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Table of Contents
Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa sharing its borders with Algeria, Senegal, Mali, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara. It is also on the Atlantic coast. The capital city, which is also the biggest city in the country, is Nouakchott.
See the fact file below for more information on the Mauritania or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Mauritania worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
HISTORY
- The Bafour tribe was the original inhabitant of Mauritania.
- During a period from 200-600 BCE, Berber tribes entered the land and became the dominant people.
- The southern part of Mauritania still had the Ghana Empire until the 11th century when Islamic warrior monks beat them.
- For the next 500 years, the Arabs conquered the Berbers and took full authority of the land.
- In 1904, France established the area as a colonial territory and in 1920, Mauritania became a French colony.
- This brought the end of slavery and wars between clans.
- Mauritania became an independent country in 1960.
- The capital city Nouakchott was established at this time.
- During this time ninety percent of the population was still nomadic tribes. The first president of Mauritania was Moktar Ould Daddah.
GEOGRAPHY
- Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is the 11th largest sovereign state in Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.
- Mauritania has a generally flat territory with vast plains that are punctuated by the occasional ridge or cliff-like outcropping.
- Bisecting the plains in the center of the country is a series of sandstone plateaus giving access to spring-fed oases.
- Guelb er Richat is the most prominent feature of this region, also known as the Eye of the Sahara. Guelb er Richat is a deeply eroded dome consisting of a variety of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.
- Approximately three-quarters of the Mauritania landscape is desert or semidesert. As a result of severe drought, the desert land has been expanding since the mid-1960s.
- Since most of the area of Mauritania is desert, the climate is constantly hot, dry, and dusty.
- The highest point of Mauritania is Kediet Ijill at 3,001 ft or 915 m, while the lowest point of Mauritania is Te-n-Dghamcha at -16 ft or -5 m.
- The total land area is 1,030,700 square km and is slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico.
DEMOGRAPHICS
- Mauritania had a population of about 4.6 million as of 2020.
- The local people are divided into three main ethnic tiers: Bidhan or Moors, Haratin, and West Africans. The Bidhan or Moors are of primarily Arab-Berber origin who speak Hassaniya Arabic. The Haratin are descendants of previous slaves and also speak Arabic. The last ethnic groups are of West African descent and the Niger-Congo, who speak Halpulaar (Fulbe), Soninke, Bambara, and Wolof.
- The official, as well as the national, language of Mauritania is Arabic. French is generally used in the media and among educated classes.
- Mauritania is nearly 100% Muslim.
- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nouakchott, established in 1965, serves the 4,500 Catholics in Mauritania (mostly foreign inhabitants from West Africa and Europe).
- People who live in Mauritania are called Mauritian(s).
ECONOMY
- Despite an abundance of natural resources, Mauritania continues to be poor.
- The country’s economy is based on extractive industries (oil and mines), fisheries, livestock, agriculture, and services.
- Fifty percent of the population still depends on farming and raising livestock, despite the fact that many nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s, 1980s, 2000s, and 2017.
- Only the countries of Mauritania and Madagascar do not use the decimal-based currency. The ouguiya, which is the basic unit of currency, is comprised of five khoums.
CULTURE
- Mauritanian cuisine has been influenced by the different Arab and African people who have lived in and traversed the stark landscape marked with Sahara desert dunes in caravans.
- Alcohol is forbidden in the Muslim faith and its sale is largely limited to hotels. Mint tea is widely consumed and poured from a height to create foam.
- Traditionally, meals are eaten communally where people stand or sit with their family around a large bowl filled with meat, rice, and vegetables. People take food from the bowl, using only their right hand because the left hand is considered unclean and is not used for eating.
- The music of Mauritania comes predominantly from Mauritania’s largest ethnic group, the Moors. In the Moorish community, musicians occupy the lowest caste, iggawin. Musicians from this caste used songs to praise victorious warriors as well as their patrons. Iggawin also had the traditional role of messengers, publishing news between villages.
- Football (soccer) is the most common sport in Mauritania. It is run by the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Mauritania Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Mauritania across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Mauritania worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Mauritania which is a country in northwest Africa sharing its borders with Algeria, Senegal, Mali, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara. It is also on the Atlantic coast. The capital city, which is also the biggest city in the country, is Nouakchott.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Mauritania Facts
- Mauritania Info
- Facts Please
- Historical Crossword
- Map of Mauritania
- Geographical Facts
- True or False
- Things Need to Know
- Tourist Attractions
- Mauritanian Culture
- Mauritania Poster
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Link will appear as Mauritania Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 18, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.