Mauritania is an independent state in Western Africa, and a member of the United Nations. The long form of the name is Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The capital is Nouakchott.
Some 5.2 million people call it home, placing it 126th of 250 by population — between Oman above it and Costa Rica below. Among the 17 entries in Western Africa it ranks 3rd by area and 13th by population.
Its territory runs to 1,030,700 km², which ranks it 30th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Bolivia and just ahead of Egypt. For scale, it is almost exactly the same size as Egypt.
Location, borders and position
The coordinates the dataset gives are 20.0° N, 12.0° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,226 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
It is one of the countries that the Tropic of Cancer crosses. India, Myanmar and Oman sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
4 countries share a land border with it: Algeria, Mali, Senegal and Western Sahara. The largest of them by area is Algeria, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 90.4 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
People, population and language
Density comes out at around 5.0 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
Someone from Mauritania is a Mauritanian.
The one official language is Arabic. Arabic is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 24 other entries including Algeria, Bahrain, Chad and the Comoros.
Inside Africa it places 39th of 59 by population, and it accounts for 1.1% of everyone living in Western Africa.
Currency, domain and dialling code
The currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (UM, MRU). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Mauritania.
Nouakchott is the city to remember for this country.
Its internet country code is .mr. To phone it from abroad you dial +222. Standard country codes: mr and MRT.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Mauritania shares borders with 4 countries:
Fun facts about Mauritania
- Ranked by land area, Mauritania is 30th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- It is 126th of 250 by population, with about 5.2 million residents.
- It lies about 2,226 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
- It shares land borders with 4 countries: Algeria, Mali, Senegal and Western Sahara.
- The Tropic of Cancer runs across or very near it.
- Websites based there use the .mr domain.
- Its full official name is Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Mauritania — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Mauritania?
- The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott.
- What is the population of Mauritania?
- Mauritania has a population of about 5.2 million, which makes it the 126th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Oman sits just above it and Costa Rica just below.
- What language is spoken in Mauritania?
- The official language of Mauritania is Arabic. It is also official in 24 other entries on this list.
- Which countries border Mauritania?
- Mauritania borders 4 countries: Algeria, Mali, Senegal and Western Sahara. Algeria is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Mauritania located?
- Mauritania is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 20.0° north and 12.0° west, roughly 2,226 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- How big is Mauritania?
- Mauritania covers 1,030,700 km², ranking 30th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Egypt.
- Is Mauritania a country?
- Yes. Mauritania is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What currency does Mauritania use?
- Mauritania uses the Mauritanian ouguiya, written UM (currency code MRU). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
