Mauritania is a mysterious, little-known Saharan country, where temperatures in the dry
desert heat can reach 57˚C (135˚F). Much of the land is dry and inhospitable and many locations are difficult to reach without long journeys in 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Ouadâne, an oasis settlement in the north concealed by waves of colored sand dunes, contains 3,000 manuscripts and an ancient mosque, justifying its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Northern Mauritania also contains the seventh holiest city of Islam,
Chinguetti. In the Middle Ages, Mauritania
hosted the Almoravid movement that spread Islam throughout north Africa. The country has a colorful, indigenous nomad
Moorish population.
The
coast is an 800km (500 mile) sandy beach, devoid of most vegetation but supporting an astonishingly large and varied population of
birds. The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin is a stopover for birds migrating between Europe and Africa.
Though it remains one of the world’s poorest countries, exploitation of Mauritania’s offshore reserves of oil and natural gas could bring prosperity in the future.
GeographyMauritania is bordered by Algeria, Mali, Western Sahara (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) and Senegal. To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean. Mauritania consists mainly of the vast Saharan plain of sand and scrub. Most of this area is a sea of sand dunes, but in places the land rises to rocky plateau with deep ravines leaving isolated peaks. The Adrar plateau in the central region rises to 500m (1,640ft), and the Tagant further south to 600m (1,970ft). The area is scattered with towns, small villages and oases. The northern bank of the Senegal River, which forms the country’s southern border, is the only area in the country with any degree of permanent vegetation and it supports a wide variety of wildlife.
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