Mauritania Flag

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in the Maghreb region of western North Africa. It is the eleventh largest country in Africa, and is bordered by Western Sahara to the northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. The country derives its name from the ancient Kingdom of Mauretania, which existed from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD in the far north of modern-day Morocco and Algeria.

Mauritania is a presidential representative democratic republic. It is the only Arab country in Africa. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast, which is home to around one third of the country's 4 million people. The government was overthrown on 6 August 2008, in a military coup d'état led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. On 16 April 2009, Aziz resigned from the military to run for president in the 19 July elections, which he won.

Despite being classified as an upper middle income country by the World Bank, Mauritania remains one of the poorest countries in the world, due in part to its dependence on primary commodities. Its major industries are mining, fishing, and agriculture.

Mauritania has a population of about 4 million people, with almost 90% living in the capital and its environs. The official language is Arabic, and the majority of the population adheres to Islam. French is also widely spoken, especially among the business class. Slavery remains a major issue, as at least 4% of the population are enslaved according to the Global Slavery Index, published in 2013 by the Walk Free Foundation.