterated as Mu'awiya walad Sayyidi Ahmad Taya, was A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity President Taya, who won elections in 1992 and 1997, first became chief of state through a December 12, 1984 bloodless coup which made him chairman of the committee of military officers that governed Mauritania from July 1978 to April 1992.

Political parties, illegal during the military period, were legalized again in 1991. This article lists political parties in Mauritania. Until 2005 Mauritania was a One party dominant state with the Democratic and Social Republican Party now A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking By April 1992, as civilian rule returned, 16 major political parties had been recognized; 12 major political parties were active in 2004. Most opposition parties boycotted the first legislative election in 1992, and for nearly a decade the parliament was dominated by the PRDS. The opposition participated in municipal elections in January-February 1994 and subsequent Senate elections, most recently in April 2004, gained representation at the local level as well as three seats in the Senate. A senate is a Deliberative body, often the Upper house or chamber of a Legislature or Parliament.

Mauritania's presidential election, its third since adopting the democratic process in 1992, took place on November 7, 2003. A presidential election was held in Mauritania on November 7 2003. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Six candidates, including Mauritania's first female and first Haratine (former slave family) candidates, represented a wide variety of political goals and backgrounds. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Incumbent President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya won reelection with 67. Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (معاوية ولد سيد أحمد الطايع (born 1941) also transliterated as Mu'awiya walad Sayyidi Ahmad Taya, was 02% of the popular vote, according to the official figures, with Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla finishing second. Ret Col Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah (محمد خونا ولد هيداله (born 1940) was the head of state of Mauritania (Chairman of the Military

Sid'Ahmed Taya recognized Israel (see Foreign relations of Mauritania), which made Mauritania the only Arab country not neighbouring Israel which recognized the latter (Morocco and Qatar have official ties with Israel, but do not fully recognize it). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Foreign relations of The Islamic Republic of Mauritania have been dominated since independence by the issues of the Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara He also started cooperating with the United States in antiterrorism activities, which was criticized by human rights NGOs, who talked of an exaggeration and instrumentation of alleged terrorist activities for geopolitical aims. [4][5]

A group of current and former Army officers launched a bloody but unsuccessful coup attempt on June 8, 2003. The leaders of the attempted coup were never caught.

August 2005 military coup

On 3 August 2005, a military coup led by Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall ended Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya's twenty-one years of strong-arm rule. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (إعلي ولد محمد فال born 1953 in Nouakchott) was the military leader of Mauritania from a

On August 3, the Mauritanian military, including members of the presidential guard, seized control of key points in the capital of Nouakchott. Nouakchott ( Arabic: or translation from [[Berber languages|Berber] "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ is the Capital and by far the largest They took advantage of President Taya's attendance at the funeral of Saudi King Fahd to organize the coup, which took place without loss of life. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, ( 1921 - August 1, 2005) was the King of the Kingdom The officers, calling themselves the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, released the following statement:

"The national armed forces and security forces have unanimously decided to put a definitive end to the oppressive activities of the defunct authority, which our people have suffered from during the past years. " (BBC)

The Military Council later issued another statement naming Colonel Vall as president and director of the national police force, the Sûreté Nationale. The National Police ( police nationale) formerly the Sûreté Nationale, is one of two National police forces and the main civil law enforcement Sixteen other officers were listed as members. Colonel Vall was once regarded as a firm ally of the now-ousted president Rashed sheik adan even aiding him in the original coup that brought him to power, and later serving as his security chief.

Applauded by the Mauritanian people, but cautiously watched by the international community, the coup has since been generally accepted, while the military junta has organized elections within the promised two year timeline. In a referendum on 26 June 2006, Mauritanians overwhelmingly (97%) approved a new constitution which limited the duration of a president's stay in office. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The leader of the junta, Col. Vall, promised to abide by the referendum and relinquish power peacefully. Mauritania's establishment of relations with the State of Israel - it is one of only four Arab states to recognize Israel - was maintained by the new regime, despite widespread criticism from the opposition, who viewed it as a legacy of the Taya regime's attempts to curry favor with the West. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Parliamentary and municipal elections in Mauritania took place on 19 November and 3 December 2006. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

