2015 Edition

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 more than 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 led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. He was reelected in 2014 to a second and final term as president (according to the present constitution). The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among three major groups: Arabic-speaking descendants of slaves (Haratines), Arabic-speaking “White Moors” (Bidhan), and members of Sub-Saharan ethnic groups mostly originating in the Senegal River valley (Halpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof). Mauritania confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, which launched successful attacks between 2005 and 2010.

Area

land

1,030,700 sq km

total

1,030,700 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Climate

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Coastline

754 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kediet Ijill 915 m

lowest point

Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m

Environment - current issues

overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

420.2 cu m/yr (2005)

total

1.35 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)

Geographic coordinates

20 00 N, 12 00 W

Geography - note

Mauritania is considered both a part of North Africa’s Maghreb region and West Africa’s Sahel region; most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

Irrigated land

450.1 sq km (2004)

Land boundaries

border countries (4)

Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km

total

5,002 km

Land use

arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 38.1%

agricultural land

38.5%

forest

0.2%

other

61.3% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts

Natural resources

iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Terrain

mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Total renewable water resources

11.4 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

39.18% (male 707,528/female 701,681)

15-24 years

19.9% (male 350,283/female 365,578)

25-54 years

32.71% (male 544,670/female 631,891)

55-64 years

4.55% (male 73,737/female 90,000)

65 years and over

3.65% (male 55,736/female 75,598) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

31.34 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

16% (2007 est.)

total number

127,251

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

19.5% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

9.3% (2007)

Death rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.7%

potential support ratio

17.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

76.1%

youth dependency ratio

70.5%

Drinking water source

urban: 58.4% of population

rural: 57.1% of population

total: 57.9% of population

urban: 41.6% of population

rural: 42.9% of population

total: 42.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Bidhan) 30%, black Africans (non-Arabic speaking, Halpulaar, Soninke, Wolof, and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%

Health expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.66% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,100 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

15,900 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

female

49.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

59.61 deaths/1,000 live births

total

54.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French

note

the spoken Arabic in Mauritania differs considerably from the modern standard Arabic used for official written purposes or in the media; the Mauritanian dialect, which incorporates many Berber words, is referred to as Hassaniya

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.02 years (2015 est.)

male

60.35 years

total population

62.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

41.6% (2015 est.)

male

62.6%

total population

52.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 968,000 (2015)

Median age

female

21 years (2015 est.)

male

19.2 years

total

20.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Mauritanian

noun

Mauritanian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.6% (2014)

Physicians density

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

3,596,702 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.23% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 100%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 57.5% of population

rural: 13.8% of population

total: 40% of population

urban: 42.5% of population

rural: 86.2% of population

total: 60% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2013)

male

9 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.96 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.86 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

4 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

59.9% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

13 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza

Capital

geographic coordinates

18 04 N, 15 58 W

name

Nouakchott

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2006, 2012 (2012)

Country name

conventional long form

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

conventional short form

Mauritania

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

local short form

Muritaniyah

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 25 September 2014)

embassy

288 Rue Abdallaye, Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott

FAX

[222] 4525-1592

mailing address

BP 222, Nouakchott

telephone

[222] 4525-2660, -2663

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN (since 28 July 2010)

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2623

telephone

[1] (202) 232-5700 through 5701

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009); note - AZIZ deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as president in August 2008; he subsequently retired from the military, stepped down from the approprtiated presidency in April 2009 to run for the legitimate presidency, and was elected president on 18 July 2009

election results

Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (UPR) 81.9%, Biram Dah ABEID (independent) 8.7%, Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT (El Wiam) 4.5%, Ibrahima Moctar SARR (SJD/MR) 4.4%, other 0.5%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 21 August 2014)

Flag description

green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; green also represents hope for a bright future; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

28 November 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU (candidate), EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MIUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 1 criminal and 2 civil chambers, each with a president and 5 counselors); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 members)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

High Court of Justice (cases involving treason and criminal acts of high government officials); courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members indirectly elected by municipal leaders by simple majority vote and 3 directly elected by Mauritanians abroad; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (146 seats; 106 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with three or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM (Coalition of Majority Parties) 14, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 1, independent 2; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16, El Wiam 10, APP 7, El Karama Party 6, UDP 6, AJD/MR 4, Surge of Youth for the Nation 4, El Vadila Party 3, PRDR 3, PUD 3, Ravah Party 3, other 6

elections

Senate - last held on 8 and 15 November 2009 (next to be held in 2014); National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY

name

"Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania)

note

adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1960)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR]

Alternative or El-Badil [Mohamed Yahdhi Ould MOCTAR HACEN]

Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (parties supporting the regime including PRDR, UPR, UDP, RD, HATEM-PMUC, UCD)

Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam, and Sawab)

Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH] (coalition of 11 opposition political parties including RNRD-TAWASSOUL, RFD, UFP, PNDD-ADIL, Alternative or El-Badil)

Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE]

El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU]

El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY]

El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT]

Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (Biram Dah ABEID]

Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA] (Nasserist Arab Nationalists)

National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL [Yahya Ould Ahmed El WAGHEF] (independents formerly supporting President ABDELLAHI)

National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNLDE

National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR] (moderate Islamists)

Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO]

Popular Front or FP [Mohamed Lemine Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]

Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR]

Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]

Ravah Party

Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Mintata Mint HIDEID]

Sawab [Abdel Salem Ould HORMA] (Ba'athists)

Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS [Mahfouz Weld AZIZ]

Surge of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA]

Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]

Union for the Republic or UPR [Sidi Mohamed Ould MAHAM] (ruling party)

Union of Democratic Center or UCD [Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould BABA]

Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]

Political pressure groups and leaders

General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]

Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM and El Hor [Samory Ould BEYE] (civil society organization)

Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general]

SOS-Esclaves [Boubacar MESSAOUD] (anti-slavery group)

other

Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; Islamists; Nasserists

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep

Budget

expenditures

$1.999 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.953 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2009)

12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

18% (31 December 2014 est.)

18% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.403 billion (2014 est.)

-$1.367 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$3.996 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.702 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39 (2000)

37.3 (1995)

Economy - overview

Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, GDP growth has been driven by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, and exploration is ongoing for uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports, subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue, rising from 13% to 29% of total revenue between 2006 and 2013. China was Mauritania’s main export and import partner 2013. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for about 25% of budget revenues, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country’s public expenditures.

Exchange rates

ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -

299.5 (2014 est.)

298.5 (2013 est.)

296.6 (2012 est.)

281.12 (2011 est.)

275.89 (2010 est.)

Exports

$2.573 billion (2014 est.)

$2.738 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum

Exports - partners

China 45.3%, Italy 7.6%, Spain 6.1% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

35.2%

government consumption

29.5%

household consumption

50.9%

imports of goods and services

-81.4%

investment in fixed capital

60.6%

investment in inventories

5.2%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.1%

industry

48.7%

services

34.2% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,300 (2014 est.)

$4,000 (2013 est.)

$3,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6.4% (2014 est.)

5.7% (2013 est.)

6% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.079 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$15.53 billion (2014 est.)

$14.59 billion (2013 est.)

$13.81 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

20% of GDP (2014 est.)

25.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

31.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.5% (2000)

lowest 10%

2.5%

Imports

$3.489 billion (2014 est.)

$3.413 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners

China 21.6%, Netherlands 9.4%, France 7.8%, Spain 6%, Morocco 5.3%, US 4.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2014 est.)

Industries

fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)

note

gypsum deposits have never been exploited

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2014 est.)

4.1% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.292 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

50%

industry

2%

services

48% (2001 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

40% (2004 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.895 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.726 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

45.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

31% (2012 est.)

30% (2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

2.408 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

7,337 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

6,750 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

20 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

864.9 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

33.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

293,000 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

930 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

17,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

12,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations, as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)

Internet country code

.mr

Internet users

percent of population

11.4% (2014 est.)

total

402,000

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 106 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals

general assessment

limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly

international

country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2009)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

51,400

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2014 est.)

total

3.8 million

Television broadcast stations

1 (2002)

Airports

30 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

total

9

Airports - with unpaved runways

2 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

10

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

8

total

21

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Nouadhibou, Nouakchott

Railways

standard gauge

728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

728 km

Roadways

paved

3,158 km

total

10,628 km

unpaved

7,470 km (2010)

Waterways

(some navigation possible on the Senegal River) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

804,622 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

718,713

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

581,473 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

480,042

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

36,826 (2010 est.)

male

36,116

Military branches

Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Disputes - international

Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

26,001 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2014); 49,911 (Mali) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Mauritania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children from traditional slave castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships; Mauritanian boy students called talibe are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; Mauritanian girls, as well as girls from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African countries, are forced into domestic servitude; Mauritanian women and girls are forced into prostitution domestically or transported to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose

tier rating

Tier 3 - Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, law enforcement and judicial personnel thwarted the progress of criminal prosecutions for human trafficking by intervening on the behalf of alleged offenders; the government did not provide adequate protective services to victims or ensure their referral to NGOs, which provide the majority of care to trafficking victims without financial support from the government; the absence of measures in place to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations may have led to victims being punished for acts committed as a result of being trafficked; the effectiveness of the 2007 anti-slavery law remains impaired because slaves, many of whom are illiterate, are unable to file the required legal complaint; NGOs are barred from lodging cases on behalf of slaves, and the national agency to fight slavery became operational in 2013 but did not submit any criminal complaints for victims (2014)