🌍 Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Area & Boundaries
Total Area
1,030,700 km²
Land Area
1,030,700 km²
Water Area
N/A km²
World Rank by Area
#null
Land Boundaries
5,002 km
Coastline
754 km
Bordering Countries
Algeria (460 km)
236 km; Morocco 1 (N/A km)
564 km; Senegal (742 km)
Terrain & Climate
Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Elevation
Highest Point
: N/Am
Lowest Point
: nullm
Mean Elevation
276m
Natural Resources
iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
👥 Demographics
Population Overview
Total Population (2024)
4,328,040
World Rank
#null
Growth Rate
1.92%
Urbanization
null%
Age & Life Expectancy
Median Age
22.1 years
Life Expectancy
null years
Birth Rate
27.2 per 1,000
Death Rate
7.2 per 1,000
Major Urban Areas
- NOUAKCHOTT: 1,492,000 people
Education
Literacy Rate: null% (Male: 70.1%, Female: 51.8%)
💼 Economy
lower middle-income West African economy; primarily agrarian; rising urbanization; poor property rights; systemic corruption; endemic social and workforce tensions; wide-scale terrorism; foreign over-fishing; environmentally fragile
GDP & Economic Indicators
GDP (PPP)
$33.07 billion
GDP (Official Rate)
$10.77 billion
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$6,400
World GDP Rank
#null
GDP Growth Rate
5.2%
Unemployment Rate
null%
Inflation Rate
2.5%
Public Debt (% of GDP)
null%
GDP Composition by Sector
Agriculture
18.6%
Industry
30.6%
Services
43.2%
Major Industries
fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper)
Trade
Exports
N/A
Imports
N/A
Foreign Exchange Reserves
N/A
Currency
(null)
🏛️ Government
Government Type
presidential republic
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State:
Head of Government:
Legislative Branch
National Holiday
Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
📈 Social Indicators
Physicians
0.26 per 1,000
Health Expenditure
4.1% of GDP
Education Expenditure
4.7% of GDP
🎨 Cultural Heritage
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
2
Notable Sites
- Ancient Ksour (Fortified Villages) of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata
- Banc d'Arguin National Park