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| Overview | People | Geography | Economy | Government | Communications | Transport | Military | Map |
| Country | Mauritania |
| Flag |  |
| Capital | name: Nouakchott geographic coordinates: 18 07 N, 16 02 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Population | 3,129,486 (July 2009 est.) |
| GMT | GMT |
| Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara see map |
| Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
| Ethnic groups | mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% |
| Religions | Muslim 100% |
| Languages | Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya |
| Government type | military junta |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) |
| Constitution | 12 July 1991 |
| Legal system | a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Background | Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for over two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta deposed him and ushered in a military council government. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities. |
| Internet country code | .mr |
