Mauritania Geography Profile 2008

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

20 00 N, 12 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries

total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km

Coastline

754 km

Maritime claims

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

desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Terrain

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 99.79% (2005)

Irrigated land

490 sq km (2002)

Total renewable water resources

11.4 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.7 cu km/yr (9%/3%/88%)
per capita: 554 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

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

Environment - current issues

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

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

most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country