|
Country
|
Mauritania |
|
|
Leader
|
President: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
|
President: Joyce Banda
|
|
Population
|
3,359,185
| 16,323,044
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
61.530 years
| 52.310 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Nouakchott
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| Nouakchott (population: 661,400) | Lilongwe (population: 646,750) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.557
| 0.457
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,200 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
51.2%
| 62.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.8
| 2.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
19.9%
| 13%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
30.000%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
military junta
| multiparty democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
28 November 1960 (from France)
|
|
| Religions |
Muslim 100%
| Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya
| Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
|
| Exports |
iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum
|
|
| External Debt |
$2,816,000,000 $
|
|
| Exchange Rate |
ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
|
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.500%
|
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
| Southern Africa, east of Zambia
|
| Area |
1,030,700 km sq
| 118,484 km sq
|
| Coastline |
754 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
| sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
|
|
|
|
