| Geography | Mauritania |
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara |
Geographic coordinates:
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20 00 N, 12 00 W |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km
water: 300 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico |
Land boundaries:
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total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km |
Coastline:
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754 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
Terrain:
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mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
Natural resources:
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iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish |
Land use:
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arable land: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.79% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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490 sq km (2002) |
Total renewable water resources:
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11.4 cu km (1997) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 1.7 cu km/yr (9%/3%/88%)
Per capita: 554 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts |
Environment - current issues:
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overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation |
Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
Geography - note:
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most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country |
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