2007 Presidential election

The first fully democratic Presidential election since 1960 occurred on 11 March 2007. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The election is the final transfer from military to civilian rule following the military coup in 2005. This is the first time the president has been selected in a multi-candidate election in the country's post-independence history. ^[2]

The election was won in a second round of voting by Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, with Ahmed Ould Daddah a close second. Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (سيدي محمد ولد الشيخ عبد الله (born 1938 is a Mauritanian politician Ahmed Ould Daddah (أحمد ولد داده born 7 August 1942) is a Mauritanian economist politician and civil servant

Regions and departments

Main articles: Regions of Mauritania and Departments of Mauritania

Mauritania is divided into 12 regions (régions) and one capital district, which in turn are subdivided into 44 departments (départements). |||} Mauritania is divided into 12 regions (capitals in parentheses and one capital district Adrar ( Atar) Assaba The Regions of Mauritania are subdivided into 44 departments. Atar (أطار is a town in northwestern Mauritania, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau. Chinguetti (شنقيط is a ksar or medieval trading centre in northern Mauritania, lying on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. A capital territory or capital District is normally a specially designated Administrative division where a Country 's seat of The Regions of Mauritania are subdivided into 44 departments. The regions and capital district (in alphabetical order) and their capitals are:

Geography

Main article: Geography of Mauritania

At 397,929 mi² (1,030,700 km² [6]), Mauritania is the world's 29th-largest country (after Bolivia). The Richat Structure, a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of Mauritania near Ouadane, has attracted attention since the earliest space missions Mauritania, a country in the western region of the continent of Africa is generally flat its 1030700 square kilometers forming vast arid plains broken by occasional The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. It is comparable in size to Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

Mauritania is generally flat, its 1,030,700 square kilometers (397,850 sq mi) forming vast, arid plains broken by occasional ridges and clifflike outcroppings. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. A series of scarps face southwest, longitudinally bisecting these plains in the center of the country. The scarps also separate a series of sandstone plateaus, the highest of which is the Adrar Plateau, reaching an elevation of 500 meters (1,640 ft). The Adrar Plateau ( Berber:, lit Mountain) is a highland area of the Sahara Desert in northern Mauritania. Spring-fed oases lie at the foot of some of the scarps. Isolated peaks, often rich in minerals, rise above the plateaus; the smaller peaks are called guelbs and the larger ones kedias. The concentric Guelb er Richat (also known as the Richat Structure) is a prominent feature of the north-central region. The Richat Structure, a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of Mauritania near Ouadane, has attracted attention since the earliest space missions Kediet Ijill, near the city of Zouîrât, has an elevation of 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) and is the highest peak. Zouérat (الزويرات is the largest town in northern Mauritania and is the capital of Tiris Zemmour with an approximate population of 38000 (2005

Approximately three quarters of Mauritania is desert or semidesert. As a result of extended, severe drought, the desert has been expanding since the mid-1960s. To the west, between the ocean and the plateaus, are alternating areas of clayey plains (regs) and sand dunes (ergs), some of which shift from place to place, gradually moved by high winds. The dunes generally increase in size and mobility toward the north.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Mauritania

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. 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 Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50% of total exports. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 With the current rises in metal prices, gold and copper mining companies are opening mines in the interior. 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. A deep water port is any port that can accommodate a fully laden Panamax ship Nouakchott ( Arabic: or translation from [[Berber languages|Berber] "The place of the winds"] Nawākšūṭ is the Capital and by far the largest In recent years, drought and economic mismanagement have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In March 1999, the government signed an agreement with a joint World Bank-IMF mission on a $54 million enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF). The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The economic objectives have been set for 1999-2002. Privatization remains one of the key issues. Mauritania is unlikely to meet ESAF's annual GDP growth objectives of 4%-5%.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Mauritania

Population  

3,270,065 (July 2007 estimated)

Life expectancy at birth 

53. Population 3777876 (July 2006 est Age structure 0-15 years 45 Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 12 years (2006 estimate)

Ethnic groups 

40% mixed Arab/Black; 30% Arab; 30% Black

Religions  

99. 84% Muslim, most of whom are Sunnis

Languages  

Hassaniya dialect of Arabic (official and national);

