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Mauritania, officially Islamic Republic of Mauritania, republic, north-western Africa, bordered on the north by Western Sahara and Algeria, on the east by Mali, on the south by Mali and Senegal, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. A former French colony, Mauritania achieved full independence on November 28, 1960. The country has a total area of 1,031,000 sq km (398,000 sq mi). The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott.
With the exception of a narrow strip in the south along the River Sénégal, the country lies entirely within the Sahara; some 40 per cent of the country is covered by sand. The elevation varies from about 150 m (500 ft) in the south-west to about 460 m (1,500 ft) in the north-east.
Daytime temperatures in much of the country reach 37.8° C (100° F) for more than six months of the year, but the nights are cool. Annual rainfall is less than 130 mm (5 in) over about two thirds of the country; in the Senegal Valley it reaches about 660 mm (26 in). There are indications of climatic change which are extending the desert area southward, including a reduction in precipitation, and a decline in the area of seasonally inundated land along the Senegal, which is the main focus of crop production.
The most important resource of Mauritania is its large deposits of iron ore, which are located in the Fdérik area. It has the world’s largest deposit of gypsum. Other mineral resources include phosphates, sulphur, salt, and yttrium. Copper is as yet not fully exploited. Oases are of great importance in the desert area, supporting some agricultural production.
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