MAURITANIA
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LAND
1,085,210 km2; less than 1% suitable for crops, 10% pasture, 90% desert
Land boundaries: 5,118 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 70 nm (fishing, 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
Coastline: 754 km
PEOPLE
Population: 1,561,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.9%
Nationality: noun—Mauritanian(s); adjective—Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions: 30% Moor, 30% Black, 40% mixed Moor/Black
Religion: nearly 100% Muslim
Language: Arabic is the national language, French is the working language for government and commerce
Literacy: about 17%
Labor force: about 95,000 wage earners (1979); remainder of population in farming and herding; considerable unemployment
Organized labor: 30,000 union members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Type: republic; military seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978
Capital: Nouakchott
Political subdivisions: 12 regions and a capital district
NOTE: Mauritania acquired administrative control of the southern third of Western (formerly Spanish) Sahara under a agreement with Morocco and Spain. Following an August 1979 peace agreement with Polisario insurgents fighting for control of Western Sahara, Mauritania withdrew from the territory and renounced all territorial claims.
Legal system: based on French and Islamic law; military constitution April 1979
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November
Branches: executive, Military Committee for National Salvation rules by decree; National Assembly and judiciary suspended pending restoration of civilian rule
Government leader: Chief of State and Head of Government, Lt. Col. Mohamed Khouna Ould HAIDALLA
Suffrage: universal for adults
Elections: in abeyance; last presidential election August 1976
Political parties and leaders: suspended
Communists: no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers
Member of: AFDB, AIOEC, Arab League, CEAO, CIPEC (associate), EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAU, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
ECONOMY
GDP: about $689 million (1980 est.), $400 per capita, average annual increase in current prices about 11% (1974-80)
Agriculture: most Mauritanians are nomads or subsistence farmers; main products—livestock, cereals, vegetables, dates; cash crops—gum arabic
Fishing: local catch, 34,170 metric tons (1980 est.); exports, 42,000 metric tons (1980 est.)
Major industries: mining of iron ore and gypsum, fishing
Electric power: 70,000 kW capacity (1980); 105 million kWh produced (1980), 69 kWh per capita
Exports: $194 million (f.o.b., 1980 prelim.); iron ore, fish
Imports: $307 million (f.o.b., 1980); foodstuffs, petroleum, capital goods
Major trade partners: (trade figures not complete because Mauritania has a form of customs union with Senegal and much local trade unreported) France and other EC members, UK, and US are main overseas partners
Budget: $204 million (budgeted) current expenditures, $10.5 million capital expenditures, $114.9 million extra budgetary expenditure, $140.4 million revenue (1980)
Monetary conversion rate: 48.66 Ouguiyas=US$1 as of November 1981
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 650 km standard gauge (1.435 m), single track, privately owned
