Portal:Mauritania

The Mauritania Portal - بوابة موريتانيا Flag of Mauritania Seal of Mauritania Mauritania, formally the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. By land area Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara. Most of its population of some 4.3 million lives in the temperate south of the country, with roughly a third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott, on the Atlantic coast. The country's name derives from Mauretania, the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania by beginning of the third century AD. Groups of Arab tribes migrated to this area in the late seventh century, bringing with them Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, but has since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014. He was succeeded by General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections, head of an autocratic government with a very poor human rights record, particularly because of its perpetuation of slavery; the 2018 Global Slavery Index estimates there are about 90,000 slaves in the country (or 2.1% of the population). Despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum, Mauritania remains poor; its economy is based primarily on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world; it is a member of the Arab League and Arabic is the official language. The official religion is Islam, and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. Despite its prevailing Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic; the Bidhan, or so-called "white moors", make up 30% of the population, while the Haratin, or so-called "black moors", comprise 40%. Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups. (Full article...) Selected article - Mountains in the Adrar region; desert scenes continue to define the Mauritanian landscape since classical times Precolonial Mauritania, lying next to the Atlantic coast at the western edge of the Sahara Desert, received and assimilated into its complex society many waves of Saharan migrants and conquerors. Plinius wrote that the area north of the river Senegal was populated, during Augustus times, by the Pharusii and Perorsi. Berbers moved south to Mauritania beginning in the 3rd century, followed by Arabs in the 8th century, subjugating and assimilating Mauritania's original inhabitants. The Umayyads were the first Arab Muslims to enter Mauritania. During the Islamic conquests, they made incursions into Mauritania and were present in the region by the end of the 7th century. Many Berber tribes in Mauritania fled the arrival of the Arabs to the Gao region in Mali. (Full article...) List of selected articles Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Agriculture in Mauritania Mauritania–Senegal Border War Emirate of Trarza Richat Structure Nouadhibou Kiffa Ouadane Mauritania Railway Economy of Mauritania Mauritanian cuisine Zouérat Slavery in Mauritania Mauritania Airlines Armed Forces of Mauritania Flag of Mauritania Mauritania national football team Greater Mauritania Mauritanian ouguiya 2019 Mauritanian presidential election LGBT rights in Mauritania Rosso Human rights in Mauritania En attendant les hommes Mining in Mauritania Hodh Ech Chargui Region Adrar Region Hodh El Gharbi Region 2011–12 Mauritanian protests Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz 2007 Mauritanian presidential election Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Adrar Region Ba Mamadou Mbaré Arab Maghreb Union Diawling National Park Koumbi Saleh Soninke people Gorgol Region Amar Godomat Serer people Wolof people Toucouleur people Assaba Region Banc d'Arguin National Park 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Good article - This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards. Mauritania sent a delegation to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October 2000. This was the African nation's fifth time competing at the Summer Olympic Games. The Mauritanian delegation consisted of two track and field athletes, Sidi Mohamed Ould Bidjel and Fatou Dieng. Neither advanced beyond the first round of their respective events. (Full article...) List of Good articles Nouakchott Ten Hamadi Malouma Mauritania at the 2012 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2008 Summer Olympics Mauritania at the 2004 Summer Olympics Categories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Mauritania Mauritania-related lists Arab tribes in Mauritania Buildings and structures in Mauritania Culture of Mauritania Economy of Mauritania Education in Mauritania Environment of Mauritania Geography of Mauritania Government of Mauritania Health in Mauritania History of Mauritania Organisations based in Mauritania Mauritanian people Politics of Mauritania Society of Mauritania Mauritania stubs General images - The following are images from various Mauritania-related articles on Wikipedia. Mauritanian blogger and political prisoner Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir. (from Mauritania) Sandy area west of Chinguetti (from Mauritania) Qur'an collection in a library in Chinguetti (from Mauritania) Camel market in Nouakchott (from Mauritania) Nouakchott is the capital and the largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. (from Mauritania) After the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the French, took control of Arguin until abandoning it in 1685. (from Mauritania) The Portuguese Empire ruled Arguin (Portuguese: Arguim) from 1445, after Prince Henry the Navigator set up a feitoria, until 1633. (from Mauritania) Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (from Mauritania) Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in his hometown, Akjoujt, on 15 March 2009. (from Mauritania) 2011–12 Mauritanian protests. (from Mauritania) French West Africa, circa 1913. (from History of Mauritania) Rock art in the Sahara Desert (from Mauritania) A Moorish family in the Adrar Plateau. (from Mauritania) Chinguetti was a center of Islamic scholarship in West Africa. (from Mauritania) Terjit oasis in the Adrar Region (from Mauritania) Related portals Religions in Mauritania Arab states Other countries All Africa-related portals WikiProjects You are invited to participate in WikiProject Mauritania, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Mauritania. WikiProject Africa Topics in Mauritania Culture Demographics Economy Geography History Politics Cities and towns   Largest cities or towns in Mauritania National Agency for Statistics, Demographic and Economic Analysis (2023 census) Rank Name Region Pop. Nouakchott Nouadhibou 1 Nouakchott Nouakchott 1,446,761 Kiffa 2 Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou 173,525 3 Kiffa Assaba 84,101 4 Vassala Hodh Ech Chargui 79,508 5 Kaédi Gorgol 62,790 6 Zouérat Tiris Zemmour 62,380 7 Rosso Trarza 61,156 8 Boghé Brakna 50,205 9 Sélibaby Guidimagha 44,966 10 Guerou Assaba 40,315 Communes Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus Discover Wikipedia using portals List of all portals The arts portal Biography portal Current events portal Geography portal History portal Mathematics portal Science portal Society portal Technology portal Random portal WikiProject Portals