]! ^! 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. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. Accordingly, parliamentary elections were held in late 2006-early 2007 and presidential elections in March 2007. The newly-elected legislature is expected to assume power following the inauguration of the new president in April 2007. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities. 
]" ^" Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara ^# 20 00 N, 12 00 W ^$ Africa ^% `! 1,030,700 sq km `" 1,030,400 sq km `# 300 sq km ^& slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico ^' `! 5,074 km `Y Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km ^( 754 km ^) `$ 12 nm `M 24 nm `N 200 nm `O 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin ^* desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty ^+ mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills ^, `% Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m `& Kediet Ijill 915 m ^- iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish ^. `' 0.2% `( 0.01% `) 99.79% (2005) ^/ 490 sq km (2002) ^0 hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts ^1 overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling `Q none of the selected agreements ^2 most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country 
]# ^3 3,270,065 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 45.5% (male 744,995/female 741,369) `, 52.4% (male 845,272/female 866,998) `- 2.2% (male 28,564/female 42,867) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 17.1 years `. 16.8 years `/ 17.4 years (2007 est.) ^6 2.867% (2007 est.) ^7 40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.03 male(s)/female `1 1.005 male(s)/female `, 0.975 male(s)/female `- 0.666 male(s)/female `2 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births `. 71.07 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 64.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 53.51 years `. 51.24 years `/ 55.85 years (2007 est.) ^= 5.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 0.6% (2003 est.) ^? 9,500 (2003 est.) ^@ less than 500 (2003 est.) _` `h very high `i bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and Rift Valley fever are high risks in some locations `s meningococcal meningitis (2007) ^A `3 Mauritanian(s) `4 Mauritanian ^B mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% ^C Muslim 100% ^D Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 41.7% `. 51.8% `/ 31.9% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Islamic Republic of Mauritania `7 Mauritania `Z Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah `[ Muritaniyah ^H republic ^I `8 Nouakchott `9 18 06 N, 15 57 W `: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^J 12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza ^K 28 November 1960 (from France) ^L Independence Day, 28 November (1960) ^M 12 July 1991 ^N a combination of Islamic law and French civil law ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL whose Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005 `< Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since 8 August 2005) `= Council of Ministers `> president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held 11 March 2007 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held 2012); prime minister appointed by the president `? percent of vote - (second round) Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI 52.8%, Ahmed Ould DADDAH 47.2%; power to be transferred to the new president on 19 April 2007 ^Q bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; a portion of seats up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `> Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011) `? Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime) 37, CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15, representatives of the diaspora (yet to be chosen) 3, undecided 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Al Mithaq 51 (independents 37, PRDR 7, UDP 3, RDU 3, Alternative (El-Badil) 1), CFCD 41 (RFD 16, UFP 9, APP 6, Centrist Reformists 4, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, PUDS 1), RNDLE 1, UCD 1, FP 1 ^R Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts ^S Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU); Alternative or El-Badil; Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists); Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including APP, Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists), HATEM-PMUC, PUDS, RD, RFD, UFP); Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS; Democratic Renewal or RD; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC; National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA] (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS); Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Centre or UCD; Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP ^T Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] ^U ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM `S 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 `T [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701 `U [1] (202) 319-2623 ^W `R Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles H. TWINING `_ 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott `` BP 222, Nouakchott `T [222] 525-2660/525-2663 `U [222] 525-1592 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt, which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports began in early 2006 and averaged 75,000 barrels per day for the year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. ^Z $8.397 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $1.641 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 19.4% (2006 est.) ^] $2,600 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 25% `A 29% `B 46% (2001 est.) ^_ 786,000 (2001) ^` `@ 50% `A 10% `B 40% (2001 est.) ^a 20% (2004 est.) _! 40% (2004 est.) _" `C 2.5% `D 30.2% (2000) _d 39 (2000) _# 7% (2003 est.) _$ `E $421 million `F $378 million; including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) _& dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep _' fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum _( 2% (2000 est.) _) 176.7 million kWh (2004) _* 164.3 million kWh (2004) _+ 0 kWh (2004) _, 0 kWh (2004) _- 75,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) _. 24,200 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _W 1 billion bbl (2005) _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Z 0 cu m (1 January 2005 est.) _3 $784 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _4 iron ore, fish and fish products, gold _5 Italy 14.9%, Japan 12.2%, France 11.9%, Belgium 8.4%, Germany 8.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.1%, Spain 7.1%, Russia 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2005) _6 $1.124 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _7 machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods _8 France 18.2%, UK 7.2%, US 6.9%, China 6%, Spain 5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) _9 $2.5 billion (2000) _: $305.7 million (2002) _; ouguiya (MRO) _< ouguiyas per US dollar - 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 41,000 (2005) _? 745,600 (2005) _@ `G limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made) `H mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals `I country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 2 Arabsat _A AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) _B 1 (2002) _C .mr _D 32 (2006) _E 14,000 (2005) 
]' _F 25 (2006) _G `! 8 `J 3 `b 5 (2006) _R `! 17 `b 9 `c 7 `W 1 (2006) _e 717 km `m 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) _H `! 7,660 km `K 866 km `L 6,794 km (1999) _I Nouadhibou, Nouakchott 
]( _J Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005) _T 18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2 years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2005) _K males age 18-49: 606,463 females age 18-49: 607,955 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 370,513 females age 18-49: 384,269 (2005 est.) _U 6.7% (2006 est.) 
]) _N Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant __ `f Mauritania is a source and destination country for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor, begging, and domestic servitude; adults and children are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter economy exists `g Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increased efforts to combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement 