ABSTRACT
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is located in the northwest of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. The majority Muslim population of 4.1 million people is ethnically made up of Black and White Moors, Sub-Saharan Mauritanians, Halpulaar, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara ethnic groups. The official language is Arabic—however, French, Pular, Soninke, and Wolof are all widely spoken. About 90 percent of Mauritania’s land area is located in the Sahara Desert, and large swaths of the country are completely uninhabited. Most of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with about half the people living near and in the capital, Nouakchott.
