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Middle East and North Africa
Mauritania |
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Last reviewed: 1 July 2008 |
Country information
Area: 1,030,700 km². Mauritania has a 700 km (435 ml) Atlantic coastline and is approximately twice the size of France.
Population: 3.1m (2005 est.)
Capital City: Nouakchott
Language(s): Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof, French. French is widely used in business.
Religion(s): Muslim
Life expectancy: 51 years (men), 54 years (women)
Currency: Ouguiya
Government: Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was elected President of Mauritania on 25 March. The EU described the elections as calm, transparent and properly conducted, and concluded that the Mauritanian people had the opportunity to express their political will through free and pluralist elections. The elections marked a return to democracy in Mauritania, nineteen months after a coup d’etat in August 2005. Legislative elections took place in November and December 2006. In June 2006 the Mauritanian people voted strongly in favour of adopting a new constitution, which provides for a civilian government composed of a dominant executive branch, a senate, and a national assembly.
Head of State: M. Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
Prime Minister: M. Zeine Ould Zeidane
Foreign Minister: M. Mohamed Saleck Ould Mohamed Lemine
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT - associate), African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), African Development Bank (AfDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab League (AL), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), African Union (AU) (currently suspended), Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO - pending member), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (Intelsat), International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation on Labour (WCL), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WtoO), World Trade Organisation (WtrO)
ECONOMY
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$1.9 billion (2005)
GDP (PPP) per capita: US$ 2600 (2006 est)
Annual Growth: 11.2% (2006 est)
Inflation: 8.9% (2006 est)
Major Industries: Exports: iron ore, fish and fish products. Imports: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Major trading partners: France, UK, US, China (2005). Export partners: Italy, France, Germany, Japan
Exchange rate: US$1 = 266 Mauritanian Ouguiya (May 2007); £1 = 528 Ouguiya)
A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mauritania has a diverse range of mineral resources, including gold and diamonds. However, exploitation of these resources has been limited by the country’s poor infrastructure. A significant iron ore mining industry contributes up to 11% of the country’s GNP, as well as 40% of export earnings.. A significant expansion in the mining sector should help to raise real growth in non-oil GDP to 5.6% in 2007.
Mauritania has offshore oil and gas deposits and a growing upstream oil industry. Offshore oil extraction began in February 2006. GDP surged 11.2% in 2006, one of the highest growth rates in the world. However, technical difficulties affected oil production in the second half of 2006 causing a sharp fall in output from 75,000 barrels per day in February to around 22,000 barrels p/d in December. Production is expected to stabilise at around 30,000 barrels p/d in 2007 thereby moderating recent GDP growth.It is one of the four oil refining countries in West Africa. Its downstream oil industry is a significant element in the country’s economy. Oil derived products supply 95% of the country’s commercial energy needs.
In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a build-up of foreign debt. 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. In June 2006 Mauritania had its Multilateral debt cancelled under the G8 Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. The government’s main objectives remain the reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatisation of the economy.
If the promising oil and gas prospects now being explored offshore are brought to fruition, Mauritania will have the chance to diversify its currently narrow export base. In addition, Mauritania has Least Developed Country status. This means it can export to the EU most goods (provided that they meet EU standards) on a tariff-free basis.
HISTORY
In the 11th century Mauritania formed part of the Islamic religious Almoravid state, which subjugated Ghana, Morocco and western Algeria and dominated Muslim Spain until the mid 12th century. The strength of Islam in Mauritania dates from those times. Between the 13th -15th centuries Mauritania was invaded by Maqil Bedouin tribes. From the 15th century the Portuguese and Spanish established trading settlements on the coast. They were followed by the French who first set up posts along the Senegal river but later gained control of the coastal region, and in 1903 incorporated Mauritania into the French West Africa protectorate. In 1920 Mauritania became a French colony and in 1958 an autonomous state, remaining within the French Community. It gained full independence as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on 28 November 1960. In 1973 Mauritania joined the Arab League.
MAURITANIA'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK
Diplomatic Representation
The British Ambassador in Rabat (Morocco) is accredited to Mauritania. There is an Honorary British Consul in Nouakchott who is responsible for consular protection, but is happy to advise on commercial matters.There is no Mauritanian Embassy in London, but the Mauritanian Ambassador in Paris is accredited to the UK .
Recent Visits
- H. E. Mohamed Ould Sidiana, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, January 2006.
- Zeidane Ould Hmeida, Minister for Industry and Mines visited London in March 2005 and November 2004.
- Mohammed Vall Ould Bellal, Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs visited London in June 2004, meeting the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Office Ministers Baroness Symons and Mike O’Brien. This was the first official visit to the UK by a Mauritanian Minister.
GEOGRAPHY
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania lies mainly in the Sahara Desert belt of West Africa. Mauritania is a poor country with few sources of income and great vulnerability to climatic and environmental factors. Sharing borders with Morocco, Algeria, Mali and Senegal, Mauritania is about 60% desert. The capital city and major port is Nouakchott. Other major towns are Kiffa, Rosso, Atar, Kaedi, Zouerate and the port of Nouadhibou.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
In 2006 UK exports to Mauritania were worth around £22.7m and imports around £14m.
UK Trade & Investment: contact details for Mauritania
Aid
There is no direct UK aid. However, the UK supports the work of the EU, UN and other international institutions working in Mauritania. In 2000, HMG cancelled all outstanding Mauritanian debt to the UK.
POLITICS
In August 2005 the 'Military Council for Justice and Democracy' seized power in a largely bloodless coup d’etat. The Military Council appointed a transitional government and undertook to return the country to democracy by March 2007. Prior to the coup, President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TAYA governed from 1984, first as head of a military junta, and from 1992-2005 as head of an elected civilian government.
A new constitution was approved by 97% of voters in a referendum in June 2006. Legislative elections were held in November and December 2006. Turnout was around 70%. No party won outright.. The 11-member ‘Coalition of Forces for Democratic Change’, made up of parties which opposed former President Taya, took 41 of the 95 seats contested. Independents also did well, winning 39 seats. Women won 17 seats and make up 18% of the National Assembly. International observers considered the legislative elections free and transparent. Presidential elections took place in March 2007. The first round on 11 March 2007 did not produce a decisive winner. A second round run-off between the first round’s two leading candidates was held on 25 March 2007. Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheik Abdellahi narrowly defeated his veteran opposition rival, Ahmed Ould Daddah, 52% to 48%. Turnout was 67.5%. The EU Presidency, US and AU issued statements commending the conduct of the elections. President Abdellahi’s first government, formed mostly of technocrats, resigned in May 2008. The new government, announced on 11 May, is regarded as more broad-based and political and includes former ministers.
The new Government has inherited a number of formidable challenges: It is aware of the need to accelerate economic growth to raise the standard of living of Mauritanians, in the context of limited oil revenue prospects over the next few years and a difficult international economic environment. Mauritania has also recently become the target of terrorist activities. In December 2007, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQM) claimed responsibility for the killing of four Mauritanian soldiers as well as a family of French tourists. In February 2008, AQM attacked the Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott.
