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 | MAURITANIAgeneral data of the country |
| General useful information |
| Note: some data are of constant value, while other are due to changes, fluctuations etc. |
| Nation and population |
| official name (short form): Mûritanîya |
| country code ISO: MR //; - FIPS: MR |
| location: West Africa |
| time zone: +0 UT |
| surface (land) area: 1030700 sq.km = 398000 sq.mi //; - area incl. inland waters: sq.km = sq.mi |
| geographical position in extreme co-ordinates: North: 28° N / South: 15° N / East: 5° W / West: 17° W |
| borders (land): Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, Senegal |
| borders (coastline): Atlantic Ocean |
| climate: tropical arid |
| Government |
| independent since: 1960-11-28 |
| type of government: republic |
| capital: Nawâkshût (Nouakchott) |
| administrative division: région (13) + urban district (1) |
| Population |
| population according to the last two censuses (1988): 1864,236 / -; (2000): 2548,157 |
| total population according to the estimate of midyear 2000: 2667,859; or: 2665,000 / -; 2001: 2614,000 |
| population density: 2,5 per sq.km = 6,4 per sq.mi |
| population growth: 2,7% //; - doubling time: 22 years |
| birth rate: 43 - 47 per 1000 |
| death rate: 14 - 16 per 1000 |
| fertility rate: 7 children per female |
| maternal mortality: 119 per 100,000 |
| infant mortality (1-4 years): 84 per 1000 |
| life expectancy: 51 years (male: 49; female: 53) |
| age breakdown: 0-14 years: 45% //; - 15-59 years: 50% //; - 60+ years: 5% |
| urbanisation: 58% //; - urbanisation growth: 9% |
| percentage of urban population in the greatest city: 39% |
| Ethnic composition, language, religion |
| ethnic groups: Moor (Arab-Berber) 81%; Wolof 7%; Tukulor (Toucouleur) 5%; Serhuli 3%; Fulbe 1% |
| languages: Arabic, French, Fulfulde, Fulani [Hasaniya Arabic, Wolof (both official); Pular, Soninke] |
| religious affiliation: Sunnî Muslim 99,3% |
| Health |
| daily food intake: 2640 calories per capita |
| population with access to safe water: 64% |
| people per physician: 11085 |
| people per hospital bed: |
| Education, literacy |
| school enrolment: primary education 6-11 years: 83% |
| school enrolment: secondary education: 28% |
| school enrolment: tertiary education 20-24 years: 6% |
| adult literacy: 34% (male: %; female: %) [later total figure found: 42%] |
| Economy and infrastructure |
| Economy and trade |
| currency: Ouguiya = 5 khoums |
| annual inflation rate: 6% |
| population below poverty line: 57% |
| Gross Domestic Product: USD 480 per capita |
| GNI USD 370 per capita //; - [ppp: 1630] |
| GDP growth: 1% |
| income: USD 4000 per capita |
| import: USD 600 per capita //; - export: USD 471 per capita |
| trade: USD 335 per capita //; - or 69% of GDP |
| trade partners: FR GB SN IT ES JP DE |
| human development index: 0,437 //; - position of the country in the world no.: 139 |
| female labour force: 44% |
| unemployment: % |
| tourism: 0,002 million |
| Economic activities in agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, services, energy |
| land use: arable land: 0,2% //; - grass land: 38% //; - wooded area: 4% //; - arid land and desert: ca 50% |
| agriculture: labour force: 69% //; - part of agriculture in GDP: 22% |
| agricultural products: sorghum, rice, dates, pulses, millet |
| livestock (million): asses: 0,2 / camels: 1,2 / cattle: 1,5 / goats: 5 / poultry: 4,1 / sheep: 7,5 |
| fish catch: 47800 - 82000 metric tonnes |
| industry: labour force: 9% //; - part of industry in GDP: 31% |
| industrial products: dairy food & fish processing, meat, hides & skins, cement, tiles & bricks, metals |
| mining products: iron, gypsum, copper, gold, phosphates, ytrium |
| CO2 emission per capita: 1,2 |
| services: labour force: 22% //; - part of services in GDP: 47% |
| energy use (kg per capita): 111 |
| electricity use (per capita): |
| annual water use (per capita): 494 |
| Traffic, communication |
| road network: 7660 km //; - of which paved: 11% //; - of which are motorways: 0 km |
| vehicles: 6 per 1000 |
| railways: 710 km //; - railways passenger/km: ? |
| navigable inland waterways: 0 km |
| ownership telephone: 4 - 6 per 1000 |
| ownership radio receivers: 146 - 444 per 1000 |
| ownership tv-sets: 26 - 58 per 1000 |
| newspaper circulation: 0,5 per 1000 |
| persons per post office: 37700 |
| personal computers: 9 per 1000 |
| Some physical landmarks |
| mountains: Kediet ej Jill 915 m |
| lowest point: sea level |
| lakes (natural): Lac Rkiz and a few other salt lakes |
| lakes (artificial reservoirs): none, or unknown |
| lakes (deepest): unknown |
| rivers: Sénégal |
| canals: none, or unknown |
| waterfalls: none, or unknown |
| caves: longest system: none, or unknown / deepest: |
| islands: Île Tîdra |
| deserts: Sahara, mainly a part called El-Djouf |
| other natural features: |
| Additional remarks, especially on the statistical information |
| other important features: |
| apart from physical landmarks most of the above figures are changeable, in most cases they date from the 1990's |
| primary sources used for the general information: |
| BB CA EV PW WA WB WR, and some national statistical yearbooks |
| particulars concerning population data: |
To the page containing the population growth statistics of the country
To the page containing the historical population growth statistics of the provinces
To the page containing urban historical population statistics
Back to the homepage of this website: POPULATION STATISTICS
Internet website:Latest modification of this page on 2004-02-26 by Jan Lahmeyer
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