Other languages spoken include: Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof and French. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Fula language is a language of West Africa, spoken by the Ful{{IPA|ɓ}}e (Fula or Fulani people from Senegambia and Guinea to The Soninke language (Soninke Soninkanxaane) is a Mande language spoken by the Soninke people of West Africa. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

Culture

• Music of Mauritania
• Modern-day slavery [7]
• Islam in Mauritania
• Status of religious freedom in Mauritania
• Mauritania and Madagascar are the only two countries in the world not to use decimal-based currency. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Chinguetti (شنقيط is a ksar or medieval trading centre in northern Mauritania, lying on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. Mauritania 's largest Ethnic group is the Moors. In Moorish society musicians occupy the lowest caste Iggawin. Slavery in Africa continues today Slavery existed in Africa before the arrival of Europeans - as did a slave trade that exported millions Virtually all Mauritanians are Sunni Muslims. They adhere to the Maliki Madhab, one of the four Sunni schools of law The state of Mauritania has a constitution which establishes the country as an Islamic republic and decrees that Islam is the religion of its citizens and the State the Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern In the management of currencies, decimalisation (or decimalization) is the process of converting from traditional denominations to a " Decimal " The basic unit of currency, the ouguiya, comprises five khoums
• List of films shot in Mauritania

See also

• Association des Scouts et Guides de Mauritanie
• Communications in Mauritania
• Education in Mauritania
• Military of Mauritania
• Music of Mauritania
• Sports in Mauritania
• Transport in Mauritania

Lists

• List of cities in Mauritania
• List of Mauritanian companies

Notes

References

• CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mr.html
• US State Department, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5467.htm
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Mauritania - Country Page

External links

• Mauritania entry at The World Factbook

Government

• République Islamique de Mauritanie official government site
• Assemblée Nationale Mauritanienne official site

Discussion boards

• A multilingual bulletin board dedicated for Mauritanians and people having relations with them

Slavery

• One of many sites about slavery in modern Mauritania
• Slavery still exists in Mauritania

News

• AllAfrica.com - Mauritania news headline links
• (French) (Arabic) (English) News and Views of the Maghreb

Overviews

• Arab Gateway - Mauritania
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Mauritania - Country Page
• BBC News Country Profile - Mauritania
• CIA World Factbook - Mauritania
• US State Department - Mauritania includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• Mauritania's location on a 3D globe (Java)
• US Library of Congress - Country Studies
• (French) (Arabic) (English) country info & who's who

Directories

• Columbia University Libraries - African Studies: Mauritania directory category
• Open Directory Project - Mauritania directory category
• Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Mauritania directory category
• The Index on Africa - Mauritania directory category
• Yahoo! - Mauritania directory category

History

• RaceandHistory.com: Present day slavery in Mauritania

Articles

• Mauritania : a small country gives a big lesson in democracy, Sens Public Review

Tourism

• Mauritania travel guide from Wikitravel

MRO is also the acronym for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The ouguiya ( Arabic: أوقية Currency code: MRO is the The khoums ( Arabic خمس "fifth" is the subdivisory unit of the Mauritanian Ouguiya. Feature films 1984: Fort Saganne, directed by Alain Corneau, with Gérard Depardieu and Sophie Marceau. The Association des Scouts et Guides de Mauritanie (جمعية الكشافة والمرشدات الموريتانية the national Scouting organization of Mauritania Telephones - main lines in use 31500 (2002 Telephones - mobile cellular 300000 (2003 Telephone system general assessment limited system of cable History The first system of public education in Mauritania was established by the French colonial administration. The military forces of Mauritania are listed by the IISS Military Balance 2007 as comprising 15870 personnel with an additional 5000 paramilitaries Mauritania 's largest Ethnic group is the Moors. In Moorish society musicians occupy the lowest caste Iggawin. Mauritania has an international football team who play and train at the Olympic Stadium Railways 717 km of rail in total (single track standard gauge 1435 mm owned and operated by a government mining company S This is a list of cities in Mauritania by population All settlements with a population over 10000 are listed The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

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