MAURITANIA
LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
Mauritania, officially Islamic Republic of Mauritania and referred to as “Le Grand Vide” or “The Big Nothing” by French colonialists, is situated in northwest Africa. On its north lie the Western Sahara, Algeria and Mali on the east and Senegal on the south. The country is mostly a low-lying desert, forming part of the Sahara, a wide sandstone plateau runs through the center of the country from north to south and in the southeast is the Hodh, a large basin in the desert.
CLIMATE
The climate of the country is characterized by extremes in temperature and by meager and irregular rainfall. The climate across most of the country is hot and dry with practically no rain. However, rainfall is higher in the south with a rainy season which runs from July to September. In March and April the deserts are cooler and windy.
LANGUAGE
Arabic is the national and official language of Mauritania and the administrative language is French. The second official language of Mauritania is French. Both French and Arabic are widely used in schools and universities, as well as in media and administration.
CURRENCY
Mauritanian Ouguiya (MRO) = 5 khoums, is the currency of Mauritania. Notes are in denominations of MRO 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of MRO20, 10, 5 and 1, and 1 and 0.2 khoums. While one pound equals MRO386.96, one dollar equals MRO260.00 and one Euro equals MRO344.75.
ECONOMY
Mauritania is very poor country and the life of most of the people is untouched by modernity. The small elite section of society lies mostly in the capital Nouakchott. The economy is totally dependent on iron from the mines in the north of Mauritania, fishing and foreign aid. Iron represents about 50% of total export. Mauritania's economy is sharply divided between a traditional agricultural sector and a modern mining industry.
France, Belgium, Japan, and Spain are the primary trade partners and the country has a large foreign debt.
CAPITAL
The city of Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania. It is by far the largest and most important city of the country and very densely populated, as recurrent droughts in the Sahara have forced people to migrate to Nouakchott in search of livelihood. For the tourist, Nouakchott offers its many streets and an endless beach for walking. Historical and ceramic exhibitions are offered by the national museum of Nouakchott. Huge and impressive villas can be seen from a distance, behind walls and gates at the Tavragh Zayna and Las Palmas areas, less than half a kilometer northwest of the town center, where most of the town’s elite population is housed. However, Nouakchott is a very expensive city.
TOURING MAURITANIA
From history to art to culture to the outdoors, Mauritania attractions are plentiful and there are several ways you can use to savor what Mauritania has to offer.
Desert expedition
Go on a desert expedition and discover the ancient cities, beautiful oases, and the charming desert in Mauritania.
If you care for your environment, take an eco tour and discover new and indigenous cultures spread across this Saharan country. It would be fun to meet the tribe that survives through a symbiotic relationship with wild dolphins, halfway between Nouakchott and Nouâdhibou. You could also visit Atâr, capital of the Adrar Region, which is the market center for the nomads of northern Mauritania.
In case the motorcycle is your ride, you can discover the natural splendors, the ancient cities, beautiful oases, the charming desert in Mauritania and other natural and special places, by taking a motorcycle tour.
Or you could explore Mauritania's 800km (500-mile) sandy beach, which is almost devoid of vegetation but makes up for it by housing an astonishingly large and varied population of birds.
You could tour the Affolé and Assaba regions, south and southeast of the Tagant, via Kiffa, Tamchakett and Ayoun el Atrous, to the wild plateau of El Agher and discover these interesting regions of the country.
It would be worthwhile to discover Nouâdhibou, the port and center of the fishing industry.
For the mountain enthusiasts an excursion over the breathtaking mountain pass of Homogjar to Chinguetti, a holy city of Islam founded in the 13th century, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will appear a blessing. In case you want to cut out the mountain journey, you can stay in the city and visit its medieval mosque and a library housing ancient manuscripts.
Mauritania is all about the desert and ocean, so make the most of the water; indulge in fishing, swimming and surfing along the coast in the west. Remote and deserted beaches can be found near Nouâdhibou, but be pre-warned; there is a risk of landmines in the area.
There is a lot for you to see at Mauritania, whatever your choice of transport may be:
Nouakchott, which maintains the traditional Berber style of architecture, is definitely worth a view. The major attractions there are the Plage du Wharf, the mosque, the Ksar and its market, the African market and the camel market, the crafts center, the Maison de la Culture and the carpet factory.
However, Parc National du Banc d'Arguin, a vast area of islands and coastline located on the Atlantic desert coast, one of the world's largest bird sanctuaries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is by far the greatest tourist attraction in Mauritania.
The oasis of Azoughui, the Almoravid capital in the 11th and 12th centuries, which has remains of fortified buildings from this period, is a wonderful place to visit.
At Oualatatua, is situated, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which once featured amongst the greatest caravan entrepôts of the Sahara. It is a fortified medieval town, built on a rocky peak and has for centuries been a place of refuge for scholars.
GETTING AROUND
Getting around Mauritania is a challenge as is there a severe dearth of road and rail networks, in the face of which the public transport system is very meager.
If you are traveling up north only then are the railways are only great, there are no connections south of Nouadhibou. There is only one train line in Mauritania, linking Nouadhibou, Choum and Zouerat, but the train ride itself is something to try out. It is said to be the longest train in the world, having over 150 cars and being over 2 kilometers long. It is otherwise used for carrying iron ore from Zouerat mine to Nouadhibou harbor.
The only, reasonably travel worthy roads, are in the southwest, plus the one road going inland from Nouakchott. Other than that, most of the settlements have neither roads nor trains. But on the brighter side, traveling by air is quite cheap and efficient. Some of the destinations reached from Nouakchott are- Nouadhibou in the northwest, Atar in the north, Tidjikia in the middle, Nema in the east, Selibaby in the south. There is only one passenger car in the country, but travel in iron ore hopper is also possible (and advisable, as the passenger car is usually overcrowded and tickets are required). The ticket costs 1500 ougiyas for passenger car and travel in hopper is free. If you don’t carry a scarf to cover your face you will be swathed in an awful amount of dust.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel accommodation is very limited in Mauritania and visitors are advised to book well in advance. Even in the capital, accommodation is limited and expensive and only the larger hotels there are comfortable and have air conditioning.
Rest Houses
An alternative and cheaper accommodation type is the rest house. There are numerous government rest houses throughout the country, which can be book through the Ministère du Commerce de l'Artisanat et du Tourisme
IMPORTANT TOURIST INFORMATION
There are some very important points to be noted by anyone planning a trip to Mauritania:
Mauritania is not connected to the international banking system, so your cards would not work in the ATM. However, most places accept major credit cards and it is easy to exchange cash.
For all countries a visa is required with your passport, except for those who hold a French, Italian, or West African passport.
Everyone is required to carry proof of onward travel and sufficient money to cover travel expenses.
Before entry a yellow fever vaccination form is required.
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